The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, hosted the Madrid edition of its 2026 Sustainable Innovation Series (SIS) on Thursday 10 September, in partnership with its Spanish Member Club, Real Automóvil Club de España (RACE), ahead of the FIA Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.

The programme began the evening before with a cocktail reception that turned the future of mobility into a live demonstration: an electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft took flight, before a mesmerising show of 3,000 drones lit up the skies above Madrid.

Held at IFEMA Madrid beside the new Madring circuit, the conference convened leaders from motor sport, logistics, technology, industry and government under the theme “From Race to Road: Accelerating the Future of Mobility”. Moderated by Sky Sports presenter and Sustainability Lead David Garrido, sessions explored how technologies proven in competition are being translated into scalable solutions for urban mobility and how inter-city and air mobility are evolving in the next decade. As a global mobility hub and home to the new race circuit Madring, Madrid provided the perfect setting for stories of innovation, progress and partnerships driving change.

Opened by Carmelo Sanz de Barros, President of RACE and President of the FIA Senate, the day set out Madrid's ambition to become one of Europe's leading hubs for innovation, sustainability and advanced mobility. Speakers included Formula 1 teams and leadership, such as Ellen Jones from Formula One Management, Allan McNish of the Audi Revolut F1 Team and Peter Bayer of the Racing Bulls F1 Team; global industry partners DHL and Siemens, Official Partners of the Sustainable Innovation Series, Jorge F. Delgado, CEO of RACE & President, FIA Region I, urban air mobility leaders, and policymakers from Madrid City Council and the European Commission.

Discussions covered how Formula 1 is cutting carbon while raising performance through smarter logistics, digitalisation and engineering culture, and why manufacturers still look to competition to speed up the technologies behind everyday mobility. Panellists also examined what it takes for urban air mobility to scale beyond demonstration and provided an outlook on the next decade of urban mobility, from shared and electric transport to connected and automated driving.

Carmelo Sanz de Barros, President of RACE and President of the FIA Senate, said:“Madrid is a leader in urban mobility and the host of the most anticipated addition to the Formula 1 calendar, making it the perfect destination for the FIA Sustainable Innovation Series. By bringing all the different stakeholders into one room we are able to hear new perspectives, learn from each other’s challenges and successes and drive sustainable innovation across motor sport and mobility.”

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact Maria Zander, Corporate Communications Manager: mzander@fia.com

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) is the governing body for world motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations globally. It is a non-profit organisation committed to driving innovation and championing safety, sustainability and equality across motor sport and mobility.

Founded in 1904, with offices in Paris, London and Geneva, the FIA brings together 246 Member Organisations across five continents, representing millions of road users, motor sport professionals and volunteers. It develops and enforces regulations for motor sport, including six FIA World Championships, to ensure worldwide competitions are safe and fair for all.