Here's the thing: IndyCar is finally crossing the Atlantic again. Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has reached an agreement to host a round of the championship starting in the summer of 2027, as Motorsport.com reports. It is a massive move that brings North America's premier single-seater series right to the home of five-time champion Alex Palou.
The deal was first reported by El Periódico and subsequently confirmed to Motorsport.com by sources familiar with the arrangement, though IndyCar itself declined to comment. Senior sources confirm an agreement is in place and a contract is expected to be signed shortly for a July date. Negotiations kicked off in June and were led by the Generalitat de Catalunya alongside Fira Circuit, the organization that will sign the final paperwork.
Timing is everything in motorsport politics. The Catalan government pushed hard for the event to help offset the absence of Formula 1 in 2027 due to a rotation system that brings F1 back to the venue in 2028, 2030, and 2032. Alex Palou played a key role in attracting the series to his home country, where the race will award full points toward the drivers' and manufacturers' titles under a multi-year deal.
This will be IndyCar's first race outside North America since São Paulo in 2013, and its first-ever appearance in Spain. It also marks the series' return to Europe for the first time since 2007, when top-level American open-wheel racing last visited Assen in the Netherlands under the Champ Car banner. Fira Circuit director Ignasi Armengol admitted last weekend that landing the deal was "very difficult, honestly, very difficult" while calling the pursuit "a dream."
Fresh off a WEC weekend that drew more than 55,500 spectators to the 6 Hours of Barcelona, the venue is eyeing another massive turnout. The race is set to be the championship's only European stop, appealing to local supporters, traveling American fans, and the broader European racing crowd as IndyCar expands its international footprint.
