From September 11 to 13, the newly completed Madring circuit made its Formula 1 Grand Prix debut, marking F1’s return to Madrid, Spain, after 46 years.
At the heart of the circuit, the Madrid F1 Circuit Pit Building & Paddock Club features an iconic steel frame and a wave-shaped curved steel roof manufactured by Jinggong (International) Steel Building, a member company of Changjiang Jinggong Steel Building (Group) Co., Ltd. This was Jinggong (International) Steel Building’s first overseas project undertaken independently and managed end to end, as well as the Group’s first project in Spain. Fabrication of all project components has now been completed, and they have been successfully delivered.
The project is located on the south side of the Madring circuit, at the main entrance to the IFEMA exhibition centre, adjacent to the starting grid and pit lane, with prime views over the paddock. The ground floor houses the pit garages, including 14 modular garages. The upper floor is a VIP experience area with lounges and panoramic viewing terraces. After the race, the building will become part of the IFEMA exhibition centre, providing supporting facilities for the venue.
One building serves three functions, and each brought its own challenges for Jinggong. The project combines several structural types—including complex framing, corrugated steel plates and cast-steel components—with a wide range of fabrication processes. It was also required to comply with BS EN standards throughout, setting demanding requirements for every stage, from raw materials and fabrication to welding, galvanizing and inspection.
The debut of the Madring circuit drew global attention. The race against the clock behind the scenes was every bit as intense as the action on the track. When Jinggong (International) Steel Building received the fabrication assignment, fewer than six months remained before the race in mid-September. The client set a maximum fabrication period of just 47 days.
This was a race to balance speed with quality. The project used an all-bolted assembly system, with nearly 160,000 holes in total and hole-position deviations required to remain within ±1 mm. Jinggong adopted a process combining laser cutting, jig-guided hole enlargement and manual tapping: laser cutting established the hole positions accurately, jig-guided enlargement removed hardened edges, and each hole was then checked through manual tapping. This approach balanced the efficiency and precision required for large groups of holes.
In addition, Jinggong (International) Steel Building developed a project-specific ITP (Inspection and Test Plan). Alongside strengthening self-inspection by work teams and in-process inspections, the team optimized inspection hold points and reduced unnecessary waiting at low-risk stages, shortening the overall production cycle and improving fabrication efficiency.
The result: delivery in 42 days—five days ahead of schedule. The five days gained were not simply time saved; they were time won through meticulous planning and disciplined execution.
Madrid lies on Spain’s central plateau and has a continental Mediterranean climate, with pronounced seasonal shifts between dry and wet conditions. Its corrosion exposure can be more severe than that of many coastal cities, while corrosion on components in the building’s upper-level VIP areas would be unacceptable. Corrosion protection was therefore essential not only to performance, but also to architectural appearance.
Jinggong applied two targeted solutions. First, tailored hot-dip galvanizing procedures were developed for the project’s varied structural types and materials, in accordance with EN ISO 1461, to ensure comprehensive galvanizing coverage of every component. Second, to avoid the conventional cycle of welding, damaging the zinc coating, applying zinc repair, re-inspecting and repairing again, Jinggong introduced laser welding. This enabled a 2 mm top cover plate to be seal-welded directly onto the galvanized surface, helping achieve a sound weld in a single pass while avoiding the risk of extensive damage to the zinc coating.
From the Olympic flame at Beijing National Stadium (the Bird’s Nest), to the roar of the crowds at Lusail Stadium, and now the engines at the Madrid F1 venue, Jinggong has left its mark in steel on three of the world’s premier sporting events.
