Formula 1 and MotoGP circuit planned for Madrid-region village

ANOTHER Formula 1 and MotoGP circuit could join the list of Spain's top-flight motorsport venues – this time in the village of Morata de Tajuña in the Greater Madrid region.

Even with the short-lived presence of Valencia street circuit – where Fernando Alonso famously pulled himself up from 11th on the grid to first past the post in the last F1 Grand Prix he won – Spain still has four small towns from north to south which would be a lot less world-famous without their motor-racing hubs.

Montmeló (Barcelona), Cheste (Valencia), Alcañiz (Teruel) and the one popularly known as the 'cathedral of motorsport', Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz), recently named after the late MotoGP multiple champion Ángel Nieto have all been graced by the crème of race-riders and drivers, and at least two of them are on the standard calendar at any one time – Cheste is typically the final date in the MotoGP season, and Montmeló is normally Spain's 'contribution' to the F1 schedule.

Despite being only a 40-minute drive from Spain's capital and Europe's second-largest metropolitan area, Morata de Tajuña is surrounded by countryside and home to just 7,500 residents.

A private-sector sports infrastructure company, Stream Motor Fire, is said to be behind the plans to create a top international circuit in the region and was contacted by the town council, who offered the firm an old quarry site, known as the Cadera de Anselmo area, and which had not been used for any purpose for some time.

Stream Motor Fire is said to be a start-up comprising just three shareholders and a total capital of a mere €3,000, although Morata local authorities assure the company has 'considerable financial muscle': It will be investing €7 million in the first phase of the circuit's construction and €5m in the second, over a period of 15 years.

This said, the other world-famous F1 and MotoGP circuits in use have all cost an average of over €60m to build.

But the Morata de Tajuña plans show a similar-sized track to the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix and MotoGP Catalunya Grand Prix circuit in Montmeló – 4.5 kilometres with a 650-metre straight, compared with the Barcelona venue's 4.6 kilometres and 1.1-kilometre straight. 

It will include a 7.5-acre paddock, 30 boxes, VIP and hospitality units, an indoor restaurant, go-kart track, and other 'peripheral' facilities – probably even a motorcycle-racing museum.

Mayor Ángel Sánchez says the process will get under way 'as soon as bureaucracy allows it'.

“All these actions need endless favourable reports,” he recalls.

“Imagine, for example, that there's an ancient livestock migratory route through it which has to be diverted, or they discover a locally-native species of rare bird nesting there, or an archaeological site.

“So we'll have a long wait on our hands, but I'm happy and confident about the whole thing.”

Ángel Sánchez was asked whether the Morata circuit would take over from the much smaller one in nearby Jarama, but insists the new track will complement, rather than replace, the existing site.

“In Jarama, they can't host a lot of types of trial because of limitations on space and noise level, but in these quarries [Cadera de Anselmo], there's nothing around for a radius of several kilometres, which makes it perfect for motor-racing fans – in fact, the project has already been given the thumbs-up by the Spanish Motorcycle-Racing and Spanish Motor-Racing Federatons,” he explains.

To prevent problems caused by speculation, once the regional government gives the nod, Morata council will sign a long-term contract with the developers which will include, among its conditions, that the entire building works must not take more than five years, and that activity on site must be constant over 280 days a year for 10 years, involving sporting and other events – which could cover, for example, concerts, festivals and trade fairs.

The land has already attracted interest for various types of development in recent years – among plans presented were a solar panel park and a high-performance sports centre, but the first was ruled out by the promoters eventually as the site was too small, and the second by the council, as it did not believe the town itself would profit from it.

Inevitably, Ángel Sánchez was asked whether the Morata circuit would end up going the same way as the one in Pinto, in the same region, which was on the cards 20 years ago and was supposed to have been backed and promoted by various motorsport household names.

He stressed the plans two decades on from Pinto had 'nothing in common' – Pinto bit the dust because of a tangled web of speculation and accusations of corruption against the then ruling PP party – whilst the Morata venue will be built using '100% private capital' and Stream Motor Fire has already been in touch with the private landowners involved to make them offers.

The town council will 'not have to pay a single cent', the mayor assures, and the land in the Cadera de Anselmo area which it owned was auctioned off with Stream Motor Fire making the winning bid.