F1 News: Former Driver Amused By Madrid GP - "Very Nice For Politicians And The Greens"
Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard "had to giggle", when he found amusement in the arguments supporting Madrid as a replacement for Barcelona as the Spanish GP venue. He noted that factors like public transport availability might not be the foremost concern for Formula 1 fans when deciding to attend a race at a circuit.
The 52-year-old driver has been reviewing the specifics of the approved bid, and he couldn't help but notice that public transport was cited as part of the rationale for hosting a Madrid Grand Prix. To be specific, it was mentioned that 90 percent of fans could reach the Madrid Grand Prix venue via public transport.
There had been a significant push to include Madrid in the Formula 1 calendar. Last week, it was confirmed that Madrid would host the Spanish Grand Prix from 2026 on its new hybrid circuit comprising street and non-street sections.
IFEMA - Madrid Grand Prix
Coulthard interprets the emphasis on public transport in the bid as a sign that Madrid was particularly eager to secure the Grand Prix. Speaking to Total-Motorsport.com, he 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, ‘can I get there by using the bus and the train network?’
“I think the main thing is, ‘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 [public transport claim as] one of the justifications for the Madrid bid.”
