Barcelona secures Formula 1 until 2032 with a new format

The change is significant: Barcelona will not have a race every season, but in alternate years, rotating with the Belgian circuit of Spa-Francorchamps. Even so, the renewal guarantees Montmeló’s presence until 2032 and prevents Catalonia from suddenly losing one of its major international sporting events.

The event is also adopting a new identity. From 2026, it leaves behind the traditional name Gran Premio de España and becomes Gran Premio de Barcelona-Catalunya, while Madrid takes on the Spanish designation with its new urban circuit.

President Salvador Illa defended the continuity of F1 in Catalonia this Sunday and highlighted the Circuit’s organisational capacity. The complete sale of tickets and the public response reinforce, according to the Generalitat, the argument that Barcelona remains a strong venue for motor racing.

The day also had an institutional reading. Illa met with Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1’s chief executive officer, before the race, in a gesture that underlines the Govern’s interest in keeping its relationship with the competition open beyond the new contract.

The impact goes far beyond the grandstands. Every Grand Prix moves hotels, restaurants, transport, commerce and services in Barcelona, Montmeló and much of the metropolitan area. For many businesses, the Formula 1 weekend remains one of the marked dates of the year.

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, opened in 1991, also retains symbolic weight within the calendar. Its technical layout, history and local fans have made Montmeló a reference point for drivers, teams and followers, although it will now have to coexist with Madrid’s new prominence.

The agreement is not an absolute victory, but it is a way of remaining on the map of major sporting events. The city and its surroundings retain an event with enormous international visibility, with the challenge of showing that each edition can continue to fill grandstands, hotels and conversations.