IndyCar confirm race in Barcelona on multi-year agreement
For the first time since 2013, IndyCar will venture outside of North America after the series announced a multi-year deal with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, starting from 2027.
It marks a first European venture for the series since Champ Car visited Assen in 2007, and the first race outside the United States and Canada since São Paulo in 2013. It will be the first time that any US open-wheel racing has taken place in Spain. The event will also mark a home race for five-time series champion Álex Palou, who was born on the outskirts of the city.
“I’m so excited to be part of INDYCAR’s first race in Barcelona,” Palou said. “It is an amazing opportunity, and it means so much to me to have a race at home in Barcelona, it’s hard to put into words. I know the fans are going to love it, and I think we are going to put on a great show. We’re going to try hard with the team at Chip Ganassi Racing to bring home the trophy in July.”
IndyCar's venture to Spain will begin in a season where the circuit will not host Formula One for the first time since 1990, after the circuit entered a rotation agreement with the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, with Barcelona set to be on the F1 calendar in 2028, 2030 and 2032.
The circuit has hosted other significant motorsport events too, recently holding an FIA World Endurance Championship race for the first time, while being an ever-present on the MotoGP calendar.
"This is a monumental day for our sport,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “We are pleased to be able to take our ultra-competitive brand of wheel-to-wheel racing to Europe and thrilled that we can showcase IndyCar in Álex Palou’s hometown. We have seen Álex's remarkable skill and talent for several years and know his fans in Spain have been clamoring to watch him race in person.
“We cannot wait to see IndyCar compete at one of the world’s most recognizable motorsports venues set against the backdrop of a very historic and breathtaking international destination like Barcelona.”
The race will take place on July 18th next season, as it slots into a period which is typically busy in the IndyCar schedule. The series are still yet to confirm the second phase of the 2027 calendar, partially due to the fact that events like Barcelona were still under negotiation.
"The arrival of IndyCar is a major milestone and an exciting challenge for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya,” Chairman of the Board of Fira de Barcelona and Fira Circuit Pau Relat said. “Bringing one of the most prestigious and spectacular championships in global motorsport to our venue strengthens our international positioning, connects us with new audiences and markets, and reinforces our strategy of diversifying the circuit’s activity through world-class events. We are working with a long-term vision to make IndyCar Grand Prix of Barcelona a benchmark event on the international racing calendar for years to come."
Barcelona's addition to the calendar continues IndyCar's recent expansion plans, which has been centered around creating new marquee events, most notably on the Streets of Arlington and the Streets of Washington, D.C., with Barcelona becoming the first of such to take place outside of North America.
Comments