Formula 1 is poised to return to Madrid, and the director of the Spanish circuit has already raised expectations for the debut of the new layout. Luis Garcia Abad highlighted Curve 12, nicknamed “El Monumental,” as one of the principal attractions of the circuit.
The Spanish Grand Prix will be staged in the Spanish capital from September 11 to 13, marking F1’s return to the city after 45 years. The so-called Madring features 22 corners and roughly 5.3 kilometers, winding around the outskirts of Real Madrid’s training center in Valdebebas and the IFEMA convention center.
Although the circuit is located in one of the largest capitals in Europe, the track has been labeled a street circuit. Garcia Abad, however, rejected this definition and explained why the IFEMA structure was crucial to make the project feasible.
“It isn’t [a street circuit] because the stretch of public roadway we use is occupied solely by IFEMA; there are no entryways to garages or homes. We use this area to turn a necessity into an advantage. Holding the GP here means we didn’t have to move to the outskirts, and we can build it for 10% of what it would cost elsewhere. IFEMA has been here for 35 years and offers us many advantages. Without IFEMA, this Grand Prix would have been completely impossible to organize,” he told SER.
Corner 12, though, has already become one of the most talked-about points of the new circuit. Named “El Monumental,” it spans 547 meters and features a 24% slope, characteristics that led Garcia Abad to rank it among the most special corners on the F1 calendar.
“It stretches 547 meters in length and climbs at a 24% grade. It is one of the most iconic corners on the circuit and, if I may be bold, in the entire world championship. It’s almost like a childhood fantasy with Scalextric. It’s a joy to be here and to imagine how the cars will glide through this place in about a month,” he stated.
“We had to give it a special character, something that would make it recognizable and entice youngsters to pick this circuit for playing on video games. The naming idea ties closely to Madrid; there’s the Monumental de Las Ventas, which carries a slight bullfighting reference, and it’s a word that is pronounced the same in Spanish and in English,” he explained.
Garcia Abad, who previously worked as an agent for Fernando Alonso, avoided treating the preparation as a completed matter. “We have a ten-year contract, and like all Grand Prix events we will refine the details after this inaugural edition. We didn’t leave a single grandstand unbooked across Europe. Those seats are of the highest quality.”
“We always meet deadlines; the grandstands are erected and we are finishing the hospitality areas. But we are trying to set up the Grand Prix on the track’s terms, and the asphalt is already perfectly ready for a race,” he added.
