F1 heads to a new venue this weekend as Madrid takes over hosting the Spanish GP. Here’s what you need to know about the new track

F1’s newest street circuit

The new Madring is located next to Madrid’s Barajas airport and based around the IFEMA exhibition centre, which was recently home to the official F1 Exhibition. A new 22-turn, 5.4km track has been built across two sites, bisected by a motorway. The southern section of the Madring features the pit lane and paddock, integrated into IFEMA.

This first and final sector of the lap have a more traditional street circuit feel, utilising parts of Madrid’s public roads. Indeed, during construction, drainage and underground cables were removed to avoid having any manhole covers on this section of the track.

On the other side of the autopista is a free-flowing middle sector of the lap, in an area known as Valdebebas. It features the circuit’s standout corner and will also house one of the largest Fan Zones in F1.

Because of the motorway, which the circuit crosses via two underpasses, spectators will be unable to walk directly from the south to the north side of the venue. However, both areas are easily accessible by Madrid’s efficient and modern public transport system.

A monumental corner

Madring’s standout feature is Turn 12, known as La Monumental. At 550 metres in length, this is a steeply banked bend with a maximum gradient of 24%, equivalent to 13.5 degrees of banking, and is 12 metres wide.

La Monumental is named after one of Spain’s most prestigious bullrings, and the 270-degree bend will feature a wall of grandstands on the outside and hospitality on the inside.

With the current breed of power units and downforce levels, it’s difficult to predict how quickly drivers will be able to take Turn 12 — or whether they can stay flat-out. Early simulations predict an entry speed of between 180-200kph, with cars accelerating throughout its half-kilometre length.

An epic operation

Work began in Valdebebas in April 2025 and, in total, construction has involved moving one million cubic metres of earth, equivalent to 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Part of that excavated earth was used to shape the layout and support the Turn 12 banking.

Look out too, for two other features. At Turn 8, El Bunker, you’ll see two historic structures, bunkers built in 1938 as part of Madrid’s defence during the Civil War.

And during the official ceremony to open the circuit in June, one of Spain’s largest flags was hoisted at Turn 3, standing 54 metres tall. It seems that everything at the Madring is monumental…