Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix has been held at Barcelona since 1991, but there are plans to relocate it to a street-based event around Madrid’s IFEMA Exhibition Centre, potentially as early as 2025.
It has led to mixed reactions from drivers, particularly given that Barcelona circuit has finally been restored to its former glory, having axed the unpopular cumbersome chicane that was in place for 16 years. Losing Barcelona would mean losing a high-speed permanent race track in favor of another street facility, with the number of such venues increasing in recent seasons.
In Madrid’s favor, certainly for Formula 1, is the greater availability of public transport options to reach the venue, an aspect which will aid its Net Carbon Zero ambitions for 2030. Another aspect is that Barcelona is hardly renowned for delivering thrilling races.
Elsewhere, plans for a return to South Africa for 2024 have been scrapped, meaning Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps is set to earn (another) one-year reprieve.
