News Summary
- Videos of fans watching track action from an unpaved section of Madring have prompted criticism and questions on social media.
- The area is part of the circuit’s general admission offering, with tickets sold without an assigned grandstand seat and designed to provide more flexible viewing.
- GRANDE PRÊMIO visited the location and found compacted ground, limited sightlines and a separate paved accessible area for spectators with reduced mobility.
Madring’s Formula 1 debut has already generated debate over the circuit itself, including the time required to repair barriers following crashes. Now another feature of the new Spanish Grand Prix venue has drawn attention: spectators watching the action from what appears, in videos shared on social media, to be a patch of dirt.
Some of the footage also showed wheelchair users in the area, raising further questions about accessibility and the conditions provided to fans who paid to attend Formula 1’s first weekend at the Madrid circuit.
GRANDE PRÊMIO visited the location to understand what was behind the images.
The section in question is part of Madring’s general admission offering. Unlike a conventional grandstand ticket, general admission is intended to provide access to open spectator areas rather than an assigned seat.
Madring itself describes its general areas — marketed as “Pelouse” — as open spaces with track views where spectators can move around and choose their preferred viewing position. Toilets and giant screens are also provided.
For the 2026 Spanish GP, general admission tickets ranged from €195 to €345. Some fans who spoke to GRANDE PRÊMIO, however, said they had paid as much as €385 through resale platform Hello Tickets.
The principal complaint heard at the circuit was not necessarily the lack of a grandstand seat, but visibility.
The northern section of Madring is particularly tight and winding, with barriers and grandstands packed between corners. Even around La Monumental, one of the circuit’s signature sections, the view from some spectator positions extends for only a relatively short stretch of track.
That encouraged some fans to move around in search of alternative viewpoints, eventually bringing them to the general admission section seen in the videos.
From inside the area, however, the surface is somewhat different from how it appears in some of the footage.
GRANDE PRÊMIO found that the section extends for no more than roughly 100 metres and is not as dusty as the videos might suggest. The ground has been compacted, creating a firm dirt-like surface rather than loose sand throughout.
There are still loose stones in places, however, and the nature of the surface raises an obvious question about how comfortable the area would remain in wet weather.
The circuit’s own accessibility information helps explain the construction. Madring says the North Fan Zone uses natural ground stabilised with cement, which makes the surface more resistant than untreated soil but can still leave minor irregularities. Artificial-grass routes are also used to help spectators navigate towards important areas. By contrast, the South Fan Zone has a continuous asphalt surface.
Most other spectator sections around Madring use conventional temporary grandstands. Their sheer number, however, can itself restrict sightlines, particularly around a circuit with relatively little natural elevation.
Accessibility is also more nuanced than some of the social-media footage suggests.
Images taken by GRANDE PRÊMIO show a separate paved section alongside the unpaved ground that allows wheelchair users and other spectators with mobility limitations to move without having to cross the compacted-earth surface. The area includes parasols and additional safety barriers behind the fencing separating spectators from the circuit.
Madring’s official information states that accessible viewing platforms, accessible toilets and dedicated access points are available around the venue. It also says all circuit entrances are accessible, while specific areas are provided for people with reduced mobility.
The Madrid City Council similarly says universal accessibility was considered in the design of routes, entrances, waiting areas, information points and other services surrounding the event.
That does not resolve the other concern raised by fans: how much of the track they can actually see for the price of admission.
Madring is split into separate North and South sectors, and spectators cannot freely walk between the two from inside the circuit. The access point and area available to each fan depend on the ticket they hold.
As of Saturday, Spanish GP organisers had not disclosed how many general admission tickets had been made available for the weekend or whether the full allocation had been sold.
The official Madring ticket portal currently lists general admission for the 2026 Spanish GP as sold out.
FAQ
What is general admission at the Spanish GP in Madrid?
General admission gives spectators access to designated open viewing areas without a conventional assigned grandstand seat. Madring describes these areas as allowing fans greater freedom to move around and select a viewing position.
How much did general admission cost at Madring?
General admission tickets for the Spanish GP ranged from €195 to €345. Fans interviewed by GRANDE PRÊMIO said some tickets bought through resale platforms cost as much as €385.
Is Madring’s general admission area accessible for wheelchair users?
There are designated accessible areas. GRANDE PRÊMIO observed a paved section allowing wheelchair users to avoid the compacted-earth surface, while Madring says the venue includes accessible viewing platforms, entrances and toilets.
