Banco Santander is the sole Founding Partner of Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix (GP). The event will take place in Madrid and boast exclusive activities hosted by the bank, thanks to a partnership that stretches back over 20 years. According to a recent study by PwC, the race will bring in some 467 million euros and create 8,850 jobs, as well as promoting Madrid on the world stage.
Holding the Spanish GP at the MADRING circuit in Madrid marks a return of the highest-level of racing competition to the region after a 45-year hiatus. With a length of 5.4 kilometres and a thrilling design of 22 bends — crowned by the La Monumental curve —, the semi-urban circuit promoted by IFEMA has every chance of becoming a benchmark in motorsport over the coming years.
And while the track’s design will delight fans during the race, let’s not forget the vast economic impact on the region. PwC estimates 80,000 new visitors to Madrid, 45,000 of whom will be from outside Spain. The organizers highlight that the race will bolster Madrid’s image as an ideal venue for hosting major international events, with experiences before, during and after the main spectacle and a vast economic impact on the city.
In addition to significant economic returns, the race will also bring major benefits that will heighten the region’s international profile. Initial estimates show 73,000 million comms impressions even before the race has taken place. MADRING aims to become a platform for tourism, economic activity, employment, entertainment, content and international visibility.
Santander: the sole “Founding Partner”
Banco Santander’s sponsorship of this GP is yet another milestone in its relationship with F1 over the past 20-plus years. The bank aims to put that experience to good use in this new era of the competition in Spain, bringing Formula 1 closer to customers and fans and contributing to the economic impact and international profile that an event of this size can generate for Madrid.
Santander’s interest in Formula 1 stems from the global nature of the competition and its ability to connect with key audiences for the bank. F1 spans 24 Grands Prix in 20 countries, and 60% of its audience can be found in Santander’s core markets, with the US and the younger generation among the fastest growing. This international reach enables Santander to strengthen its global profile while forging closer ties with its stakeholders through experiences and initiatives linked to the races.
Banco Santander will display its brand prominently throughout the circuit and offer immersive experiences for customers at several points of the track, as well as other activities scheduled in the city during race week.
This partnership adds to the bank’s sponsorship of Grands Prix in its core markets, namely Brazil, Mexico, Spain (Madrid and Barcelona), the UK, and the US (Austin, Las Vegas and Miami). Hosting these events acts as a driving force for progress in the cities where they take place, which matches Santander’s purpose to help people and businesses prosper.
Banco Santander is an official sponsor and the official retail banking partner of Formula 1, which continues a relationship that began in 2007 and under which it has sponsored Grands Prix and the McLaren and Ferrari teams. This partnership brings the bank closer to F1’s 800 million fans worldwide and is in keeping with the competition’s global reach.
Hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix again is a great opportunity for Madrid and for Spain. An event of this magnitude brings business activity, employment and international visibility, and at Santander we want to help maximize that impact. As a Founding Partner, our aim is to get close to our customers and fans and have them enjoy a unique experience, both on and off the track.
This agreement with MADRING is a natural progression of our commitment to Formula 1. Madrid is a vibrant, thriving city, and we at the bank want to support this global event by offering our customers unique experiences, just as we always do at the GPs in our key markets -US, Brasil, UK, Mexico-, which provide a significant economic boost to the host cities. Spain is one of those markets, with two races this season.
Measurable financial return
MADRING is not an isolated case, as other cities around the world have also hosted new GPs in recent decades due to their economic benefits. For instance, Singapore hosted a race for the first time in 2008, with F1 forming part of a wider strategy to promote its status as a business and tourist hub. The Singapore race has attracted 720,000 international visitors and generated over 2,2 Singapore billion dollars in additional revenue from tourism. Other recent examples include Miami and Las Vegas. According to F1, the Miami race, which began in 2022, has had an economic impact of over 1 billion US dollars in its first three years. Meanwhile, the agreement to host a race in Las Vegas was extended in June 2026 owing to the 3.2 billion-dollar impact on the local economy since it became part of the F1 calendar in 2023.
