The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is set to host IndyCar’s first race outside of North America in over a decade, banking on the continued success of five-time champion Alex Palou.

IndyCar last raced outside of North America in 2013, with the Sao Paulo Indy 300 in Brazil.

IndyCar fills F1 void in Barcelona

With the addition of Madrid to the F1 calendar as the new home of the Spanish Grand Prix, Barcelona entered into a rotational arrangement with the championship.

This will see the track host races in 2028, 2030, and 2032, with the event alternating with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

First reported by El Periodico, IndyCar is expected to make its Spanish debut in July next year, meaning that record-breaking reigning champion Palou will have the chance to race in front of a home crowd. 

Having spent the majority of his career in the United States, this would be a first for the Spaniard since he made a handful of appearances in F2 in 2017, which included a round in Jerez. In both races that weekend, he finished in eighth place, as Charles Leclerc and Artem Markelov shared the victories.

During his six years of IndyCar competition, Palou has taken five titles, becoming the first Spaniard to win an open-wheel crown in the United States, as well as the first Spaniard to win the Indianapolis 500.

In previous years as both CART and the Champ Car World Series, the US-based championship has contested numerous rounds outside of North America, with Brazil the most recent example in 2013.

However, Australia [Surfers Paradise], Japan [Twin Ring Motegi], and both Assen and Zolder in the Netherlands have seen racing action across the years. CART Champ Car also raced in the United Kingdom in 2001 and 2002 at Rockingham Motor Speedway, although this dropped off the schedule due to marketing difficulties and unpredictable weather.

A formal announcement of the multi-year Barcelona event is expected in the coming days, after Penske sent a delegate to the track last week during the World Endurance Championship round.

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