Formula 1 could find one of its most iconic venues again: the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola. According to rumors from the international press, Liberty Media is considering canceling the 2026 Madrid Grand Prix due to delays in the infrastructure project of the Spanish capital’s street circuit. In this scenario, Imola would be in pole position to take over as early as 2026, bringing the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix back onto the world agenda.
The difficulties of the “Madring” project
The new Madrid track, announced with great enthusiasm in recent months, is reportedly facing a more complicated acceleration of timelines than expected. According to information leaked by Paolo Ciccarone, the required works and adjustments are accumulating significant delays, forcing Formula 1 organizers to consider the possibility of a reserve race.
In a calendar that, from 2026, will tend to be even more packed and global, one cannot risk arriving just a few months before the start of the season without the certainty of a homologated circuit ready to host motorsport’s most complex paddock.
And this is where Imola comes in. The Romagna circuit, which already hosted Formula 1 in the modern era from 2020 to 2023, represents a ready, tested, and fully compatible solution with the standards required by the FIA. Emilia-Romagna has demonstrated impeccable organization in recent years, a great public response, and a tradition that, for F1, always counts for something more.
The return to the calendar as early as 2026 would also be a very strong signal, after the missed 2023 edition due to the weather events that struck the region. Imola would guarantee stability, continuity, and a highly attractive European event, an increasingly valuable element in a championship that is progressively moving towards new markets.
Imola replacing Madrid, a game still open
Naturally, these are only rumors at the moment: neither Liberty Media nor the Spanish organizers have confirmed the cancellation of the Madrid GP. However, the fact that the hypothesis of an alternative plan is emerging indicates that the matter is concrete and evolving.
For Italian fans, it would be a sensational piece of news: two races in Italy in a single season – Imola and Monza – would represent an absolute unique case globally and a demonstration of the weight our country continues to hold in the history and present of Formula 1.
Imola is one of those circuits that needs no introduction. Iconic, technical, loved by drivers and purists, supported by a crowd that fills the track regardless of who wins or who is fighting for the title.
If Formula 1 really has to look for a “safe haven” while Madrid tries to meet the required standards, Emilia-Romagna would probably be the most logical, the quickest, and—for many—also the most romantic choice.