David Coulthard shares what really surprised him about Madrid Grand Prix announcement

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Former F1 racing driver David Coulthard has shared something he’s heard about the recently announced Madrid Grand Prix that’s really surprised him.

Spain will host a new Formula 1 race from 2026 onwards in the country’s capital, much to the delight of Madrileno driver Carlos Sainz.

Speaking to Total-Motorsport, Coulthard has given his opinion on the latest street circuit to join the calendar.

Formula 1 is adapting and evolving under Liberty Media and there’s a real shift in how the schedule looks.

The recent additions of Jeddah, Miami and Las Vegas highlight that street circuits are the future of F1.

Peter Windsor has admitted he’s not a fan of the race in Saudi Arabia, but Las Vegas was one of the most exciting races of the season in 2023.

Madrid will be hoping to live up to the glitz and glamour of the race in Sin City when it joins the schedule.

David Coulthard, however, has questioned one key aspect of the Madrid Grand Prix.

F1 are on the path to becoming a more sustainable sport, which seems counter-productive for a series that relies on some of the world’s fastest cars racing each other, constantly changing tyres and travelling around the world.

Madrid are insistent that the location of the track will help Formula 1 achieve those goals, but the Scottish racing driver isn’t so sure.

Coulthard surprised by one aspect of Madrid Grand Prix

Speaking about the race, Coulthard said: “Clearly Madrid wanted it badly enough to submit a tender and design and commission and go about building a racetrack. “So as Formula 1 looks to grow, its growth is going to come through commercial rights deals, and for the fans, they [Liberty Media] obviously feel it’s better in Madrid.

“My takeaway from the announcement was that 90 per cent of the fans can arrive there by public transport. That’s all very nice for the politicians and the greens, but I don’t think it’s the first thing that race fans think about when they go to a Grand Prix [is], ‘Can I get there by using the bus and the train network?’

“I think the main thing is this going be a great experience. ‘Does [it] give me value for my hard-earned money? And I am going to go away feeling I’ve got a life-changing or life-enhancing experience, [which] is probably [what] I think people like myself [want] when I invest money in tickets to go see events or a concert. I want to be entertained; I want to be in a happy place.

“So I had to giggle when I saw the [the public transport claim as] one of the justifications for the Madrid bid.”

It will be interesting to see if Coulthard’s concerns about the Madrid Grand Prix come to fruition in 2026.

Ultimately, it will be judged by the majority of fans by how exciting the action is on track.

It will potentially benefit from the new regulations being introduced that year and the uncertainty that normally creates.

However, if the track isn’t up to scratch then some fans might pine for the return of Barcelona despite the lack of brilliant races that have taken place at the Circuit de Catalunya.