Madrid circuit bidding for steepest banked corner in F1

Promoters for the future Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid are aiming to design a circuit with a unique challenge for drivers: the steepest banked corner in the sport.

Formula 1 announced this week that Spain’s capital will host the country’s national Grand Prix from 2026 on a brand-new circuit that will incorporate both street and non-street sections and built around the world-class IFEMA exhibition center.

The proposed circuit 5.47km track, which is subject to final design approval by the FIA, will feature 20 corners and is expected to have a projected qualifying lap time of 1 minute 32 seconds.

The circuit will also be designed to accommodate more than 110,000 fans per day across grandstand, general admission, and VIP hospitality areas.

But Madrid’s chief architect, Jarno Zafelli, the man behind Zandvoort’s enhancement and renovation in 2020, intends to take a leaf out of his own book by including a 30-degree banking that will significantly surpass Zandvoort’s 19-degree Turn 3.

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In an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca, Zafelli believes that Madrid’s track and its banking will be easier to design while instilling the venue with its own personality.

“[They] will be easier than retouching the current one, removing centres, crossing roundabouts, grading streets and resurfacing and other touch-ups,” he said.

“We do not want to repeat elements of other circuits, Madrid will have its own personality and the elements and areas it needs.

“We haven’t copied anyone and it should be ready by June 2026.”

Zafelli pointed out that IFEMA’s decentralised location will also facilitate the circuit’s design as there will be access to undeveloped land.

"The fact of not being limited like in a city allowed us to seek the limits,” he said. “How much will depend on the following phases, on F1, the FIA and everything that is discussed during the final design.

“As for the layout, there will be small changes in Valdebebas, because that area is the one that is not developed at the moment. And yes, we expect some surprises… Well, there may be two or three surprises that we haven’t been able to show yet.”

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