IndyCar has confirmed that the series will have a round in Europe in 2027 as the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona joins the calendar. A multi-year deal has been announced. Nashville is set to be dropped from the schedule.
This marks the first time since Brazil in 2013 that a race will take place outside of the United States or Canada. Home hero, five-time and defending IndyCar champion Alex Palou was born and raised near Barcelona. The race will be held on July the 18th.
While the Circuit de Catalunya is hosting IndyCar for the first time in 2027, it is not short of hosting Motorsport pretty much all year round. They regularly host motorcycle, single-seater and endurance races. MotoGP comes to town every year. WEC also recently ran there because of events in the Middle East.
It has been a mainstay on the F1 calendar since 1991. However, that ends from next year as it becomes a rotational event with Spa.
Fernando Alonso on IndyCar racing at the Circuit de Catalunya from 2027
Speaking in his print media session in Austin on Thursday, Fernando Alonso, who ran so competitively before an engine failure at the 2017 Indy 500, gave his thoughts on it.
“I think it’s going to be good.
“Obviously a historic event for our country and Barcelona, that’s the benefit of having a permanent circuit, that you have that opportunity to test any day in the year, but also to host races here and there. They did the WEC race last week, now Indy, they do MotoGP.
“So that’s why when we compare street circuits to the normal conventional circuits, that’s the biggest advantage. And that’s why Barcelona is crucial for motorsport in Spain, we cannot survive without Barcelona, for the younger categories, for the people that go from go karts that go testing F4 for the first time, FRECA, Formula 3, Moto3.
“You have to have a circuit that you can go there, and with this IndyCar [news] is another example of how good and how lucky we are.”
Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said:
“This is a monumental day for our sport.
“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 Alex Palou’s hometown. We have seen Alex’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 the NTT INDYCAR SERIES 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.”
Alex Palou
“I’m so excited to be part of INDYCAR’s first race in Barcelona. 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.”
