Alonso backs IndyCar’s Barcelona race but urges US focus

Two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso welcomed IndyCar’s planned 2027 race in Barcelona, but urged the series to keep its US market at the heart of any international expansion. He called Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya crucial to Spanish motorsport.

IndyCar announced Friday that the inaugural Grand Prix of Barcelona will be held at the circuit on July 16–18, 2027. It will be the series’ first European race since 2007 and first event outside North America since 2013. The multiyear deal was described during the press conference as a 10-year agreement; it will also give Barcelona-born five-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou a home race.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s F1 round at Circuit of The Americas, Alonso pointed to what a permanent track offers beyond race weekends: year-round testing, including for younger categories such as FRECA, Formula 3 and Moto3. Barcelona had hosted a World Endurance Championship race the previous week and also stages MotoGP, he noted.

Asked whether the move was a smart step towards global growth, Alonso said IndyCar should stay focused on the US, with one or two races elsewhere. He cited the costs of worldwide travel for Formula 1 teams and drivers, while acknowledging that international expansion brings benefits as well as downsides.