Five free shuttles and more Metro: how Formula 1 will change Madrid

The shuttle buses will make it possible to reach the circuit from four major points in Madrid. MR1 will link Metropolitano with Feria de Madrid and Valdebebas every five minutes; MR2 will run from Canillejas to Feria de Madrid and MR4 will connect Plaza de Castilla with Valdebebas, both every seven minutes. All three will operate from 7:30 to 21:00.

For departures, MR5 will be added between Feria de Madrid and Avenida de América, from 17:00 to 21:00 and also every seven minutes. This line will carry passengers only towards Avenida de América. A fifth shuttle, MR3, will internally connect the two parts of the venue: from Vía de Dublín to Alejandro de la Sota, with buses every four minutes during the busiest hours and service from 6:00 to 22:00.

The rail reinforcement will be particularly intensive. Metro line 8 will increase its usual capacity by 50% and will be able to carry between 15,000 and 21,000 passengers per hour in each direction. L4 will add two trains at peak time and L5 one. Feria de Madrid will be the main station for accessing the southern area of the circuit.

For those arriving from the north, the reference point will be Cercanías Valdebebas. On Friday there will be trains every five or seven minutes during the periods of greatest demand. On Saturday and Sunday, between 8:00 and 11:00 and between 15:30 and 19:30, frequency will fall to five minutes and double trainsets will run, with planned capacity for around 15,000 people per hour.

The road operation will begin earlier. From 10 to 14 September there will be closures on sections of Ribera del Sena, Vía de Dublín and Francisco Umbral, as well as several roundabouts near the circuit. Between the 11th and 13th, an inner ring of restricted traffic will be activated around Ifema: the general public will not be able to approach the venue in a private vehicle without authorisation or pre-assigned parking.

Las Cárcavas will have a specific system to prevent residential streets from becoming Grand Prix parking. Residents will need the accreditations already being distributed to enter by car. Essential services, home care, public transport and authorised suppliers will also be able to enter. Taxis and VTCs will only be able to do so when carrying residents who can prove they live in the area.

The restrictions will also reach the area of offices, hotels, restaurants and the Golf Club beside Ifema. Workers should preferably arrive by public transport; private vehicles may only enter with authorisation and a space away from the public highway. In streets subject to the special regulation, it will not be possible to look for free parking.

For spectators who have reserved parking, the plan provides for 11,854 spaces for cars, another 1,000 for motorcycles and 270 for coaches. They will not be car parks with spontaneous access: a large part requires advance purchase, prior allocation or accreditation. Parking for the general public includes Ciudad Deportiva del Real Madrid and the area around Metropolitano, then connected to the circuit.

The operation is designed for an estimated attendance of around 345,000 people over the three days and for a venue with 23 gates around its perimeter. Some occupations related to dismantling will continue after the race, so the impact on certain roads will not disappear completely on Sunday night.