News MD: Madrid, F1 from 2027 but MotoGP ruled out

It is getting closer to becoming a reality. Madrid should have F1 from 2027. Officials on both sides are lacking, but according to sources close to the interested parties, F1 and Madrid have an agreement to host the Spanish F1 GP in Ifema and Valdebebas from 2027. This is something that many have talked about in recent months and there has even been speculation about the possibility of joining MotoGP and F1 on the same track on the same weekend, but as this newspaper has learned, the option that was thrown away. There will be F1, but not MotoGP on the new semi-urban track in Madrid.

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna, said a few weeks ago at ‘Cadena COPE’ that there is a desire to combine MotoGP and F1 in the same weekend in the Spanish capital. “I talked to Stefano Domenicali to do the F1 and motorcycle championships on the same weekend at the same circuit. We are thinking about it. Stefano talked to me about a circuit in Madrid and I talked to the mayor of Madrid. We need we can see why we need bigger holes that are harder on non-permanent circuits,” Ezepeleta said. However, according to sources close to the negotiations consulted by MD, this possibility is no longer being considered.

The reason is simple: according to the said source, The F1 layout that will be built around Ifema Madrid and will pass through some streets of Valdebebas has been designed. This design does not comply with the safety regulations required by a MotoGP event for various reasons. One of them, according to said source, is because the circuit will go from Ifema to Valdebebas, forcing vehicles to pass under the M-11 bridge. Another, simpler, for how close the protective barriers are.

As this source assures, this layout, already designed, should use one of the widest streets passing right next to Ifema, such as Vía de Dublin, to go to Valdebebas passing under the M -11 bridge to Real Madrid’s Sports City.

F1 and his idea of ​​approaching the city

F1 tends to be closer to the cities, that is the product on which it bets more and more with all the new circuits it adds to the calendar. Proof of this is the latest American appointments added to the ‘Great Circus’ as Miami or Las Vegas, or previous accesses such as Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) or Baku (Azerbaijan). This type of product allows Liberty Media, owners of F1, brings the races closer to the people who live in the city and its touristsoffers greater facilities to reach the route.

The new Ifema-Valdebebas circuit fully meets this requirement, as it is accessible by public transport. In addition, this product allows F1 to offers VIP experiences with higher demand and higher prices.

In this sense, as reported by ‘Relevo’, the circuit project is focused on complying with the requirement of neutralizing CO2 emissions using renewable energies and GP emissions will be avoided in other projects in CO2 capture, a plan that is in line with will. of F1, which together with the engines it will introduce from 2026, with more electric power and synthetic fuels, will reduce its footprint until it aims to be a 0-emissions competition by 2023.

From 2027

F1 has renewed its contract with Barcelona at the end of 2021 for another 5 years, until 2026and according to the cited source, With the completion of this agreement, the ‘Great Circus’ will move to the capital. And it is that as argued by the CEO of F1, Stefano Domenicali, in the official exhibition that the F1 premiered weeks ago precisely in Ifema, there will not be two F1 GPs in Spain and the Madrid option will only survive if it stops at competing with Barcelona. Of course, at that time he didn’t want to guarantee anything. “It is a pleasure to see how the interest in Spain continues to grow for Carlos as well, we know the interest in Madrid, the same as in Barcelona and this is good news for us. You can never say never in life, but the two races in Spain are very complicated. We are happy in Barcelona and it is true that Madrid wants a race, so we will see. All this is good for F1.”argued Domenicali.

“I know that there is a great expectation in Spain, and it is good for F1. It is true that Madrid wants to host a Grand Prix, but we must respect the fact that we are in Barcelona. They are doing a incredible job, we will be there in June and it will be a Superb race I’m sure,” he previously said on DAZN F1.

For his part, José Vicente de los Mozos, president of the Ifema Executive Committee, assured at the end of March that they presented a solid project for F1 to be in Ifema. “We know the investments, we know how to do it and we know the business case. We made a serious and professional project. This project is liked. Proof of this is that Ifema was chosen to host, for the first time in the world, The Exhibition. This is starting to link Ifema to the world of Formula 1 and this bodes well for the future”, he commented then. Jose Vicente de los Mozos.

Here we must add that in June 2022 an official letter from the Community of Madrid sent to F1 was leaked in which its Government showed “the greatest interest” in “making possible as soon as possible” its dream of -host an F1 event in the Spanish capital.

According to information gathered by this newspaper, the Spanish Grand Prix will be held in Madrid once the contract with Barcelona is completedthat is, in 2027. It is necessary to see if the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has room for maneuver to change the course of events, increasingly pointing towards Madrid.