Imola may replace the Madrid round in 2026.

      Next season Formula 1 is supposed to hold a debut race at the MadRing circuit, which is being built in the capital of Spain. However, in the Formula 1 paddock rumors have begun to circulate that cast doubt on the possibility of holding the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid in September 2026.

      According to leaks from Liberty Media, the organizers are far behind the planned construction schedule for the circuit, and Formula 1 is already looking for alternative venues for the Grand Prix. Among the favorites is the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Autodrome in Imola. If a replacement occurs, Formula 1 would hold two consecutive races in Italy in September one week apart — in Monza and Imola.

      Journalists from RMC Motori, during a business trip to Madrid on November 20, visited the MadRing construction site and were convinced that the rumors about construction delays are by no means exaggerated.

      “We took the opportunity to check the progress of the work at the construction site near Barajas airport,” RMC Motori writes. “We saw a huge construction site with idle excavators and bulldozers across a vast area with no signs of progress.

      The section where the track is supposed to run from the first corner to the sector on the exhibition complex grounds is marked only by red-and-white barriers, which indicate areas in need of repair and places where access roads are planned to be laid.

      The pit building, the race control building and the huts that will house the teams currently resemble marshland. According to the schedule, the track was supposed to be fully completed by June 2026.

      We questioned locals about the construction, but judging by the words of the security guard who turned us away at the entrance and the few people around who agreed to talk, the picture that emerged was quite confusing.

      “What track?” they told us as we entered the exhibition center grounds. “It's just a huge jumble of cranes, people, parked cars, and piles of earth. There's nothing here, and we don't even know if anything will happen at all.”

      That is the view of those observing the construction from the outside, while officials insist that the construction schedule remains under control.