[JasonB]

I was a little concerned to read that the Spanish GP is moving from Barcelona to Madrid from 2026.

It's not that I'm a huge fan of Catalunya, and I know nothing about the proposed Madrid track, but my concern is that street circuits are being pushed so hard, and as the BBC article states, one of the advantages of the move is that "90% of fans would be able to travel to the race via public transport on metro and train lines".

It is part of Formula 1's aim to "to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2030".

Now, my concerns are two fold. Firstly, in spite of being a long time supporter of environmental and green issues, I smell a rat. It has the whiff of greenwashing about it, because 90% of the fans may be able to get there via public transport if they live in Madrid, but that doesn't mean to say that they will, and it doesn't really account for all the people that will be driving, or flying in from other parts of Spain, or the rest of the world. "Would be able to" is not the same thing as people actually doing it.

My second concern is that the classic circuits like Spa Francorchamps, and Silverstone for instance, will be wiped out in an attempt to give F1 some fake greenwashing headlines, because neither of those circuits can be accessed by public transport. Losing real and genuinely challenging race tracks would be a shame, to me at least.

[Kevan]

I hate fake city 'circuits' 

[woodcote]

Two race events where I’ve seen a significant proportion of the spectators arrive by public transport are Goodwood Revival and the London Formula E race.

A genuine attempt at a carbon-neutral event is central to Formula E - and their mostly city-centre tracks do seem to work for the specific characteristics of the cars. The location in East London and the excellent Docklands Light Railway is almost perfect.

Goodwood is just a mile or so from Chichester railway station, with direct trains on the busy London-Gatwick-Southampton line. A sizeable fleet of buses run a shuttle service to the track. And a lot of alcohol is consumed.

I guess, because traditions were reset at the track in 1998 - and the commitment to public transport was part of the deal with the local council - taking a train and a bus is the Revival tradition for a sizeable number of people.

Brands Hatch trialled a skeleton bus service from a local railway station last year - but only for a few weekends. I understand it wasn’t used.

[ScorpiusWireless]

C02 is an essential colourless odourless gas essential for greening the planet. Why else do farmers use C02 injection into green houses for more abundant growth and bigger yields. Now move that same proven scenario to a bigger scale like a forest and the result is the same. Bigger, healthier trees with more growth ie leaves. Leaves convert guess what into oxygen. 
And trees do guess what to the air. It cools it.
And we humans, our machines and factories emit a staggering 1-1.5% of the worlds C02. That naughty evil gas the big boys are trying to reduce. In comparison oceans produce a tiny 30% of C02 emissions. I won’t mention cows.
So if we eliminated mankind, C02 emissions (that essential gas)  be reduced by a staggering 1-1.5%. That will make a huge difference..to nothing.
I’m guessing the powers that run Spain, in Madrid, the ones that love their Catalan brothers, wouldn’t want the hundreds of millions of Euros in tourism. Of course not.
I say lets race. But on a real track. 

Something to think about.

[Kevan]

C02 is an essential colourless odourless gas essential for greening the planet. Why else do farmers use C02 injection into green houses for more abundant growth and bigger yields. Now move that same proven scenario to a bigger scale like a forest and the result is the same. Bigger, healthier trees with more growth ie leaves. Leaves convert guess what into oxygen. 
And trees do guess what to the air. It cools it.
And we humans, our machines and factories emit a staggering 1-1.5% of the worlds C02. That naughty evil gas the big boys are trying to reduce. In comparison oceans produce a tiny 30% of C02 emissions. I won’t mention cows.
So if we eliminated mankind, C02 emissions (that essential gas)  be reduced by a staggering 1-1.5%. That will make a huge difference..to nothing.
I’m guessing the powers that run Spain, in Madrid, the ones that love their Catalan brothers, wouldn’t want the hundreds of millions of Euros in tourism. Of course not.
I say lets race. But on a real track. 

Something to think about.

I've said it a hundred times...welcome to the 'Great Global Warming Gold Rush'...there's money in them thar fools

[Nonfractal]

C02 is an essential colourless odourless gas...
And we humans, our machines and factories emit a staggering 1-1.5% of the worlds C02.

"Colourless odorless" was exactly how chloro fluorocarbons were described by dupont but they still knocked a great big hole in the ozone.
1-1.5 % ? Where did you get that number from?

[Scuderia_Turini]

When I saw the headline news about a Madrid race I thought they were really referring to Jarama and was a bit surprised to hear talk about a street circuit. 
Well F1 is a business first these days so unless the locals raise huge objections, the race will follow the money.