The Castellana Campus of Camilo José Cela University hosted the Europa Press Sports Breakfast at which the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, to be held in Madrid on 13 September, was presented by Luis García Abad, General Director of the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix.
The event began with a welcome address by Jaime Olmedo, Rector of Camilo José Cela University, who highlighted Spain’s historic relationship with Formula 1: “From a historical perspective, Spain has a strong connection with Formula 1, from the Marquis Alfonso de Portago to the Spanish drivers currently on the grid,” he said during his speech.
During the event, García Abad explained the process that has made the return of Formula 1 to Madrid possible, 45 years after it was last held in the capital. The Grand Prix Director recalled that the project began as a complex challenge, initially considered “impossible” by many, but argued that it has been brought to life “with facts, not words”, thanks to the technical, institutional, commercial and communications work carried out in recent years.
A circuit designed as an experience
García Abad stressed that organising a Formula 1 Grand Prix is not only about building a circuit, but about creating a complete experience for fans. In this regard, he explained that IFEMA offered particularly favourable conditions thanks to its location within the city, its proximity to the metro, train and airport, and the fact that it already had basic infrastructure such as energy, access points, parking, offices, connectivity and public services.
The Grand Prix Director argued that the main objective has been to “bring the spectacle closer to the customer”, rather than forcing the customer to travel to the spectacle. For this reason, he highlighted the differential value of holding the race in Madrid, in a setting connected to public transport and capable of offering an accessible, urban experience linked to the city’s cultural, tourist and gastronomic offer.
One of the most distinctive elements of the new circuit will be La Monumental, the banked curve that García Abad presented as one of the track’s major defining features. According to him, it is a curve designed to become a technical and visual icon of the Grand Prix, with a demanding configuration for drivers and intended to bring excitement to the route.
Madrid as a major international showcase
During his speech, García Abad also focused on the international impact of the event and Madrid’s role as host city. The Grand Prix Director explained that Formula 1 has enormous global projection capacity and that bringing an event of this scale to the capital will place Madrid’s image before top-level international audiences.
He also highlighted that the Grand Prix has been conceived as a long-term project, with a ten-year contract and a strategy aimed at consolidating a recurring experience for fans, sponsors and visitors. In this regard, he noted that the success of the event will depend not only on the race itself, but also on Madrid’s ability to offer a complete weekend of leisure, sport, mobility, services and hospitality.
García Abad explained that the Formula 1 audience has changed significantly in recent years, with a growing number of new fans, especially young people and women. For this reason, he insisted that the organisation is working to offer an experience adapted to new ways of consuming sport, with activity from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon and a proposal designed for both national and international audiences.
UCJC and its commitment to sport
The hosting of this Europa Press Sports Breakfast at the Castellana Campus forms part of the collaboration maintained by Camilo José Cela University with the agency throughout the academic year, through a series of events that have brought leading figures from Spanish sport closer to the university community.
Throughout these breakfasts, UCJC has hosted events linked to different sporting disciplines, consolidating its campus as a space for conversation, analysis and dialogue between athletes, federations, institutions, media outlets and students. This collaboration reinforces the University’s commitment to sport as an area of education, professional development, knowledge generation and connection with society.
UCJC’s commitment to sport forms part of its academic and institutional identity. The University offers degrees linked to physical activity, sport, health, sports management and the training of professionals capable of responding to the challenges of a constantly evolving sector. This approach is complemented by extensive institutional activity and the organisation of events that bring students closer to real-world leaders in the sports sector.
This commitment has also been recognised through the awarding to Camilo José Cela University of the Joaquín Blume Awards, one of the highest distinctions for the promotion of university sport in Spain. This award recognises UCJC’s contribution to the development of sport, the promotion of its values and the creation of educational and professional opportunities for students.
By hosting the presentation of the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, UCJC strengthens its position as a university connected to major sporting events, committed to training talent and open to dialogue between university, sport, business, institutions and society.
