Madrid GP reveals circuit layout with ‘Monumental’ banked corner

The organizers of the new Spanish Grand Prix venue in Madrid have unveiled the final circuit layout that will feature 22 turns, including a severely banked corner named “Monumental.” Set to join the Formula 1 calendar next year, the circuit is based predominantly on public roads that run around the IFEMA exhibition center in the Spanish capital. Announcing Carlos Sainz as the official race ambassador, a press conference at the venue on Friday featured the reveal of the layout, with details including its flagship banked turn. The 22-turn, 3.35-mile/5.4-kilometer track will open with a chicane before a high-speed right-hander that sweeps through two turns and will see cars reaching a predicted 211mph/340km/h before the low-speed Turn 5 and a section that climbs at 8%. The next section will be known as “The Bunker” and borders the Spanish Civil War forts of La Mata Espesa, dropping down at 5% in what the track designers believe will be one of the most complex parts of the circuit. A more spread-out chicane is designed to limit speeds before the “Monumental” corner, that will be over 500m long and featuring banking of 24% as drivers will pass in front of a grandstand that is planned to hold around 45,000 spectators. The designers describe the corner as reminiscent of a bullring, and calculate it will take around six seconds to navigate before exiting at high speed for another overtaking opportunity at the 90-degree Turn 13 left-hander. A series of high-speed corners will follow before the final sector that features a number of lower-speed turns, the final two being over 90-degree right-handers that then bring the circuit back onto the pit straight — the widest part of the track at 49ft/15 meters, compared to 39ft/12 meters for the majority of the circuit. At present, Spain has a contract for two races in 2026, with the final year of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya’s deal also meaning the current home of the Spanish GP could still be on the calendar next year.