11–13 September 2026 · IFEMA Circuit
Your Survival Guide
to the Madrid Grand Prix
More than 110,000 spectators will fill the IFEMA Circuit across three days of racing. Here is everything you need: transport, session times, food, weather and the practical tricks that make the weekend work.
- 110K+
- Spectators
- 5.47 km
- Circuit length
- 3 days
- Of racing
- 20+
- Drivers on the grid
MADRING layout to scale; the Monumental in red. Data from © OpenStreetMap contributors
The Grand Prix guides
Everything you need to get ready for the 2026 Madrid Grand Prix.
- Official ticketsBuying guide, prices and availability alerts.
- Grandstand guideWhat you can see from each stand, plus an interactive map.
- Full scheduleThe detailed timetable for all three days.
- Rules and entryWhat to bring and what is banned inside the venue.
- Madrid city guideA three-day itinerary and the best things to do.
- Getting therePublic transport, parking and access to IFEMA.
- Internet and eSIMWho needs to buy mobile data for the GP and who does not.
- The Monumental corner547.82 m at 24% banking, and which grandstands look onto it.
- Carlos SainzHis 6A grandstand and what he said after lapping the circuit.
Getting to the circuit
IFEMA is well connected to central Madrid. These are the three best ways to reach the circuit.
Metro
The fastest and cheapest option. Take Line 8 to Feria de Madrid. From the centre (Sol or Nuevos Ministerios) the journey takes around 20 minutes.
⏱ Every 5 min
Car
Main access from the A-2 motorway (IFEMA exit), but **there is no parking at the venue**: private vehicles will not be allowed into the circuit area. The only official option by car is the Metropolitano stadium car park, linked to the circuit by shuttle, with limited spaces and advance booking.
🅿️ No parking at the venue
Bus
EMT routes 73, SE709, 122, 828 and 112 stop at IFEMA, with 171, 174, N2 and 828 serving Valdebebas. The organisers have confirmed some lines will run reinforced during the event, without saying which.
🎫 Reinforcement confirmed
Where to stay, and what to do. Madrid hotels tighten up over Grand Prix weekend. Compare places to stay early, and for the hours between sessions, here is our plan for the city.
What to know before you go
Practical advice so your time at the IFEMA Circuit works from start to finish.
Timings
Gates open at 08:00 and the venue closes at 20:00 on all three days. Friday opens with FP1 at 13:30 and the race is at 15:00 on Sunday. Note: once your ticket has been scanned, re-entry is not allowed.
Food and drink
Inside, the Fan Zones run by IFEMA MADRID sell food and drink. MADRING’s prohibited list includes food from outside, alcohol, glass, cans and plastic bottles larger than 500 ml. Payment by MAD-Coins wristband.
Security
Entry is controlled by digital ticket scanning. MADRING prohibits weapons and sharp objects, illegal substances, personal mobility vehicles, chairs, umbrellas, aerosols and backpacks over 40 × 30 cm. Ear protection recommended.
September weather
Between 18 °C and 30 °C, and there is little shade in the IFEMA grandstands: hat and sun protection. It cools off as soon as the sun goes down, so pack a light jacket if you are staying until closing. Little chance of rain.
The rule everything else hangs on
Twelve hours inside, and no re-entry
Of everything on this page, the number that decides how your day goes is the same one as always: gates open at 08:00, the venue closes at 20:00 and there is no re-entry. Whatever you leave behind, you cannot go back for; whatever you buy inside comes at whatever is there, for whatever it costs.
That leads to the one decision almost nobody makes in time: your ears, the most underrated of the lot because nothing hurts until it is too late. And this is not one session: it is Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Foam plugs last an afternoon and cut you off from the PA and from the person next to you. Filtering plugs like the Loop Experience 2 take 17 dB off while keeping the timbre, per their spec sheet.
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The three-day schedule
The full official timetable, with each championship in its own colour. The race is on Sunday at 15:00.
Friday 11
- 08:00Gates open
- 09:55–10:40Fórmula 3Free practice
- 11:05–11:50Fórmula 2Free practice
- 13:30–14:30Fórmula 1Free Practice 1 (FP1)
- 15:00–15:30Fórmula 2Qualifying
- 17:00–18:00Fórmula 1Free Practice 2 (FP2)
- 18:25–18:45Fórmula 3Qualifying 1
- 18:55–19:15Fórmula 3Qualifying 2
- 20:00Venue closes
Saturday 12
- 08:00Gates open
- 11:05–11:50Fórmula 3Sprint Race
- 12:30–13:30Fórmula 1Free Practice 3 (FP3)
- 14:15–15:05Fórmula 2Sprint Race
- 16:00–17:00Fórmula 1Qualifying
- 18:00–18:50Fórmula 3Feature Race 1
- 20:00Venue closes
Sunday 13
Race day- 08:00Gates open
- 09:45–10:35Fórmula 3Feature Race 2
- 11:25–12:30Fórmula 2Feature Race
- 13:00–13:30Fórmula 1Drivers' Parade
- 15:00–17:00Fórmula 1RACE — 57 laps
- 20:00Venue closes
The rest of the weekend does not happen at the circuit
Where to sleep so you are not crossing Madrid twice a day, and what the city puts on over Grand Prix weekend. Our other two sites cover both.
Newsletter
2026 Madrid GP alerts
One email during race week: what to bring, when the gates open and how to get there without surprises. And if anything changes over the weekend, we tell you.
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