Así se controlan los riesgos legales en la vuelta de la Fórmula 1 a Madrid

Madrid once again embraces Formula 1 after a 45-year hiatus. The 2025 event is set to take place at the semi-urban circuit of Madring, adjacent to the Ifema exhibition grounds. However, the city faces a myriad of legal challenges in bringing the race back to life.

Joaquim Hernández, appointed as the director of legal affairs for the project in 2025, emphasizes the need to coordinate various legal elements and ensure their timely execution. He stresses that the race is not just a sports event, but a complex infrastructure involving mobility, safety, environmental, and economic aspects of the city.

Lourdes Centeno, a partner at EY Abogados advising Madring, highlights the challenge of reconciling the agility required for a global event with the standards and timelines of public contracting. Centeno also points out the difficulty in aligning the speed of a global event with the regulations of public procurement.

José Carlos Erdozain, an of counsel and director of litigation at Pons IP, discusses the risks of frivolous and predatory claims, as well as the importance of vigilance regarding intellectual property and data protection rights. He explains that managing the array of rights and interests at stake is the primary challenge.

Hernández notes that conflicts often arise from the interplay of various factors, rather than the complexity of individual issues. He emphasizes that the project functions like a high-performance engine, where each component must work seamlessly together.

EY Abogados, the law firm advising Madring, has drawn on its extensive experience in managing municipal, regional, and international legal matters to navigate the project's legal landscape. Lourdes Centeno stresses the importance of a holistic, cross-functional approach to anticipate and mitigate risks.

The ten-year agreement with Formula One Management ensures the race's return for the foreseeable future. However, Hernández notes that the pandemic has altered the way contractual agreements are conceived, with remote scenarios now being factored into planning.

Centeno explains that EY Abogados has incorporated prudence into the contracts by including guarantees, indemnity clauses, force majeure provisions, and agile dispute resolution mechanisms. The firm has also involved experts in data protection, reflecting the increased transfer of international data to the event.

Despite the large crowd expected, Erdozain stresses that the complexity of the legal landscape is not solely determined by the number of attendees. The challenge lies in managing the multitude of data transfers and maintaining a robust legal framework amidst the excitement of the return of Formula 1 to Madrid.