Isabel Díaz Ayuso and José Luis Martínez-Almeida were the central figures this Friday during Madrid day at the tourism fair. This day was marked by numerous praise in the region and the city, stressing the “good time” they are going through as an international destination. The president and the mayor posed alongside the MADRID Formula 1 Simulator. This gesture symbolized the many upcoming events, especially The Grand Prix will be held in Ifema in 2026. In response to opposition criticism, the Madrid mayor wanted to reassure: “Let them not worry, there will be no waste.”
Thanks to the Ifema circuit, the Cirque Returned to a region that has not welcomed it since 1981. This urban route will cross the pavilion and the surroundings of Valdebebas. According to the organization's estimates, this event should bring together 110,000 participants (just for its first edition) and generate 450 million economic feedback per year, or 4,500 million in ten years. However, in the alleys of pavilion 9 of the fair, the opposition's feeling was different.
On the one hand, the regional spokesperson for Más Madrid, Manuela Bergerotpleaded in favor of a tourist model distant from “Faraonic” projects Like that of Formula 1. on the other, the leader of the PSOE at the town hall of Madrid, Reyes Marotodescribed Formula 1 as a model intended for an “elite” which “is not durable from an environmental point of view”. According to the former Minister of Tourism, this project would not be viable for public finances either: “Today, we already know that Over 100 million will have to be invested so that it can materialize. ”
Alberto Ortega
Europa Press
Maroto thus mentioned the competition that Ifema launched to select the manufacturer of the circuit. The cost of the installation and demolition is initially estimated to 137 million euros, excluding VAT. It should be recalled that the Ferial Institution is a consortium made up of the community, the town hall, the Chamber of Commerce and the Industry, as well as the Montemadrid Foundation.
-During the event celebrating Madrid day, Almeida and Ayuso underlined the return of high -level automotive competition worldwide. Then, speaking about journalists, the mayor minimized the opposition of the left camp to this circuit: “What they have known for decades in the city and the community is that their negative speech and their Sadness as to what happens to Madrid do not resonate with the social fabric ”.
Subsequently, he made a promise: “There will be no waste here”. Since confirmation of the project in February of last year, the institutions concerned have estimated the economic profits at 4,500 million. Among the recurring issues about the new event, many wonder if its organization will cost the Madrid. However, both soil and cibeles repeated the same message in September: “It will not cost a penny of public money”.
In any case, the mayor recalled the example of the American Cup of Barcelona in 2024, which benefited from public funding. “What would think and what would the left say if the community and the town hall of Madrid had invested 70 million euros of public money in the American Cup? What would have been the speech? ”He asked.
The future Madrid circuit will be a reality in September 2026. However, by then, the subject will continue to arouse debates, both positive and negative. The competition for its construction has not yet been awarded and the issuance of the work license is scheduled for April.
