So much effort for the Madrid GP
Delays in starting the work, protests from civic committees, doubts about the date of the first test, and British tabloids speaking openly about a construction site where it seems they are “preparing more of a stretch of sand than a Formula 1 track” (as journalists from the Sun recently wrote). Yet, Liberty Media is not alarmed about the setup work for the Madrid circuit, where the first Spanish GP of the post-Barcelona era will be held on September 13, on a new track that uses city streets around the IFEMA exhibition center for half and relies on permanent structures for the other half.
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Among these is also the characteristic corner “La Monumental”, a banked turn that at the very least promises to give personality to the Madring, a track that has so far struggled to win over fans, at least judging by the first reactions to the on-board videos (necessarily only virtual for now) published on social media. However, the organizers of the Madrid GP are calm and show no concern about the state of the work, despite only five months remaining until Formula 1’s debut in the Spanish capital.
The organizers’ peace of mind
“The first layer of asphalt – explains the project head and former long-time manager of Fernando Alonso, Luis Garcia Abad, interviewed by the sports newspaper AS – has already been laid at turn-19. While in the rest of the circuit, the concrete base is already in place. We are perfectly in line with the schedule, but timing has never been a major concern for us, because the companies working on the site are proceeding at full speed to honor their commitment to close the first phase of the project by May 30”. Then the final asphalt and curbs will need to be laid, and the grandstands and pit building will need to be built, with the start of the second part of the work scheduled for June.
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“Formula 1 doesn’t know Madrid, but now we are bringing racing to the city. You can’t even imagine what Madrid can offer to the GPs,” concluded Garcia Abad. The Madring has a contract with Liberty Media to host F1 until 2035, while it has recently become known that Barcelona will be on the calendar in alternating years in an unusual relay with the legendary Spa track.
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