The worlds of Formula 1 and MotoGP, the pinnacles of four-wheel and two-wheel racing, are tantalizingly close to making motorsport history with a joint race weekend. Carmelo Ezpeleta, the long-serving chief of MotoGP, has been teasing this revolutionary concept for some time, with Madrid’s upcoming F1 circuit identified as a potential venue for this crossover event in 2026.
Speaking to Marca sports newspaper, Ezpeleta emphasized that the classification of circuits as urban or non-urban is less significant than their safety standards. “Circuits are not separated between urban and non-urban, but safe and unsafe,” he clarified. He pointed out that while some F1 tracks may not be suitable for motorcycles, all MotoGP circuits could accommodate F1 races, citing Lombok’s street circuit in Indonesia as a perfect example for motorcycle racing.
Ezpeleta’s recent visit to the site of the Madrid GP left him impressed and optimistic. “We did not see a little, we saw a lot and I really like what we saw of Madrid – a lot. I liked everything,” he expressed enthusiastically. This positive outlook bodes well for the possibility of hosting a combined F1 and MotoGP event in the Spanish capital.
However, Ezpeleta cautioned that discussions about a joint event in Madrid are yet to take place. “At the moment it has not been discussed – they have not contacted us about it. It is not a project that we have in mind at the moment,” he stated. Despite this, the idea remains very much alive in their ongoing conversations. “We keep thinking about it, but I don’t know where or how or when, but we keep doing it,” he said, noting his longstanding relationship with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali since 1992.
