IndyCar to race in Europe from 2027 at Barcelona, Alonso says Spanish motorsport needs the circuit

IndyCar will race in Europe for the first time in its current form from 2027, under a deal agreed after the success of five-time series champion Alex Palou. The announcement comes as the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya enters a bi-annual rotation on the Formula 1 calendar, with the venue absent from the 2027 schedule for the first time since its debut in 1991.

Fernando Alonso said he believed the deal was historic for Spain, pointing to the benefit of a permanent circuit that can host races as well as testing throughout the year. He cited the circuit's recent hosting of WEC, IndyCar and MotoGP, and said Barcelona was crucial for younger categories, from karting to F4, FRECA, Formula 3 and Moto3. Alonso said: "We cannot survive without Barcelona for the younger categories."

Alonso did not expect IndyCar to expand widely beyond the United States, suggesting it would stay largely there with perhaps one or two one-off races elsewhere because of the high cost of international travel for teams and drivers.