The Circuito del Jarama, now officially named the Circuito de Madrid Jarama - RACE, was designed by John Hugenholtz — who also created Suzuka — and built by Alessandro Rocci on arid scrub land in 1967. The circuit measures 3.850 km in length and is characterised by a short main straight and a predominantly twisty, technical layout that makes overtaking extremely difficult. The track was home to the Spanish Grand Prix nine times between 1968 and 1981, and the Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix 15 times between 1969 and 1988. Jarama hosted its last Formula One race in 1981, when the circuit was deemed too narrow for contemporary Formula One machinery. The circuit was lengthened in 1991 and underwent further upgrades in 2015. Since February 2022 the circuit has carried the name Circuito de Madrid Jarama - RACE.
One of the most celebrated moments in Jarama's Formula One history came at the 1981 Spanish Grand Prix, when Gilles Villeneuve in his Ferrari 126CK held off a train of four potentially faster cars — including Jacques Laffite, John Watson, Carlos Reutemann, and Elio de Angelis — to take victory. It was to be the last win of Villeneuve's career.
The 1000 Kilometres of Jarama has been part of a succession of major sportscar series since its inception. These include the European 2-Litre Sportscar Championship, the World Sportscar Championship, the BPR Global GT Series, the International Sports Racing Series, the European Le Mans Series, and the Le Mans Series.
The race also appeared on the calendar of the inaugural 2001 European Le Mans Series season, which was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring cars launched by IMSA. That series shared some events with the American Le Mans Series, and both Donington Park and Jarama were considered optional rounds for ALMS teams, giving the event an occasional transatlantic character.
In 2006, Jarama was announced as a late replacement for Monza on the Le Mans Series calendar after the Monza round had to be cancelled due to scheduling conflicts. The 2006 1000 km of Jarama became the fifth and final round of that season, closing out the ACO's series for the year.
Jarama's technical, tight layout has long set it apart from higher-speed venues. The lack of meaningful overtaking opportunities, illustrated by Villeneuve's famous defensive drive in 1981, is a defining characteristic of the circuit. Despite its exit from the Formula One calendar, the circuit has continued to host national and international sportscar, touring car, and motorcycle races. The track's historical archive, covering events from the World Sportscar Championship through the BPR era to the Le Mans Series, makes it one of the most comprehensively used venues in Spanish motorsport history.