F1 will not be racing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in 2027, but the track looks set to host another major open-wheel racing series next season, marking a historic moment.

With F1 opting to race annually at the new Madring circuit in the Spanish capital of Madrid, Barcelona has been somewhat cast aside by F1, which will now only race there biennially, in rotation with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa.

That means that 2027 will be the first F1 season since 1990 that does not feature the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as part of its calendar, with the above arrangement set to be in place until at least 2032.

IndyCar set to fill F1 void

For F1 fans in the region, this is no doubt devastating, but it turns out that they could still get their yearly dose of open-wheel racing from another major series.

According to reports from Spain via El Periodico, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has agreed to a major new multi-year deal with IndyCar, which will see the series head to Europe in the coming seasons.

The report claims that the deal and its length are set to be confirmed in the coming days, but that the first edition of the event is slated for July 2027.

It is a historic moment for the NTT IndyCar Series, with that 2027 date set to mark the first time that the sport has raced outside of North America since 2013, and the first time that it has ever raced in Spain.

In 2026, all tracks on the IndyCar schedule were held in North America, with 16 races in the United States and one in Canada.

The Alex Palou pull

One man who has no doubt been an influential factor in the above move is Spanish racing star Alex Palou.

The 29-year-old driver was born in Sant Antoni de Vilamajor - a village in Catalunya just 25km from the circuit - and has dominated IndyCar in recent seasons, racking up five championships over the last six years. Palou is also an Indy 500 champion after winning the 109th edition of the race in 2025.

Palou previously drove F1 machinery at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in 2022 when he tested an MCL35M as part of his official F1 reserve driver role with McLaren that season.

While there was talk about an F1 switch at the time, and later links to Red Bull, Palou has remained in IndyCar to this date, and is undoubtedly the star of the sport at present.