Watch: Virtual Lap At Brand New Madrid Circuit

F1
Friday, 26 January 2024 at 09:31
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Williams Formula One team shared a flying lap simulation of the newly added circuit to the F1 calendar - Madrid Circuit.

It was speculated for a while, but it became official a few days ago. Madrid Circuit will become a part of the F1 calendar starting from the season 2026.

The Spanish city was able to secure a contract for ten seasons, so it will be part of the schedule at least until 2035. The Grand Prix in Madrid will run under the name Spanish Grand Prix.

It is supposed to be a semi-street circuit that will utilize roads of IFEMA Madrid (the presenter and the promoter of the new event), outdoor areas, and future roads of Valdebebas along with 1,5km (0,93 miles) of public roads.

Layout Of Madrid Circuit Shared On IFEMA Website
Layout Of Madrid Circuit Shared On IFEMA Website

As you can read in the image above, the circuit is still subject to FIA homologation. This means some parts of the circuit might have to be changed.

The circuit will be 5,47 km (3,39 miles) long, and the track layout will feature 20 turns. It is expected F1 cars will be able to reach run average speeds of 218 km/h (135 mph) around this track.

The estimated qualification Flying lap time around the Madrid Circuit is around 1 minute and 32 seconds, during which the cars are expected to reach speeds of 300km/h (186.4 mph).

The announcement of the newly proposed circuit did not meet with the best reception from F1 fans, who would like to see more traditional dedicated racing circuits rather than new street circuits.

However, the Las Vegas Grand Prix was under fire for a long time before the event was held in 2023, and it ended up providing one of the most exciting races of the season despite being a street circuit.

So what about the Madrid Circuit? While we have to wait until 2026 to see real F1 cars racing on the circuit, the Williams team already shared a lap simulation of the new track on their social media. See the video below.