IndyCar Is Leaving North America for the First Time in 14 Years to Race at a Track F1 Left

The rumors were strong, but the American open-wheel racing series has confirmed it: IndyCar is heading to Spain next summer for the Grand Prix of Barcelona on July 18.

IndyCar leadership has worked hard over the last few years to overhaul the championship, make it more appealing and competitive, and ensure its ultra-competitive on-track action reaches more viewers in the U.S. and abroad. From the crucial TV deal with Fox and the brand-new race car, the IR28, it’s certainly taking many steps in the right direction. Adding an international race that’ll capture new eyeballs in historically racing-friendly markets is another enormous win.

The race will take place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which Formula 1 recently dropped in favor of the new Madrid “hybrid” circuit, and the contract is reportedly a multi-year deal, though no specifics were shared. IndyCar is expected to release the rest of its 2027 schedule soon, though Motorsport.com reports the series will drop the Nashville oval race and the D.C. kerfuffle, which was always intended as a one-year deal, though some hoped it would return. That seems unlikely now.

The motivation to make this race happen was undoubtedly fueled by the sport’s biggest star, Spaniard Alex Palou, who is from Sant Antoni de Vilamajor, a municipality near the coastal Spanish destination. However, as we know from other efforts to take races abroad, primarily to Mexico because of Pato O’Ward’s massive popularity, organizing a major race overseas takes a village.

“I’m so excited to be part of INDYCAR’s first race in Barcelona,” Palou said. “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.”

It’s unclear how IndyCar will sanction this race, whether all teams will be mandated to attend, whether it will be a points-paying championship race, or whether it will be some sort of exhibition, though more details will surely surface in the near future.

The last time IndyCar raced outside North America was at the São Paulo Indy 300 in Brazil in 2013; in Europe, it was the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands in 2007.

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