Inside F1 Track That Racked Up £255m in Debts and Hasn't Been Used for 13 Years

A Formula One track that once was a key part of the annual race calendar now lies overgrown having been abandoned for 13 years.

In 2026, the Formula One season will travel to Spain on two occasions, as both Barcelona, who held a race this season, and new hosts Madrid will welcome the sport next year.

The last time that F1 travelled to Spain twice in one season was between 2008 and 2012.

While Barcelona remained a part of the calendar throughout this period, the second city wasn't Madrid as the Valencia hosted the European Grand Prix was the Valencia Street Circuit.

But now, the Valencia track lies completely abandoned with rubbish all around and weeds and plants grow out from under the kerbs of the circuit.

The Valencia Street Circuit is now completely abandoned. (Image: Xavier Bonilla/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Located near the port of Valencia, the Street Circuit is 3.4-miles long with the track record set by Timo Glock in 2009 with a time of 1:38.683.

Two-time World Drivers' Champion Fernando Alonso was the last man to win the European Grand Prix back in 2012.

However, the track was not at all popular across the grid as it was criticised for having a boring layout which is partly why funding for the circuit moved away.

The deal to introduce the track to the F1 season was allegedly due to an election promise between F1 billionaire Bernie Ecclestone and Valmor Sport group.

Fernando Alonso was the last race winner in Valencia back in 2012. (Image: Peter J Fox/Getty Images)

But things didn't go to plan after Valmor went bankrupt due to the costs of running the races, leading to the seven-year deal to keep the race on the calendar being cut down to just five years.

Valmor's collapse left a brutal £255million of debt, with £87m is said to have been paid to Ecclestone and the rest spent on the construction of the circuit, TV deals and other organisational costs.

In total, the Generalitat Valenciana, the self-government institutions Valencia, had to pay £85m to cover the losses.

Tyre markings can still be seen on the abandoned track. (Image: Xavier Bonilla/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Now, 13 years later. the Valencia Street Circuit lies in complete disrepair with the majority of it left completely deserted.

Rubbish, weeds and rust can be seen throughout the track with pit markings and tyre burns still visible on parts of the track.

Anything of value that had been left behind has been taken by thieves, while parts of the track have been reverted back to to walkways for the public.

The City Council held discussions in 2022 to reclaim the space as an investment group hoped the turn it into housing, but the deal fell through.

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