Organisers of the Spanish Grand Prix say they want a place on the Formula 1 calendar long-term, and hope to reach a new agreement with Liberty Media.
Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix has been held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya since 1991.
Its prior three-year deal expired after 2019’s event, and it was widely expected to drop from the schedule, but it agreed a one-year extension for 2020.
The circuit is also the host venue for Formula 1’s pre-season tests.
“We have hosted, for almost 30 years, Formula 1 and MotoGP grands prix,” General Manager of the venue Joan Fontsere told MotorsportWeek.com.
“We are in the Barcelona neighbourhood, so it’s very well connected logistically, and we have good weather conditions to run the event.
“We have experience in setting up events like the winter tests, we can set up a grand prix without spectators [with] two weeks [notice], so our let’s say frenetic activity during all the year gives us a background, a helpful background, in that capacity to produce the event.
“I think it’s something that we will put on the table as a real value of the circuit to get a longer-term agreement.”
Previous Spanish Grand Prix venue Jerez, which Formula 1 last visited to race in 1997 and test in 2015, suggested last year it wanted to bring the championship back to the venue.
Formula 1 is also in discussions over prospective new grands prix in Miami and Saudi Arabia.
“[It has to be] something good for Formula 1 when all the permanent circuits are fighting for hosting Formula 1,” he said.
“We are working on our capabilities, our skills, and we are offering them all what we said before.
“If there are other tracks, circuits, organisation that can host it? Yeah, sure there are, a lot of them, but obviously we have some other skills and capabilities that the other ones don’t, and we will push on those capabilities that we can offer to the sport and the business.”
Fontsere remains optimistic that the 2020 event, which should have taken place last weekend, can be re-arranged for the summer months.
Discussion about this post