F1 race extension at Spain motorsport track

Article posted by Coliseum, February 27^th, 2026

Image: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

The Formula 1 (F1) has announced a multiyear extension with the motorsport track in Spain – the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – to host a Grand Prix in 2028, 2030 and 2032 in addition to the event scheduled in 2026. From this year the race will also be renamed as the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

‘F1’ stated that the extension follows significant investment at the Circuit in recent years including the construction of the Circuit Rooftop, a new hospitality space overlooking Turns 9, 10 and 11 and the entrance of the main straight as well as the installation of solar panels throughout the Circuit.

London (UK)-based the Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for the open-wheel, single-seater Formula racing cars run by the Formula One Group and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

London (UK)-based the Formula One Group is a group of companies responsible for the promotion of the FIA’s Formula One World Championship and the exercising of the sport’s commercial rights.

Paris (France)-based the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA – the International Automobile Federation) is an international organization with two primary functions surrounding the use of the automobile. Its Mobility Division advocates the interests of the motoring organizations, the automotive industry and the motor car users in the fields of road safety and traffic circulation. The Sport Division is a governing body for the many international motorsport championships and disciplines including Formula One.

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is a 4.657 km (2.894 mi) motorsport race track in Montmeló, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. With long straights and a variety of corners the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is seen as an all-rounder Circuit. The track has stands with a capacity of 140,700. The Circuit has FIA Grade 1 license.

The Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix is a scheduled Formula One motor racing event that will take place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. It is the first out of the two Grands Prix that are scheduled to take place in Spain in 2026 along with the Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring. The Grand Prix will then enter a rotational slot with the Belgian Grand Prix through 2032 where the event will be hosted in even-numbered years.

The Spanish Grand Prix is a motorsports event held as part of the Formula One World Championship. First held in 1913 the race is one of the oldest in the world that is still being contested celebrating its centenary in 2013.

The Madring, officially the Circuito de Madring, is a planned street circuit around the Fair Institution of Madrid (IFEMA) Exhibition Centre in Madrid, Spain. It will host the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix starting in 2026 joining the list of circuits that have hosted the world championship races since 1950 displacing the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya which has hosted the race since 1991. The Madring will have a capacity of 110,000 with the possibility of expansion to 140,000.

The Belgian Grand Prix is a motor racing event that forms part of the Formula One World Championship.

‘F1’ further stated that built in 1991 as part of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games the development program, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, features an exciting mix of high and low speed corners and has played host to many memorable moments including Max Verstappen’s (Dutch and Belgian racing driver) maiden Grand Prix victory in 2016.

In 2025, 300,000 fans attended the race weekend which saw Oscar Piastri (Australian racing driver) claim victory with teammate Lando Norris (British and Belgian racing driver) in second. From the current grid Lewis Hamilton (British racing driver) and Fernando Alonso (Spanish racing driver) have also crossed the line first in Barcelona.

In recent years, the organizers have taken steps to elevate the overall fan experience and ensure that the wider community is at the heart of the Grand Prix. For the last two years there has been a fan festival hosted in the iconic Plaça de Catalunya (historical public square in Barcelona) ahead of the Grand Prix weekend which will return in 2026.

The races in Barcelona will be in rotation with the Grand Prix at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps which will take place in 2026, 2027, 2029, and 2031.

The 70,000-capacity Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, informally referred to as the Spa, is a 7.004 km (4.352 mi) motor racing circuit located in Francorchamps, Stavelot, Wallonia, Belgium, about 8 km (5.0 mi) Southeast of Spa. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix.

Stated Stefano Domenicali, President-cum-head honcho, Formula 1, “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 has 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 the 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, Chief Executive Officer (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 the 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!”

Pointed out Pol Gibert, CEO of Circuits de Catalunya SL and General Secretary of the Department of Business and Employment, “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. The 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 the top-level sporting competitions.”

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