Madrid has thrown its hat in the ring to host the Spanish Grand Prix in the future, potentially taking it away from its current Barcelona home.
The Circuit de Catalunya has hosted the annual event since the early 1990s, after it took over from Jerez, near Seville in the south of the country. The closest the Spanish Grand Prix has ever been to Madrid was in the 1960s and '70s, when it was hosted at Jarama – 20 miles north of the capital.
But local politicians are intent on bringing a Formula 1 race to Madrid itself, potentially taking the Spanish Grand Prix away from Catalonia. A new contract signed last November guaranteed Barcelona the hosting rights until 2026, after which it could potentially move venues.
In a letter addressed to F1 chief Stefano Domenicali and released publicly, regional minister Enrique Lopez wrote: "It is my pleasure to write to you on behalf of the government of the community of Madrid to express our interest in the development of a Formula 1 Grand Prix in Madrid.
"I believe that holding in Madrid a motor racing event, which is one of the most exciting sporting phenomena of our time, would be a success for all the professionals, institutions and companies involved in the development of Formula 1. Of course, it would also be a satisfaction for the whole region and its citizens. That is why the government of the community of Madrid has the greatest interest in making it possible.
"In short, I would like to confirm our commitment to you and to this project, as well as our willingness to sign the appropriate agreements to promote the race and offer a great sporting and entertainment spectacle. We are ready to work with you and your team to bring Formula 1 to Madrid."
Madrid's play to host a race comes in the wake of the Spanish Grand Prix organisers landing in hot water with F1 bosses over traffic woes during this year's event. A bumper crowd was in attendance across the race weekend, but that led to some logistical issues.
Huge traffic jams were reported outside the venue, with more people than ever using the local road system. And public transport was also affected, as the unexpectedly large group of travelling fans using trains led to delays back in the city centre.
F1 chiefs made their dissatisfaction clear in a statement, which read: "The huge number of fans at this event both inside and outside the circuit created the traffic issues for the fans. We have made the promoter aware that this is not acceptable and must be fixed for next season."
