Grand Prix

F1 Agrees New Deal With Legendary Circuit — but There’s a Twist

A new race name arrives at the venue ahead of the 2026 event.
Ewan Gale|
Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, 2026
Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, 2026 | Mercedes-Benz Media

Formula 1 has announced a multi-year extension to its contract with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The circuit, which held the first week of pre-season testing as the sport enters a new technical era this year, had faced an uncertain future with the arrival of Madrid's Madring joining the 24-race calendar for 2026 and taking with it the Spanish Grand Prix title.

But the Montmelo-based Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will be used as a rotational race in 2028, 2030, and 2032, as well as the event scheduled to be its last this season, with the race named the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

Security for Barcelona-Catalunya

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, 2026
Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

The new deal comes after significant investment at the circuit to keep up with the ever-expanding world of F1 and the new breed of host venues, including a new hospitality area that overlooks Turns 9, 10 and 11.

Its first race in F1 was the 1991 Spanish Grand Prix and it has been an ever-present since then, but it will now rotate with Belgium's Spa-Franchorchamps circuit, which had already had a deal for 2027, 2029 and 2031 announced.

"We welcome the renewal of the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Catalonia, at least until 2032," said CEO of Circuits de Catalunya SL Pol Gilbert. "We would like to express our gratitude to Formula 1 for the trust placed in the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and in the region over all these years.

"This renewal is the result of a strong relationship and close collaboration and represents a very important step in further consolidating Catalonia as a key fixture on the international calendar.

"Formula 1 generates an economic impact of more than €300 million per edition, but above all it is a strategic event that helps project Catalonia worldwide as a country capable of hosting top-level sporting competitions."

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali added, “Barcelona is an incredible city, and the Formula 1 fans there always welcome us with such passion, so I am delighted that we will continue to race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for years to come.

"The team have invested heavily in the circuit and hosted fantastic fan festivals in recent years, so we look forward to seeing how they continue to develop the experience, both for attendees at the race and for the city as a whole.

"I would like to thank Salvador Illa, President of the Government of Catalunya, Pol Gibert, CEO of Circuits de Catalunya SL and General Secretary of the Department of Business and Employment for their unwavering commitment to hosting Formula 1, and Oriol Sagrera, the former CEO of Circuits de Catalunya SL and former General Secretary of the Department of Business and Employment, who was key to securing the renewal.

"I can’t wait to see our brilliant fans in Barcelona in June."

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Ewan Gale
EWAN GALE

Ewan is a motorsport journalist covering F1 for Grand Prix On SI. Having been educated at Silverstone, the home of the British Grand Prix, and subsequently graduating from university with a sports journalism degree, Ewan made a move into F1 in 2021. Ewan joins after a stint with Autosport as an editor, having written for a number of outlets including RacingNews365 and GPFans, during which time he has covered grand prix and car launches as an accredited member of the media.

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