The circuit will have a layout of 5.416 km (3.365 mi) and will be used to host Formula One, Formula 2, and Formula 3 events. It will serve as the heir to the Circuito del Jarama, which last hosted a Formula One race in 1981.
The Spanish Grand Prix first took place in 1913 and has been held mostly uninterrupted since 1967, becoming part of the Formula One World Championship the following year. Since 1967, the race has been hosted at various venues, including Jarama, Montjuïc, Jerez, and Barcelona-Catalunya. Jarama, the only venue in Madrid among these, last hosted a race in 1981. Barcelona-Catalunya has been the venue since 1991. The Bahrain International Circuit became the sole pre-season testing venue in 2023, with Barcelona-Catalunya's contract set to expire in 2026.
The concept of a street circuit for Madrid, separate from the Jarama circuit, originated in 2014 when it was presented to Bernie Ecclestone. Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the president of the Community of Madrid since 2019, prioritized bringing the event back to Madrid. IFEMA, a government-affiliated firm, agreed to organize the bid and operate the event. In 2022, circuit designer Jarno Zaffelli, who had previously worked on circuits like Zandvoort, Spa-Francorchamps, Silverstone, Marina Bay, and Mugello, was commissioned to design a new circuit at the IFEMA Exhibition Centre.
The project became politicized, with Díaz Ayuso criticizing Spanish premier Pedro Sánchez for not subsidizing it. Madrid's opposition leader Juan Lobato questioned the allocation of funds to Formula One over hospitals or road infrastructure. The PSOE also accused Díaz Ayuso of promoting the project for personal image enhancement.
In January 2024, Formula One announced the move of the Spanish Grand Prix to Madrid's IFEMA Exhibition Centre from 2026 to 2035. The FIA's Formula 2 and Formula 3 competitions will also be held in Madrid as support races. Contractors Acciona and Eiffage agreed to construct the circuit for €83.2 million, with completion expected by May 2026.
The Madring circuit, designed by Studio Dromo, will have a total length of 5.416 kilometers (3.365 mi) and will feature 22 corners. It is designed to include a mix of slow, medium, and fast corners, long straights, and significant braking zones to promote overtaking. The circuit will incorporate four overtaking zones, a 24-degree banked curve named La Monumental, and two tunnel sections. The facility will also have the first covered paddock in Formula One.
The circuit is located on the campus of the IFEMA exhibition center, near Madrid-Barajas Airport and the Ciudad Real Madrid training complex. It is accessible via Line 8 of the Madrid Metro, with an eight-minute metro ride from the airport.
In March 2025, race organizers announced that the IFEMA circuit would be named the Madring, a portmanteau of "Madrid" and "ring".
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