Domenicali clarifies F1 Barcelona future amid uncertainty

Formula 1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali, has clarified whether Barcelona will remain on the calendar amid uncertainty over its future. The championship has announced a new race in Spain, which will take place on the streets of Madrid from 2026 under the 'Gran Premio De Espania' banner. This has raised questions over whether F1 will continue to race at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona, having raced there since the 1991 season. Domenicali says it isn't necessarily the end of their partnership with Barcelona, given F1's popularity in the country due to the form of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. “For the avoidance of doubt and to clarify here, the fact we are in Madrid is not excluding the fact we could stay in Barcelona for the future,” said Domenicali to F1.com .

F1 open to discussions

Spain has hosted two races in the past when the European Grand Prix was ran at Jerez in 1994 and 1997, and latterly Valencia between 2008 and 2012. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya recently changed its configuration back to its older layout to improve racing. Domenicali says there will still be discussions held over it potentially staying, as spaces come at a premium on the increasingly expanding calendar. “Looking ahead, there are discussions in place to see if we can really extend our collaboration with Barcelona, with whom we have a very good relationship, for the future," said Domenicali. F1's popularity has risen in Spain in the last year, having had a total TV audience of 77m across the season which equates to 3.5m per-race on average - a 84% increase year-on-year.