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According to reports, the official announcement of the F1 Madrid GP is due next week. It has also been mentioned that it could be a night race on a street circuit.
It was reported earlier this week that Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya could lose its position as the host of the F1 Spanish GP as a new circuit layout in Madrid has been proposed. It is expected to be yet another street circuit, and might as well be a night race. If it happens, the rumored Madrid GP will be the only European F1 Grand Prix to be held at night.
Further, it is also reported that the F1 will officially announce the event next week. The project is then expected to be presented in January 2024 and Formula 1 could race there by 2027. There was a backlash from fans regarding the removal of the current Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for another street circuit. The latter has not been recently popular amongst the fans because of the "lack of racing action."
Despite this, the announcement of the Madrid GP looks imminent according to the reports.
F1 Madrid GP receives criticism from Spanish politicians
While Formula 1 Management might be interested in hosting a Grand Prix in Madrid, there was criticism that it received earlier in the Madrid Assembly.
The race will reportedly be held in Valdebebas, which is an urban development currently under construction. It is reported to host over 12k apartments for some 40,000 inhabitants.
Juan Lobato, a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, criticized the idea of hosting the Madrid GP. He stated that the government will focus on bringing in F1 in the area before building a medical center. Marca quoted him,
"A sign of your zendalism is that Valdebebas is going to have Formula 1 before its medical center, its institute or its interchange. This is how you spend the gunpowder of the people of Madrid."
While Diaz Ayuso (President of the Community of Madrid) defended the Madrid GP stating it is a private organization, there is still much criticism that the rumored event has faced from fans. As mentioned before, the sole idea of hosting a race on another street circuit rather than a purpose-built track has not been taken well by many.
Three-time F1 World champion Max Verstappen has been open about his distaste for street circuits. Talking about the Las Vegas GP, he had stated that it was mostly for the show and not for actual racing. The backlash from other drivers and fans continues to be a threat to the Madrid Grand Prix.
