IndyCar is standing right on the precipice of a genuine international expansion. As Motorsport.com reports, years of relentless inbound interest from promoters across the globe are finally culminating in a breakthrough that could reshape the calendar.
Speaking at the Autosport Business Exchange in New York, Penske Corporation executive Jonathan Gibson laid bare the sheer volume of approaches the series has received over the last half-decade. Gibson, who serves as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Penske Corporation, pointed to a grid featuring drivers representing 13 countries and powerful worldwide television packages as the foundation for this global pull.
This marks the first sustained push to take the championship outside North America since its 2013 visit to São Paulo, Brazil, and its last European fixture in 2007. According to Gibson, tracks and markets have been reaching out consistently over the past four or five years, resulting in serious recent dialogue across multiple continents.
That stack of inquiries reveals a fascinating map of global ambition. In Argentina, interest sparked high-profile promotional demonstrations in November 2022 and August 2023 at the Autódromo de Buenos Aires and Termas de Río Hondo led by Juncos Hollinger Racing and Argentine driver Agustín Canapino, though talks hit a pause following a late-2023 presidential election and government change. Mexico City's Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was in serious contention for a 2026 round before scheduling conflicts with the FIFA World Cup intervened, leaving immense demand still driven by Monterrey native Pato O’Ward. Meanwhile, Brazil stayed in the mix, Colombia emerged with interest—highlighted by Barranquilla Mayor Alejandro Char prematurely claiming an April 2028 date before IndyCar officials cooled those assertions—and Japan remained a conversational hub thanks to heavy corporate footprints from Bridgestone, Honda, and series title sponsor NTT Data, alongside Honda's ownership of Motegi and Suzuka.
Now, those years of background talks are turning into reality. Motorsport.com confirmed that Spain's Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has reached an agreement to host an IndyCar round starting in the summer of 2027, bringing the series directly to five-time champion Alex Palou’s home country with an official announcement expected this Friday.
When pressed on when the broader world can expect formal confirmation, Gibson kept his cards close to his chest but made the timeline crystal clear.
"I think we're pretty close," Gibson said. "You have to stay tuned."
