Madrid’s inaugural F1 spectacle is already sold out, even as finishing touches are being put to the new Madrid circuit. With the Spanish Grand Prix relocating from its historic Barcelona home to the Spanish capital in 2026, the event has ignited unprecedented demand – despite parts of the circuit infrastructure still being under construction.
Luis García Abad, general manager of the Spanish Grand Prix, confirmed at a press event that ticket sales had increased beyond expectations. “We have been technically sold out for weeks,” García Abad announced a few weeks before the F1 circus descended upon Madrid. “There’s still time. The final capacity is determined at the end of the race. There may be many more people joining the circuit, but we want access to an experience to enjoy; it’s an event from morning till night.”
The new Madrid Circuit, which winds its way through some of Madrid’s most iconic sites, including the iconic IFEMA conference centre, is set to host its first Spanish Grand Prix this September. While the track layout has already seen action – notably during a Ferrari filming day featuring Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc – key parts of the infrastructure, such as the pitlane garage, grandstand and paddock, remain incomplete. Chief Operating Officer Carlos Jimenez recently acknowledged that night shifts may be necessary for workers to ensure the venue is ready for race weekend.
Despite these challenges, García Abad has maintained confidence in the project’s timeline. He highlighted the successful test conducted by Ferrari earlier this month, where both Hamilton and Leclerc became the first Formula 1 drivers to sample the new layout. “We have delivered results, not just words,” García Abad stressed. “As stipulated in the contract, construction was completed at the end of May. We tested because we had made a commitment to Ferrari.”
Ferrari testing reportedly went as planned, even though Hamilton had expressed some “complaints” about the circuit. However, García Abad stressed the importance of this milestone for the credibility of the new venue. He said, “Last November no one believed it, but they did. It was important because it was the test to make sure that everything designed, every technical thing worked as expected.”
As anticipation grows and construction crews race against the clock, Madrid’s bold new entry on the Formula 1 calendar has already captured the fans’ imagination, with the pit buildings selling out before the paint had dried.
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