Madring admits pressure after test race cancelled

With less than three months before Formula 1 arrives in Madrid from September 11 to 13, 2026, Madring organisers have admitted the project is under time pressure after cancelling a planned test race, even as they insist the circuit itself is fully asphalted and on schedule.

The clearest warning came from Manuel Aviñó, president of the Royal Spanish Automobile Federation, in an interview with Soy Motor. “The truth is that I am very excited, with high expectations, but also a little nervous, because we are not really ahead of schedule in many areas,” Aviñó said. He added that he still believes “everything will work, and it will work well.”

That marks a notable shift in tone around a project whose public message had largely centered on confidence. The biggest setback is the loss of a planned test event that was supposed to serve as a full rehearsal before the grand prix weekend. Aviñó said it could not be held because of “various circumstances linked to administrative and legislative authorizations.” Instead, the organisers will replace it with “a series of technical tests” aimed at validating both the circuit and race operations before September.

The admission comes just after Madring’s official presentation, where organisers said the layout is complete and the track surface has been finished. They also said the May 31 deadline for asphalt works was met. A FIA inspection delegation led by Rui Marques visited the site a couple of weeks earlier, adding another layer of official reassurance that the project is moving toward its Formula 1 debut.

There has also been visible progress beyond the track surface. The pit building was described as being in a very advanced state, but the job is not finished. Through the summer, organisers still need to complete grandstands and other temporary infrastructure before Madrid can take over as host of the Formula 1 TAG HEUER GRAN PREMIO DE ESPAÑA 2026.

Aviñó described the situation as imperfect rather than critical. “Things are not happening exactly as we would like, but they are not going badly either,” he said. He added that unexpected and unwanted problems were emerging, but that alternative solutions were being found.

That leaves Madring in a more delicate position than the inauguration suggested. The circuit has hit key construction milestones and passed an important FIA inspection stage, but the cancellation of its dress rehearsal is the first public sign of significant operational difficulty, and the focus now shifts to whether Madrid can complete the remaining work and deliver its first Formula 1 world championship weekend without trouble.