IndyCar to Race in Barcelona Following F1 Calendar Shift
IndyCar plans to debut in Barcelona next year, marking its first race outside North America since 2013. This move comes as Barcelona shares F1 hosting duties with Spa-Francorchamps, opening the door for IndyCar's entry.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is set to welcome IndyCar for its first race outside North America in over a decade, leveraging the popularity of five-time champion Alex Palou. The last time IndyCar ventured beyond North America was at the Sao Paulo Indy 300 in Brazil back in 2013.
IndyCar Steps In as F1 Moves Out
With Madrid now the designated home of the Spanish Grand Prix on the F1 calendar, Barcelona has entered a rotational hosting agreement with the championship. This arrangement will see the track host F1 races in 2028, 2030, and 2032, alternating with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
According to El Periodico, IndyCar is expected to make its Spanish debut in July of next year. This gives reigning champion Palou the opportunity to race in front of his home fans, a rare spectacle considering his career has largely unfolded in the United States. His last race on home soil was during his brief stint in F2 in 2017, which included a round in Jerez.
Over his six-year IndyCar career, Palou has clinched five championships, marking him as the first Spaniard to win an open-wheel title in the U.S., as well as the Indianapolis 500. Historically, the U.S.-based championship, under its various incarnations, has held races in locations such as Australia, Japan, and the Netherlands, with Brazil being the most recent outside North America. It even had a short-lived stint in the UK at Rockingham Motor Speedway in the early 2000s.
A formal announcement regarding the multi-year event at Barcelona is expected soon, following a visit by a Penske delegate during last week’s World Endurance Championship round.