Madrid set to replace Barcelona as the F1 Spanish GP from 2026: Reports

It is being heavily reported that the F1 Spanish Grand Prix might shift from Barcelona to Madrid from 2026 onwards.

The Circuit de Catalunya is one of the oldest tracks in the world and has held the Spanish Grand Prix since the 1968 season. The track is often used by the F1 teams for their pre-season testing ahead of a new season. It provides various forms of track characteristics that might bode well for the teams throughout the year.

Its current contract with the sport expires at the end of the 2026 season. As per F1 journalist Joe Saward, the sport may decide to shift the Spanish GP from Barcelona to Madrid from 2026 onwards. On his social media platform, Saward said:

"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 center, close to Barajas Airport. The deal will be for 10 years."

Williams F1 driver analyzes his 2023 season

Williams driver Alex Albon pointed out that the 2023 season was the best of his career so far as he helped the Grove-based team to finish P7 in the constructors' championship.

The Anglo-Thai driver Scored 27 off the team's 28 points throughout the season putting in some scintillating performances on the way. Speaking with Autosport, the former Red Bull F1 driver said:

"I'm very proud of my performance. I'm not the most arrogant person I would say but I will give myself credit, I feel like I've had a very strong season. I felt like most of my races haven't been simple, there have been races where we've been fighting, fighting, fighting the whole time."

"But I enjoy it. I feel that's the environment that I thrive in. For me, it's been my strongest year in F1. The connection that I have with the team has helped that. I feel like that's where we've been able to execute everything we've done so well.

Albon also spoke about the team's ability throughout the year to maximize the weekend, adding:

"It's strange because a lot of people think we're very inconsistent but I personally think the execution of each weekend has been very consistent. The car itself is quite inconsistent. So we know, Monza and Vegas tracks go well, for us. We know cold tracks do well for us."