Sep 12, 2026·1 min read·Graded Spanish · word-by-word audio
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La Fórmula 1 ha llegado a Madrid y este viernes empieza el Gran Premio. El circuito de Ifema abre sus puertas después de solo dos días de pruebas. Muchos trabajadores todavía montan muebles y preparan las zonas para el público. Un comisario de pista dice que no es normal tener tan poco tiempo para probar todo. José María lleva 44 años como comisario de pista.
La confusión sobre la movilidad dentro del circuito es total. Para ir del lado sur al norte hay que tomar una lanzadera. Las indicaciones visuales no son claras y las frecuencias de los autobuses no son las mejores. Algunos trabajadores creen que "se va a liar" con tanta gente y tantas cosas. Se esperan 350.000 personas en tres días.
Pese a todo, muchos empleados están muy ilusionados. "Yo me siento como un niño pequeño", comenta uno de ellos. El Gran Premio se celebra del 11 al 13 de septiembre. Habrá que ver si todo funciona bien o si los problemas de acceso y movilidad son más difíciles de resolver de lo que parece.
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Watch out, English speaker
English speakers often use the simple past for recent events, but Spanish uses the present perfect when the result still matters now. In this article, 'La F1 ha llegado a Madrid' means F1 has arrived and is still here, not just that it arrived once. If you say 'La F1 llegó a Madrid', you frame it as a finished past event, which sounds less connected to the current situation.
Spanish often uses 'se' + third-person verb where English uses a passive with 'be' or an impersonal 'they/people'. 'Solo se han hecho dos días de pruebas' means 'Only two days of testing have been done,' not 'They have done only two days' in a vague sense. Remember that the verb agrees with the thing, not with an agent: 'se han hecho' is plural because 'dos días de pruebas' is plural.
English speakers may expect 'liar' to mean 'to lie,' but in Spanish it usually means 'to mess up' or 'to complicate.' In this context, 'Se va a liar con tanta gente' means 'It is going to get messy with so many people,' not 'It is going to lie.' Also, 'ilusionado' looks like 'illusioned,' but it really means 'excited' or 'hopeful' about something.
Key vocabulary
circuitom.
track; circuit; loop
“El circuito de Ifema abre sus puertas.”— The Ifema circuit opens its doors.
Pattern circuito de carreras race track
Compare pista f. track
Plural circuitos
💡 From Latin circuitus, meaning 'a going around', cognate with English circuit
pruebaf.
test; trial; proof
“Solo se han hecho dos días de pruebas.”— Only two days of testing have been done.
Pattern prueba de fuego ordeal
Compare test m. test
Plural pruebas
💡 Noun form of probar, which means 'to try, to test'
comisariom.
official; commissioner; steward
“José María lleva 44 años como comisario de pista.”— José María has been a track steward for 44 years.
Pattern comisario de pista track steward
Compare responsable m./f. person in charge
Plural comisarios; feminine comisaria
💡 From Latin commissarius, meaning 'one entrusted'
esfuerzom.
effort; exertion
“Se ha hecho un esfuerzo enorme.”— A huge effort has been made.
Pattern hacer un esfuerzo make an effort
Compare trabajo m. work, effort
Plural esfuerzos
💡 From the verb esforzar, meaning 'to exert oneself, to make an effort'
movilidadf.
mobility; transport; movement
“La confusión sobre la movilidad es total.”— The confusion about transport is total.
Pattern movilidad interna internal transport
Compare transporte m. transport
Plural movilidades
💡 From the adjective móvil ('mobile'), with the suffix -idad forming an abstract noun
lanzaderaf.
shuttle; shuttle bus
“Hay que tomar una lanzadera para ir del sur al norte.”— You have to take a shuttle to go from the south to the north.
Pattern tomar una lanzadera take a shuttle bus
Compare autobús m. bus
Plural lanzaderas
💡 Originally meant 'weaving shuttle', named for going back and forth
indicaciónf.
sign; indication; instruction
“Las indicaciones visuales no son claras.”— The visual signs are not clear.
Pattern indicaciones visuales visual signs
Compare señal f. sign
Plural indicaciones
💡 From the verb indicar ('to indicate'), with the suffix -ción forming a noun
liarv.
to mess up; to complicate
“Se va a liar con tanta gente.”— It is going to get messy with so many people.
Pattern se va a liar it's going to get messy
Compare confundir v. to confuse
Conjugation: lío, lías, lía...; past participle liado
💡 liar originally meant 'to roll, to wind', extended to mean 'to mess up, to complicate'
ilusionadoadj.
excited; hopeful; enthusiastic
“Muchos empleados están muy ilusionados.”— Many employees are very excited.
Pattern estar ilusionado con to be excited about
Compare emocionado adj. excited
Feminine ilusionada; plural ilusionados/as
💡 From ilusión ('hope, dream'), with -ado forming an adjective
celebrarv.
to hold; to celebrate
“El Gran Premio se celebra del 11 al 13 de septiembre.”— The Grand Prix is held from September 11 to 13.
💡 From Latin celebrare, cognate with English celebrate
resolverv.
to solve; to resolve; to deal with
“Los problemas son difíciles de resolver.”— The problems are difficult to solve.
Pattern resolver un problema solve a problem
Compare solucionar v. to solve
Conjugation: resuelvo, resuelves, resuelve...; past participle resuelto
💡 Note the o→ue vowel change; irregular past participle resuelto
Grammar spotlight
Present perfect: haber + past participle
A2
Formed with the present tense of haber plus a past participle, it expresses past actions connected to the present. It often appears with time markers like ya, todavía, and este/año. It focuses on the present result or relevance of the action.
“La Fórmula 1 ha llegado a Madrid.”— Formula 1 has arrived in Madrid.
⚠️ Don't confuse it with the simple past: the present perfect emphasizes the present effect, while the simple past emphasizes that the action itself is finished.
Passive reflexive: se + third-person verb
B1
Formed with se plus a third-person verb, it means 'be done' or 'people do'. The verb agrees in number with the subject. It is common in news and formal writing.
“Solo se han hecho dos días de pruebas.”— Only two days of testing have been done.
⚠️ Make sure the verb agrees with the subject: se esperan 350.000 personas (plural), not se espera.
Sentence patterns to steal
No es normal tener tan poco tiempo para probar todo.
It's not normal to have so little time to test everything.
No es normal + infinitiveYou can replace the infinitive: No es normal llegar tan tarde.
Los circuitos siempre van a más.
Circuits are always improving.
ir a másCan be used for anything: La tecnología siempre va a más.
Pese a todo, muchos empleados están muy ilusionados.
Despite everything, many employees are very excited.
Pese a + noun/infinitive, subject + verbPese a todo can be replaced with Pese a los problemas, etc.
Habrá que ver si todo funciona bien.
We'll have to see if everything works properly.
Habrá que ver si + clauseThe si clause can be replaced: Habrá que ver si llegan a tiempo.
Madrid and its F1 connection
Madrid hosted a Formula 1 race in 1981 at the El Jarama circuit, after which F1 left the city. The Spanish Grand Prix was later held in Jerez and Valencia. In 2026, Madrid will welcome F1 back at a new circuit called Madring, near the Ifema exhibition centre. This will be Madrid's first F1 Grand Prix in 45 years.