In 1913 the RACE Grand Prix was held at the Guadarrama Circuit, which ran through the Guadarrama Pass, the Navacerrada Pass, and public roads between the provinces of Madrid and Segovia. This was its official name, but although the Formula 1 World Championship did not yet exist as such, it is popularly regarded as the first Spanish Grand Prix. The winner of the race was Don Carlos Salamanca, who drove a 70-horsepower Rolls-Royce.
Officially, the first International Spanish Grand Prix took place on 28 October 1923 at the Sitges-Terramar Circuit. The race, which was nearly cancelled due to heavy rainfall the night before, featured the latest racing cars of the time, with 2.1-litre engines. The winner of the event was French driver Albert Divo.
Sitges-Terramar was the first circuit built in Spain and the third in Europe, measuring 2 kilometres in length. Despite becoming a benchmark in the world of motorsport, racing cars evolved so rapidly that the track quickly became obsolete, and by 1925, car races were no longer held there.
Now over 100 years old, Sitges-Terramar remains the world's oldest oval circuit in near-original condition and is the fourth-oldest racetrack in the world, following Brooklands (1907), Indianapolis (1909), and Monza (1921).
In 1950, the Formula 1 World Championship was born after the newly established FIA decided to merge several national Grand Prix races into a single world championship for drivers. The following year, in 1951, the Spanish Grand Prix was included in the Formula 1 calendar and the race was held at the Pedralbes Circuit, a fast, urban track located in the streets of the Pedralbes district of Barcelona, measuring 6,316 metres in length. The first edition was won by Argentinian driver Juan Manuel Fangio, a five-time world champion.
In 1954, Pedralbes once again hosted the Spanish Grand Prix, with victory going to British driver Mike Hawthorn. However, following the 1955 Le Mans disaster, safety regulations for racetracks were significantly tightened, leading to the closure of the Pedralbes Circuit.
In 1968, the Spanish Grand Prix returned to the Formula 1 calendar, alternating between the newly built Jarama Circuit, in Madrid and the Montjuïc Circuit, in Barcelona. This rotation came to an end in 1975 after a tragic race at the Catalan circuit, where four people lost their lives when Rolf Stommelen’s car lost its rear wing and crashed into a group of spectators.
From 1976 onwards, the Jarama Circuit became the sole host of the Spanish Grand Prix until 1981 when Formula 1 decided to remove the Madrid-based track from the calendar, deeming it obsolete. That final 1981 race saw Gilles Villeneuve claim victory in what would be his last Formula 1 win before his tragic accident at the Zolder circuit. The race is remembered as one of the most thrilling in F1 history: Villeneuve won with his Ferrari, but Jacques Laffite, John Watson, Carlos Reutemann, and Elio de Angelis were right behind him—separated by just 1.24 seconds!
This track, globally renowned for hosting MotoGP World Championship races, was built and inaugurated in 1986 to host Formula 1 races. Throughout its history, Jerez Circuit has been the venue for several important top-tier racing events. The first Spanish Grand Prix held at Jerez was won by a young Ayrton Senna, driving for Lotus-Renault, in a memorable race where he secured victory by just 14 thousandths of a second ahead of Nigel Mansell. However, after the 1990, which was also won by Senna, the Spanish Grand Prix was moved to the newly built Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
In 1994, safety improvements were made to the Jerez Circuit, including the addition of a new chicane at the Senna corner. As a result, the track re-entered the Formula 1 calendar, this time as the host of the European Grand Prix. The 1994 and 1997 editions delivered thrilling moments, particularly in 1997, when an intense title battle between Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve ended in Schumacher’s retirement and subsequent disqualification, while Villeneuve was crowned world champion. Unfortunately, that same year, the circuit was permanently banned from hosting Formula 1 races due to a podium protocol controversy.
In 1991 the 35th Spanish Grand Prix took place at the newly inaugurated Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and its debut could not have been more spectacular. Montmeló was the stage for a memorable battle between Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna with the British driver emerging victorious.
The circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, new name it received in 2013, has witnessed other unforgettable moments, such as Michael Schumacher first victory in red in 1996 under a torrential downpour. Or Fernando Alonso last Formula 1 win in 2013, driving his Ferrari from fifth place on the grid. Or the first and only F1 victory of Venezuelan driver Pastor Maldonado in 2012. And also, the first—but by no means the last—triumph of Max Verstappen in 2016, in his debut race with Red Bull, becoming the youngest driver ever to win a Formula 1 race at just 18 years and 228 days old.
45 years after its last edition in Madrid, the Spanish Grand Prix will return to the Spanish capital in 2026, on a circuit that will run around IFEMA MADRID and Valdebebas. MADRING will host the Spanish GP for ten years, until 2035 and promises to offer drivers, teams, and fans a unique experience in the heart of Madrid.
MADRING’s story is just getting started!
In 1913 the RACE Grand Prix was held at the Guadarrama Circuit, which ran through the Guadarrama Pass, the Navacerrada Pass, and public roads between the provinces of Madrid and Segovia. This was its official name, but although the Formula 1 World Championship did not yet exist as such, it is popularly regarded as the first Spanish Grand Prix. The winner of the race was Don Carlos Salamanca, who drove a 70-horsepower Rolls-Royce.
Officially, the first International Spanish Grand Prix took place on 28 October 1923 at the Sitges-Terramar Circuit. The race, which was nearly cancelled due to heavy rainfall the night before, featured the latest racing cars of the time, with 2.1-litre engines. The winner of the event was French driver Albert Divo.
Sitges-Terramar was the first circuit built in Spain and the third in Europe, measuring 2 kilometres in length. Despite becoming a benchmark in the world of motorsport, racing cars evolved so rapidly that the track quickly became obsolete, and by 1925, car races were no longer held there.
Now over 100 years old, Sitges-Terramar remains the world's oldest oval circuit in near-original condition and is the fourth-oldest racetrack in the world, following Brooklands (1907), Indianapolis (1909), and Monza (1921).
In 1950, the Formula 1 World Championship was born after the newly established FIA decided to merge several national Grand Prix races into a single world championship for drivers. The following year, in 1951, the Spanish Grand Prix was included in the Formula 1 calendar and the race was held at the Pedralbes Circuit, a fast, urban track located in the streets of the Pedralbes district of Barcelona, measuring 6,316 metres in length. The first edition was won by Argentinian driver Juan Manuel Fangio, a five-time world champion.
In 1954, Pedralbes once again hosted the Spanish Grand Prix, with victory going to British driver Mike Hawthorn. However, following the 1955 Le Mans disaster, safety regulations for racetracks were significantly tightened, leading to the closure of the Pedralbes Circuit.
In 1968, the Spanish Grand Prix returned to the Formula 1 calendar, alternating between the newly built Jarama Circuit, in Madrid and the Montjuïc Circuit, in Barcelona. This rotation came to an end in 1975 after a tragic race at the Catalan circuit, where four people lost their lives when Rolf Stommelen’s car lost its rear wing and crashed into a group of spectators.
From 1976 onwards, the Jarama Circuit became the sole host of the Spanish Grand Prix until 1981 when Formula 1 decided to remove the Madrid-based track from the calendar, deeming it obsolete. That final 1981 race saw Gilles Villeneuve claim victory in what would be his last Formula 1 win before his tragic accident at the Zolder circuit. The race is remembered as one of the most thrilling in F1 history: Villeneuve won with his Ferrari, but Jacques Laffite, John Watson, Carlos Reutemann, and Elio de Angelis were right behind him—separated by just 1.24 seconds!
This track, globally renowned for hosting MotoGP World Championship races, was built and inaugurated in 1986 to host Formula 1 races. Throughout its history, Jerez Circuit has been the venue for several important top-tier racing events. The first Spanish Grand Prix held at Jerez was won by a young Ayrton Senna, driving for Lotus-Renault, in a memorable race where he secured victory by just 14 thousandths of a second ahead of Nigel Mansell. However, after the 1990, which was also won by Senna, the Spanish Grand Prix was moved to the newly built Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
In 1994, safety improvements were made to the Jerez Circuit, including the addition of a new chicane at the Senna corner. As a result, the track re-entered the Formula 1 calendar, this time as the host of the European Grand Prix. The 1994 and 1997 editions delivered thrilling moments, particularly in 1997, when an intense title battle between Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve ended in Schumacher’s retirement and subsequent disqualification, while Villeneuve was crowned world champion. Unfortunately, that same year, the circuit was permanently banned from hosting Formula 1 races due to a podium protocol controversy.
In 1991 the 35th Spanish Grand Prix took place at the newly inaugurated Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and its debut could not have been more spectacular. Montmeló was the stage for a memorable battle between Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna with the British driver emerging victorious.
The circuit de Catalunya, new name it received in 2013, has witnessed other unforgettable moments, such as Michael Schumacher first victory in red in 1996 under a torrential downpour. Or Fernando Alonso last Formula 1 win in 2013, driving his Ferrari from fifth place on the grid. Or the first and only F1 victory of Venezuelan driver Pastor Maldonado in 2012. And also, the first—but by no means the last—triumph of Max Verstappen in 2016, in his debut race with Red Bull, becoming the youngest driver ever to win a Formula 1 race at just 18 years and 228 days old.
45 years after its last edition in Madrid, the Spanish Grand Prix will return to the Spanish capital in 2026, on a circuit that will run around IFEMA MADRID and Valdebebas. MADRING will host the Spanish GP for ten years, until 2035 and promises to offer drivers, teams, and fans a unique experience in the heart of Madrid.
MADRING’s story is just getting started!