The designer of the semi-urban F1 circuit in Madrid: “Let people be calm; “Madrid will not be like Valencia”

One of the most frequent questions that Jarno Zaffelli, the visible face of Dromo, the studio in charge of the design of the Madrid circuit, has had to answer has to do with Valencia and its bombastic, yet ephemeral, commitment to Formula 1 And not only because of the bombast with which the conversations with Liberty Media, the promoter of the World Cup, were telegraphed, very much in the style of the overexposure of Rita Barberá and Francisco Camps, the mayor of Valencia and the president of the Valencian Community, when The championship landed there in 2008. That route that should have served as a source of pride for the Valencians roamed around the back room of the sheds of the port of the city of Turia and bordered with an area of ​​shanties that had nothing to do with the glamor that was given to it. It presupposed a circuit that should resemble that of Monaco.

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Tour of the future Madrid Formula 1 GP: a semi-urban circuit 10 kilometers from the center

The one in Madrid will not pass, even remotely, close to any of the main tourist attractions of Madrid, but will instead sail through a practically industrial area intended for fairs.

However, Zaffelli believes that the peculiarities of the environment offered by the Ifema pavilion area and the Valdebebas grounds have given his work group the opportunity to create something completely unique.

“F1 fans have repeated to me many times that, please, let's not do the same as in Valencia.

But let people be calm, that Madrid will not be like Valencia.

Basically, because we didn't design Valencia,” explains Zafelli, in a telephone conversation with EL PAÍS.

Dromo has a lot of experience in the field of layout design and projection.

His most recent work is the remodeling of the Zandvoort circuit in Holland.

From there they got the idea of ​​the banked curve, in the style of American ovals, whose slope has yet to be defined.

That aspect, like others, will not be defined until more details are known about the new regulations that must enter the scene in 2026. “Ifema never told us how it wanted the circuit from a route point of view.

They only told us that they wanted unique proposals, that were efficient and sustainable, and that would last over time,” highlights the technician, whose company has just completed the remodeling works in Mugello.

“The cornerstone of our proposal was always to capture the attention of fans.

That is why we drew the curves with the intention that the stands were as close as possible,” continues Zaffelli, who sees the Ifema facilities as a unique attraction.

So much so that the team tents will be set up indoors, so that the great

hospitality

of the European events will not be used.

“The deployment will be like in the transoceanic races,” Zaffelli emphasizes.

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