Iconic F1 track's uncertain future finally resolved with Spa rotational deal
Barcelona will remain on the F1 calendar until 2032 in rotation with the Belgian GP at Spa-Francorchamps.
Formula 1 has resolved Barcelona’s uncertain future by announcing a contract extension on a rotational deal.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has retained its place on the F1 calendar beyond 2026 and will be held in 2028, 2030 and 2032.
Barcelona, which first held the Spanish Grand Prix in 1991, had been expected to drop off the F1 calendar altogether.
But the new deal, which will see Barcelona rotate with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps over the next six years, secures its future.
The contract extension also means that Spain will continue to have two F1 races in 2028, 2030 and 2032, as well as this year.
Madrid is replacing Barcelona as the host of the Spanish Grand Prix this season.
The race will run on a new 5.47km circuit known as the Madring and be hosted on September 13.
The Barcelona race will be run officially as the Catalunya Grand Prix in 2026.
“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,” F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali said.
“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.”
Barcelona has played host to some memorable F1 moments over the years, including Max Verstappen becoming the world championship’s youngest-ever winner in 2016 after Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg wiped each other out on the first lap.
Pol Gibert, CEO of Circuits de Catalunya SL and General Secretary of the Department of Business and Employment, said: “We welcome the renewal of the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Catalonia, at least until 2032. 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.”
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