Amid Doubts About Spanish GP’s F1 Future, Potential New Venue Steps Up

There have been a number of doubts surrounding the future of the Spanish Grand Prix in F1. The Circuit de Catalunya only inked a 1-year contract extension with the sport, covering this season and 2020. So, for 2021, a few alternate venues are being explored, and one of them is a classic F1 circuit, the Circuito de Jerez.

As mentioned before, for the 2020 season, Spain is only on the calendar owing to a last gasp deal with Barcelona for a single-year deal. However, that also meant that the F1 calendar could stretch out to an unprecedented 22 races.

According to El Mundo Deportivo and Marca, the Circuito de Jerez authorities are locked in talks with Liberty Media about a three-year deal for 2021-2023.

They further reported that, an agreement in principle could be signed for a $25 million annual fee. This fee is said to be payable by the regional government Junta de Andalucia.

The news also comes in the wake of a meeting in London between Spanish officials and Chase Carey. However, Jerez de la Frontera mayor Mamen Sanchez confessed that she was unhappy about the information being leaked into the public.

“The council has been working for two years so that Formula 1 returns to Jerez,” she told Diario de Jerez newspaper.

“I want to issue a reminder that we have a confidentiality agreement and I hope and wish that any ambition to tell the news does not frustrate the negotiations.”

The Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto stayed on the F1 calendar until 1991, as the location of the circuit was difficult for spectators. Apparently, the circuit’s relatively remote location hindered significant spectator turnout, although up to 125,000 can be accommodated.

That was why the Spanish Grand Prix was shifted to the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. F1 also visited Jerez often for F1 testing, before it was dropped entirely. However, the circuit continues to host MotoGP races, and had two corners rename after MotoGP riders, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo.