341 replies to this topic

[Yoshi]

Rumors are going around on Twitter that Barcelona is gonna lose his race for a circuit in Madrid starting from 2026

BREAKING: The Spanish GP will reportedly be held in Madrid from 2026.
It's understood a 10-year contract has been signed.
Source: @elmundoes

@joesaward
It will soon be announced that Madrid has won the deal to host the Spanish Grand Prix from 2026 onwards. The race will take place on a semi-permanent track around the IFEMA convention centre, close to Barajas Airport. The deal will be for 10 years.

[JHSingo]

Oh great. Another street circuit. Wonderful. 

 

Very soon street circuits are going to outnumber proper tracks, the way things are going. 

Edited by JHSingo, 05 December 2023 - 08:55.

[PayasYouRace]

When was the last time racing on public roads was so prevalent in Grand Prix racing? I’d imagine it was a time when the engines were at the front.

[Beri]

Oh jolly. The convention center and the airport are both marked. And looking in between those you'll see a park, which is mostly gravel paths according to streetview. So I cant see anything happening there. And otherwise there are many "inspiring" 90 degree corners. Yes, this possible venue has it all to get excited about.

#Sarcasm

[Ivanhoe]

Can't they do a "Zandvoort" at Jarama and make it a Grade 1 track? Only 20km from Madrid.

[PayasYouRace]

Just thinking about all the supposed street circuits we’d have been going to, many of which were actually confirmed. Fuengiirola, Rome, Cape Town, New Jersey, Athens, just from the top of my head.

We could probably have 2 whole Formula E seasons on all of them.

[PayasYouRace]

Can't they do a "Zandvoort" at Jarama and make it a Grade 1 track? Only 20km from Madrid.

Looking forward to the 33 degree banking on the reworked Portago curve.

[Anja]

Barcelona has a contract until 2026 so it could mean two races in Spain that year, at least that's what RN365 is suggesting: https://racingnews36...-new-grand-prix

[Ben1445]

Oh great. Another street circuit. Wonderful. 

 

Very soon street circuits are going to outnumber proper tracks, the way things are going. 

 

When was the last time racing on public roads was so prevalent in Grand Prix racing? I’d imagine it was a time when the engines were at the front.

 

Just thinking about all the supposed street circuits we’d have been going to, many of which were actually confirmed. Fuengiirola, Rome, Cape Town, New Jersey, Athens, just from the top of my head.

We could probably have 2 whole Formula E seasons on all of them.

 

Taking these sentiments together, somewhat interesting that FE has added stops at permanent venues in Portland, Shanghai and Misano to their upcoming season's calendar, all in place of temporary venues which have fallen by the wayside. Some are supposed to be 'temporary' whilst alternative street venues are found, but I can't help feeling that the sands are shifting a little and to expect more permanent facilities in future. 

 

Street circuits really are financial and legislative nightmares compared to permanent facilities. I guess it takes quite a special set of circumstances to get a new street event started - let alone have it become a staple of the international motorsport calendar. 

 

I guess they are attractive from an advertising/marketing sense for levels of achievable brand exposure, as well as generating some kind of romantic association with the early days of Grand Prix racing. But the realities are perhaps a little less straightforward. 

[PayasYouRace]

No doubt. Street circuits have the glamorous appeal, if located in the right place, and bring the sport to the people. But there’s a reason we started racing on permanent circuits. Avoiding disruption, better safety, and better facilities.

[Beri]

And here the gem of the Formula One crown is shown in the flesh

 

 

What a lay out. What a spectacle. What a great track. Fantastic. Beyond words. Mad cool!

[PayasYouRace]

Wasn’t that one of our less successful FE competition entries? Certainly, our most of our competition entries have higher production values. They haven’t even put a pit lane in, or shown the direction of travel.

[Showty]

Several papers reporting the announcement is inminent.

Madrid will host that GP of Spain starting on 2026.

Urban circuit around the IFEMA fairground.

The proposed layout looks terrible, as it is basically an empty area, hopefully they come up with something better.

https://www.elmundo....c7268b45ce.html

Edited by Showty, 05 December 2023 - 11:54.

[ConsiderAndGo]

Yay. Not.

 

This is SO lame F1! Surely you can do better!

[1player]

And here the gem of the Formula One crown is shown in the flesh



What a lay out. What a spectacle. What a great track. Fantastic. Beyond words. Mad cool!

Ah yes, the Tilke special.

[Beri]

Already being discussed here:
Future F1 Venues: Rumours & News - Page 79 - Racing Comments - The Autosport Forums
 
And the track layout doesnt look too feasible in my opinion. Running large portions of the track indoors?
 
Look for the differences. First one looks like a pipedream. Second one looks more like one I could believe it to be:

Edited by Beri, 05 December 2023 - 11:59.

[1player]

Several papers reporting the announcement is inminent.

Madrid will host that GP of Spain starting on 2026.

Urban circuit around the IFEMA fairground.

The proposed layout looks terrible, as it is basically an empty area, hopefully they come up with something better.

https://www.elmundo....c7268b45ce.html

No hairpin? Ah, thankfully I see the Silverstone esses. For a second I thought Tilke had lost his lifetime contract with the FIA.

[BobbyRicky]

Hell yeah!

The Barcelona-circuit has been ass for such a long time now. I think a change would be good.

 

 

Swapping it for a street-circuit with that layout might not be the right idea but its something atleast.

[Nemo1965]

I want Montjuich or nothing else!

[Roadhouse]

Oh great. Another street circuit. Wonderful.

Very soon street circuits are going to outnumber proper tracks, the way things are going.

Perez is playing the long game.

[jeffers]

Second one looks more like one I could believe it to be:

 

two roundabouts?

[Beri]

two roundabouts?

 

Like that hasnt been featured before?

 

[Anderis]

Not to say this new track in Madrid is going to be great but Barcelona is one of my least favourite tracks in the caledar so I won't miss it either way.

[Button4life]

Like that hasnt been featured before?

What track is this? Vietnam?

[1player]

Every single day I despise more and more every single idea Stefano Domenicali ever had for Formula 1.

He does not care about the spirit of motorsport and good tracks, he's a stooge whose only role is to make as much money for the FOM. Street circuits are much cheaper than regular ones. I bet cities in fact would be glad to PAY to have boring races in city centres.

With that pillock at the helm, it's a matter of time before we become Formula E, with 36 city circuit races per season. And Imola.

I wonder how long will it be (and I pray hope it never happens) before a car bounces off the guardrails in the middle of the track during a race and a catastrophic crash happens. How many circuit must we have without run-off areas? How many circuits must we have that look all the same?

Edited by 1player, 05 December 2023 - 12:12.

[Beri]

What track is this? Vietnam?

 

Yes. It didnt host F1 because of reasons like Covid and corruption. But the layout was already set and would have been this.

[PayasYouRace]

Spain has so many decent permanent tracks too.

[jeffers]

Like that hasnt been featured before?

 

 

 

haha true that! featured, but never made it...

[SilverArrow31]

I hate F1's obsession with street circuits... I hate it!

I watched the ALMS at Sepang over the weekend, that track is so good...

Edited by SilverArrow31, 05 December 2023 - 12:23.

[WouterF1]

Every single day I despise more and more every single idea Stefano Domenicali ever had for Formula 1.

He does not care about the spirit of motorsport and good tracks, he's a stooge whose only role is to make as much money for the FOM.

Exactly that !! He is killing the F1 for $$$$$$$ !!

[GlenWatkins]

I hate F1's obsession with street circuits... I hate it!

I watched the ALMS at Sepang over the weekend, that track is so good...

You didn't watch Vegas, did you?

[Jerem]

Why create another circuit in Madrid when there is a perfectly awful street circuit waiting to be rehabilitated in Valencia? It only needs some floodlights so it can host a night race (and its mandatory sprint).

[Showty]

You didn't watch Vegas, did you?

I personally didn't enjoy Vegas at all.

Empty circuit feel, 2 long straights and that is all about it.

[P123]

 

And here the gem of the Formula One crown is shown in the flesh

 

 

What a lay out. What a spectacle. What a great track. Fantastic. Beyond words. Mad cool!

 

 

But, will it be a night race?  There aren't enough of them as it is. A true additional essential novelty that brings so much.

[F1Frog]

Unpopular opinion but I really like the Barcelona track.

[Muppetmad]

Looks terrible. If they have to go for a street circuit, bring back Montjuich.

[F1 Mike]

Most street circuits are terrible and have no character

[Ivanhoe]

Looks terrible. If they have to go for a street circuit, bring back Montjuich.

I wonder if with the current safety technologies they could bring Montjuic back in it's old glory. It surely was one of the most dangerous tracks of its time.

[PayasYouRace]

Montjuic does have a nice roundabout in the middle of the old final turn.

[DeKnyff]

Spain has so many decent permanent tracks too.

 

Motorland Aragón is ok, but it is in the middle of nowhere.

[HerbieMcQueen]

I'll preface the following by stating that I'm not in favour of street circuits and I generally think that Liberty Media and Domenicali as their nodding dog are hollowing out Grand Prix Racing, to the extent that when the business is sold it'll be an empty, smoking husk of what it used to be.

 

With that being said, I've seen a lap of the circuit and it doesn't look terrible. It's less pure street and more semi-permanent parkland à la Montreal or Albert Park.

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=A34ZIY3PUkw

Edited by HerbieMcQueen, 05 December 2023 - 14:02.

[DeKnyff]

But, will it be a night race?  There aren't enough of them as it is. A true additional essential novelty that brings so much.

 

I don't think you'll ever see a night race in Europe. Energy consumption is politically incorrect.

[Beri]

Motorland Aragón is ok, but it is in the middle of nowhere.

 

That didnt stop Formula One visiting the "buzzing" town of Magny Cours 18 times for the French Grand Prix. It used to be in the middle of nowhere with some 1500 inhabitants. Only after Formula One left, the "complete" A77 was finished boosting connectivity to actual inhabited regions.

[Sterzo]

Unpopular opinion but I really like the Barcelona track.

It's a proper circuit, with real variety and challenging sections. The problem is with a formula which still, after years of supposed "fixes", favours producing cars which are quick on their own and struggle in close company. Barcelona just happens to show that up more than most circuits.

 

Street circuits are part of the bogus attempts to "fix" it. Stop-start street corners where aero-wake is minimised, compared with fast curves.

[PayasYouRace]

It's a proper circuit, with real variety and challenging sections. The problem is with a formula which still, after years of supposed "fixes", favours producing cars which are quick on their own and struggle in close company. Barcelona just happens to show that up more than most circuits.

That wasn’t even a problem this year. Current cars can follow each other through fast corners. Nobody got stuck behind someone else at this year’s Grand Prix. Restoring the final two corners did a lot for the track.

[P123]

I don't think you'll ever see a night race in Europe. Energy consumption is politically incorrect.

 

Nobody told FOM. 

[KWSN - DSM]

What an absolutely stupid idea, if that want to drop Barcelona do it with another racetrack.

[Spillage]

I don't get it. There are no fewer than four Grade One circuits in Spain already. Why do we need yet another street track?

[ANF]

[PayasYouRace]

Though at least going by the video it’ll look like Bathurst and Cadwell Park has a baby.