Formula 1 has taken the decision to drop iconic Italian circuit, Imola, from the race calendar next year and welcome Madrid to the calendar from 2026.
The new Madrid Grand Prix will be held as the final race of an uninterrupted European section of the Formula 1 season next year.
Holding between September 11 and 13, Madrid will be a second race in Spain and replaces the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola in Italy in a schedule that remains at 24 races.
The Spanish capital’s debut in F1 is one of a number of changes made partly in an attempt to streamline transport and reduce carbon emissions.
Another change will see the grand prix in Canada take place between May 22 and 24, previously the traditional period for the Monaco GP, which is now scheduled to hold from June 5 to 7 next year.
The switch ensures that Canada follows the Miami race on 1-3 May, creating what F1 describes as “significant freight efficiencies as some equipment can move directly from one to the other”.