The president of the Community of Madrid celebrates the launch of the Formula 1 circuit and is already aiming to improve it in 2027. Residents' associations in Hortaleza estimate the public cost at €400 million and denounce the displacement of 6,000 residents.
The first Spanish Grand Prix of Formula 1 in Madring has left two opposing views in Madrid. The president of the Community, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has celebrated the launch of the track and has set the goal of making it "the best" Grand Prix "in the world". At the gates of the circuit, residents' associations from Hortaleza gathered to denounce the "waste" and the impact of the event on nearby neighbourhoods, as reported by Noticias para Municipios.
The race has brought Formula 1 back to Madrid 45 years after the last one held at Jarama. "Congratulations to the organisers, the teams, and the fans. Proud to welcome thousands of people to our community. Next year, even better," Ayuso stated after the race.
In sporting terms, Italian Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) became the first winner at Madring. The 20-year-old driver triumphed ahead of Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Briton Lando Norris (McLaren), securing his eighth victory. A Virtual Safety Car allowed him to make his pit stop, while Norris, who had started from pole, entered with the window already closed and lost his advantage.
Outside the track, Hortaleza residents' associations gathered this Sunday at Ifema Madrid, called by various groups, including the Stop F1 platform. Among those attending the protest were the spokesperson for Más Madrid in the Madrid City Council, Rita Maestre; Socialist councillor Jorge Donaire; the Secretary General of Podemos, Ione Belarra; and the president of the Regional Federation of Neighbourhood Associations of Madrid (FRAVM), Jorge Nacarino. Another march had taken place on Saturday under the slogan "We want to live in Hortaleza", promoted by the Neighbourhood Union and supported by the District Entities Coordinator.
It is an absolute waste," stated the spokesperson for Stop F1, Constantino Blanco.
Blanco estimates the cost at €400 million, with 6,000 residents of nearby neighbourhoods displaced, and denounces the felling of 700 trees linked to the project. Maestre raises the investment to "over €500 million of public money" and argues that these resources should go to schools, hospitals, cleaning, and public transport. Belarra contrasted the spending on Formula 1 with the situation of child educators in the Madrid City Council, while the PSOE announced it would scrutinise the public space concessions and authorisations granted to determine the real cost of the event.
The president of the FRAVM, Jorge Nacarino, clarified that their opposition is not to tourism: he defended that Madrid is a "welcoming city", but demands that these events be held in spaces prepared for mobility and the environment and compatible with the daily life of the neighbourhoods.
The regional government is already working on the 2027 edition, while the residents' movement in Hortaleza continues its protests and requests that the success of large events does not fall on those living next to the circuit.
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