Spanish GP boss dismisses cancellation rumours and insists Madring Circuit will deliver

The man at the helm of Formula 1's new Spanish Grand Prix has hit back at mounting speculation over whether the Madrid race will take place as scheduled, insisting there is no chance of the event being replaced on this year's calendar.

Shooting Down the Rumours

The suggestion of a replacement race has gained traction in part because Saudi Arabia is understood to be seeking reinstatement on the calendar after its Grand Prix was cancelled in April following the outbreak of the United States-Iran conflict. F1 is actively working on contingency plans for its cancelled Middle Eastern races, according to Liberty Media CEO Derek Chang — making the Madrid speculation all the more pointed.

Garcia Abad, however, was unequivocal in dismissing those concerns. "It [another race] is not possible in terms of the contract," he told reporters. "Rumours are rumours; every day, everywhere in the F1 paddock. But it's not the case. We've heard rumours about Imola, Turkey, but they're the kind of rumours that, when you visit the venue, it's not a big problem in terms of time."

Asked point-blank whether he had absolute confidence the race would go ahead, his answer was unambiguous: "No doubts about that. The FIA, FOM, and ourselves, we don't have any problem in terms of delivering the event properly."

A Venue Built on Existing Infrastructure

One of the key selling points of the IFEMA location has always been its pre-existing infrastructure — a significant advantage over traditional circuit builds that must start from scratch. Garcia Abad was keen to emphasise that point when addressing the main concerns around the project.

The most prominent area of scrutiny remains the broader construction work surrounding the circuit itself — grandstands, facilities, and the wider spectator infrastructure required to accommodate an expected 120,000 fans per day across the race weekend. The comparison with Barcelona is instructive: Circuit de Catalunya has faced repeated criticism over the years for its inability to adequately serve the 100,000 spectators it typically hosts.

"With these kinds of things, you have to follow the experts, the construction, the plans, and everything is coming at the time that we planned," Garcia Abad said, confirming that the laying of asphalt is expected to be completed by the end of the current month.

"So things look great in terms of the delivery of the project, in terms of construction. We still have a lot of things to do, but one of the important things is that we are using the pre-existing IFEMA facilities, which have been there for the last 35 years. So we have energy, parking, and a metro station in the main entrance. We have wifi and toilets — things that for a normal circuit are a fantasy, but here, we have them covered before the start."

Balancing Construction With an Active Business

Garcia Abad did acknowledge one genuine complication that has created friction in recent weeks: the need to synchronise the construction programme with the ongoing commercial activity of the IFEMA exhibition centre itself.

"The main problem in the last month is that we have had to synchronise the construction activities with the exhibition centre business. So we have to respect the work that we have been doing because it's something important and something we have to cover day by day."

The logistical challenge of building a Formula 1 circuit around a functioning, internationally significant events venue is no small task — but Garcia Abad maintained that it remains firmly under control. He also pointed to a recent site visit by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali as evidence of the joint oversight in place.

"Together, we are following all the things around the construction. To be honest, we are covering the most important things without any special thoughts."

The message from Madrid is clear: the circuit will be ready, the race will happen, and the rumours should be treated as exactly that.