The ancestral political, economic and sporting rivalry between Madrid and Barcelona returns to the scene thanks to Formula 1. The supposedly imminent announcement of the entry of the Spanish capital into the F-1 World Championship calendar starting in 2026 leaves a delicate situation to the Spanish GP that has been held in Montmeló uninterruptedly since 1991, for the last 33 years. So much so that, as this newspaper has learned, the company that manages Formula 1, the American Liberty Media, hopes that Barcelona will renounce its last year of contract, 2026, in order to accommodate Madrid. That is what the organizers of the event in the capital defend. Sources from the Generalitat, on the other hand, claim to have agreed on a right of first refusal to match Madrid's offer, including the possibility of extending F-1 beyond 2026 since the talks for this "are evolving positively." Regarding pressure from Madrid, silence remains.
Two years ago, in November 2021, the Generalitat of Catalonia, majority owner of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, announced the renewal of the contract with Liberty Media for five years, from 2022 to 2026. So Montmeló ensured the presence of the ' great circus' for 36 consecutive seasons. To keep up with the new times and the demands of safety, modernization and sustainability, the Circuit undertook a thorough renovation: it has invested 30 million euros in three years (2022-24) to make the Circuit a model facility. In fact, work is being done on an extraordinary race in 2024, with the involvement of the city of Barcelona.
Some time ago, however, the shadow of Madrid began to appear along the way, which aspires to host F-1 again more than 40 years after its last event at Jarama, in 1981. The old route at 28 km from the center of the capital hosted races for 9 seasons. However, the recovery of F-1 by Madrid would not be in Jarama, but with a mammoth project in the image and likeness of the great shows in Miami and Mexico: with an ephemeral urban circuit through the Ifema and Valdebebas venues. , and a vast recreational-festive and gastronomic program, in line with the new trend that Liberty Media is betting on.
“We have confidence because the candidacy has been worked on. Now it is up to Formula 1 to make the final decision and make the appropriate announcement,” the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, said yesterday.
The Madrid project, with the support of the City Council and the Community (PP), and which was presented in May to F-1 in Miami by Miguel Ángel Rodríguez (chief of staff of the president of the Community) and by José Vicente de Los Mozos, president of Ifema, plans to build an urban circuit for around 100 million euros, and provide the GP with a dazzling recreational offering. A GP designed for 10 years, which would have to pay a fee to F-1 of around 60 million euros (almost triple what Barcelona pays), and which would be financed entirely by private capital, except for public contributions in the form of transfers of common space and necessary services (police security, traffic, transportation, civil protection...). The management of the GP will be granted to the same company that exploits the commercial rights to the Miami GP.
The arrival of Madrid clashes head-on with the presence of Barcelona on the calendar, guaranteed until 2026, the same year that the Spanish capital wants to enter. Would there be cohabitation between the two cities, two Spanish GPs? “Liberty Media is not interested, does not see coexistence as viable, and hopes that Barcelona will give up its one-year contract,” say sources familiar with Madrid's negotiations with the American promoter. The density of the current calendar (23 races from March to the end of November) makes duplication of countries unviable... although Italy maintains its two venues (Monza and Imola), for obvious reasons of the commitments of the F-1 president, Stefano. Domenicali.
The solution is not easy. Liberty is eager for the entry of Madrid (fresh and larger money, more American-style show) and does not mind losing a traditional, traditional and reference place for drivers and teams. As a pressure mechanism, Liberty Media knows of the economic weaknesses of the Catalan promoter (the investment is 100% public, subject to political ups and downs), so it could negotiate the conditions of return (starting in 2027) in exchange for resignation .
