IndyCar has officially announced that it will race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya road course in Barcelona, Spain, in 2027. The series will return to Europe for the first time since 2007 for the Grand Prix of Barcelona on July 18, 2027.
Reports of the race's finalization surfaced earlier this week, with an agenda posted by the Catalan government confirming an announcement Friday. As part of the announcement, Mark Miles – the president and CEO of IndyCar's parent company, Penske Entertainment – is at the track alongside Barcelona native and five-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou. Miles and Palou are joined by multiple government and track officials.
IndyCar has agreed to a multiyear deal to race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The track hosts races in Formula One, the FIA World Endurance Championship, European Le Mans Series and more. Beginning this year, Formula One is only racing there in even-numbered years, meaning the premier international open-wheel series won't be in Barcelona in 2027. That helped IndyCar swoop in.
"This is a monumental day for our sport," Miles said in a news release. "We are pleased to be able to take our ultra-competitive brand of wheel-to-wheel racing to Europe and thrilled that we can showcase IndyCar in Alex Palou’s hometown. We have seen Alex’s remarkable skill and talent for several years and know his fans in Spain have been clamoring to watch him race in person.
"We cannot wait to see the NTT IndyCar Series compete at one of the world’s most recognizable motorsports venues set against the backdrop of a very historic and breathtaking international destination like Barcelona."
Palou, who turns 30 next April, will get the chance to race at a track less than 15 miles from where he grew up in Sant Antoni de Vilamajor, Spain. Palou – who drives the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda – will be going for a fifth straight championship in 2027, which has never been done in IndyCar.
"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."
IndyCar hasn't raced outside of North America since 2013, when it went to São Paulo, Brazil, in a race won by James Hinchcliffe. The last time IndyCar raced in Europe was 2007, when Champ Car went to Assen, Netherlands, in a race won by Justin Wilson.
Just two years ago, Miles took a stance against running an international race in the middle of the season. Now, the Grand Prix of Barcelona will be a points-paying event that occurs right before the final stretch of the 2027 season.
"Are we going to Scandinavia in June, or April? We could, right? We could fly to Australia in the middle of the championship," Miles said in 2024. "We’re not going to do it. We’re not going to do it. What we are going to try and do is have some international events that we can tie together in the offseason. ... I very much want (to have international races), but I don’t want to do that by creating Swiss cheese in our North American championship calendar."
After years of speculation about whether IndyCar would hold races in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and other international locations, Spain becomes the first new country to get an IndyCar race.
"The arrival of IndyCar is a major milestone and an exciting challenge for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya," said Pau Relat, the chairman of the board of Fira de Barcelona and Fira Circuit. "Bringing one of the most prestigious and spectacular championships in global motorsport to our venue strengthens our international positioning, connects us with new audiences and markets, and reinforces our strategy of diversifying the circuit’s activity through world-class events. We are working with a long-term vision to make (the) IndyCar Grand Prix of Barcelona a benchmark event on the international racing calendar for years to come."
Zion Brown is IndyStar's motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar's motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to the YouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Mark Miles once said no to midseason international races. Now IndyCar is going to Barcelona