Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has not discounted the possibility of Barcelona remaining on the calendar, despite the Spanish Grand Prix moving to Madrid from 2026.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has hosted the Spanish round of the F1 World Championship every year since 1991 and currently retains a contract up until 2026.
Those rumours were confirmed on Tuesday, with plans ratified for a circuit that will run around the streets of the IFEMA convention centre within the northeast region of the city.
But the press release failed to include any mention of Barcelona, and Domenicali has revealed the venue could continue to host a grand prix alongside Madrid on the F1 roster.
Spain has previously boasted two events on the schedule, most recently when the series visited Valencia under the title of the European Grand Prix between 2008-2012.
“For the avoidance of doubt and to clarify here, the fact we are in Madrid is not excluding the fact we could stay in Barcelona for the future,” Domenicali told F1’s website.
“Looking ahead, there are discussions in place to see if we can really extend our collaboration with Barcelona, with whom we have a very good relationship, for the future.”
Domenicali relayed how the popularity of F1 in Spain continues to soar, which has been boosted by the presence of two-time champion Fernando Alonso, currently with Aston Martin, and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
“Spain was a market that just a couple of years ago, was not in the centre of our eyes,” he said. “Now it is very important.
“We signed a new deal with Spanish broadcaster DAZN until at least the end of 2026.
“It’s a nice problem to have, to have multiple cities – some in the same country – wanting to host a grand prix.
“It shows the value of our proposition. But we need to keep focused on the reason for our success, and make sure we aren’t complacent.”
Domenicali also believes that the Spanish capital’s desire to return to F1 for the first time since 1981 demonstrates the interest European cities have in entering the sport.
“It’s great news for F1 as it shows once again that there is strong appetite around the world for our sport,” he added.
“It shows that at a moment where Europe is perceived to be a place that is not ready to invest in our sport, Madrid and others are showing it is.
“They have presented a fascinating project, one that will be built in the next couple of years and a project that is considering the fans and their whole experience, from their travel to the whole event experience.
“The proposition we received from the promoter was great. Since the first day, it has been an open discussion of what this event can be.”
The Italian explained how the nature of Madrid’s deal is reflective of F1’s aim to negotiate agreements with promoters that ensure circuits become long-term fixtures.
“I’m very pleased that it’s a deal that takes us to 2035 – it’s a long time,” he said. “This is the objective as F1, with either new or more established promoters.
“It allows everyone involved to plan the future and invest in the future as it is a guarantee for the promoter, for our partners, for our teams and for our sport. It gives everyone long-term visibility.
“If you look at the past, the renewals were two years, three years or five years maximum. Now all our new deals are going in the direction of being very long. And if they are short, there is a reason.”
Expanding upon the venue’s capacity to accommodate F1’s sustainability pledge, Domenicali said: “F1 is fully committed to reaching Net Zero Carbon by 2030.
“And IFEMA MADRID shares our vision and ambition to make the Spanish GP in Madrid one of the most accessible and sustainable F1 events on the calendar.
“The new venue will have great connections with the city, by train, metro and bus. It’s located just 16kms from the city centre and it is the promoter’s objective to bring the vast majority of fans from the city to the track via public transport.”
Scrap Marid now. Firstly, we have enough street circuits already, a third of the races on street circuits is the absolute maximum there should ever be. Also, this is supposed to be a World Championship, there should never be more than one race in any country. We already need to dump two races in the USA and one in Italy, there’s no reason to make it worse by having two in Spain as well. Golden rule, one country, one race.
Fully agree…. I’d much rather see Portimão back on the calendar, an exciting proper track, than to have yet another improvised street circuit full of 90 degree corners. And what about South Africa?
Two good options, and Sepang is another. These would make the series stronger.