Baku, Jeddah, Las Vegas, Monaco, Singapore and, from 2026, Madrid. Formula 1 is adding more and more street circuits, with Qatar another venue that could switch away from a permanent track in future. Governments simply love the idea of showcasing their cities by using F1’s tourism pull, and if there’s one thing we learned from Vegas was that it’s worth the disruption and some local complaints to enjoy some massively-increased revenues. While the purists will lament the addition of another concrete jungle, it’s no bad thing to add a race in Spain’s capital – especially when we had Valencia on the calendar just over a decade ago. And would we really miss the Circuit de Catalunya if it does make way? Madrid’s twin tunnel idea sounds an intriguing novelty, but it’s a long-term deal, so let’s hope they come up with an exciting track right from the start. By: Charles Bradley, Global Editor in Chief Motorsport.com |