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- Madrid To Replace Barcelona
Proposed Madrid circuit, coming in 2026
It’s now official that Madrid will be getting an F1 race.
Another street circuit will be added to the calendar in 2026, this one in the Spanish capital, which will go around the IFEMA Convention Center.
The Twitterati are not happy. And rightfully so.
Having another street circuit would give the F1 calendar nine — a whopping 38% of the season! This is at a time when cars are longer and heavier than they’ve ever been, racing on streets that are not built for them. (2026 promises lighter, more agile cars)
Planned Bloating
It’s been two decades since F1 cars were 4.5m long and 1.8m wide.
And even in those days, squeezing two of them side by side on the track was like trying to fit into your high school jeans. Flash forward to today, and these machines have beefed up big time thanks to a buffet of regulatory tweaks. We're talking a total of two meters in width and lengths that tip the scales over 5.5m for most.
courtesy u/budgetsmugglers
Three-time F1 champion Nelson Piquet once said zipping around Monaco was like pedaling a bike in your living room. Fast forward to today, and it's more like maneuvering a tank through a hotel bathroom.
Now, why the growth spurt? It's all down to the science of packaging and aerodynamics. The brainiacs in the aerodynamics department figured out that longer floors mean more downforce, leading to longer wheelbases over time. Engineers could tuck everything in nice and snug as these cars stretched out, paving the way for those sleek 'Coke-bottle' designs we see cutting through the air at the rear.
The objective? Crank up the speed.
The trade-off? These speed monsters found playing nice and racing close to one another on the tracks more challenging.
Where Do We Go Now?
I’ve been beating this drum for a while now and understand that the spectacle F1 creates must generate massive revenue.
Street circuits offer a unique experience for municipalities, fans, and drivers alike. But unique doesn’t always mean advantageous.
The spectacle of F1 is growing fast. Fast growth means growing pains.
The most recent street circuit in Las Vegas had a lot of positive responses, leaving a bad taste in locals’ mouths.
I genuinely believe the dilemma we’re in right now is this below:
Big dilemma for F1 right now.
Sacrifice racing for the overall spectacle to retain eyeballs brought in by DTS.
But now that sacrifice is causing one team and one driver dominance that doesn’t keep those new fans as interested.
My opinion: great racing is great spectacle.
— Vincenzo Landino (@vincenzolandino)
Jul 2, 2023
I’ll keep saying this: the actual spectacle cannot be manufactured.
The best spectacle will always be great Sunday racing.
— Vincenzo Landino (@vincenzolandino)
Oct 22, 2023
Ford Is Here For Real
Ford's re-entry into Formula 1 after a hiatus of almost two decades comes when the sport is on the brink of a significant shift with its 2026 regulations.
These rules emphasize sustainability, proposing a hybrid engine model with a significant electric component and 100% sustainable fuels, aligning perfectly with Ford’s expertise in electric vehicles and its vision for a greener future.
By partnering with Red Bull, Ford aims to leverage Formula 1's unparalleled platform for technological advancement, enhancing its road cars with racing-grade aerodynamics, telemetry, and diagnostics.
We race for two very specific reasons. The first is that we want racing, more and more, to inform our production vehicles. ... We actually want to sell street [legal] race cars [like the upcoming 800-horsepower, GT3-inspired Mustang GTD road car], lots of them. We don't want to make generic vehicles at Ford anymore. And the second thing is, we really want to transition our racing effort into a sustainable business, so that it is not just a marketing expense.
Ford's renewed push on its professional racing activities began this past weekend at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's season-opening race. Ford fielded several new Mustang GT3 purpose-built race cars in one of sports car racing's biggest 24-hour endurance challenges and the ensuing full IMSA campaign.
The collaboration is not just a testament to Ford's commitment to innovation but also signals a new era of tech transfer between the racetrack and the road, reminiscent of the golden age of Formula 1 in the 1970s. As motorsport and automotive technologies converge, Ford and Red Bull are poised to lead the charge towards a more sustainable and electrifying future in both arenas.
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