Will Barcelona be the Catalan Grand Prix in 2026?

      The upcoming weekend in Madrid will host Williams demonstrations, where Carlos Sainz will pilot the 2023 car, as well as Spanish drivers of the youth series will demonstrate their skills on an improvised track.

      The MadRing track under construction will be another modern project implemented with the unconditional support of Liberty Media, when promoters are willing to pay a lot of money for the right to host a Formula 1 race. In addition, the IFEMA complex is located in the capital of Spain, where there are no problems with transport accessibility, metro and commuter train stations nearby, and the international airport is relatively nearby.

      The agreements with FOM guarantee the owners of MadRing that the World Cup stage on their track will be held for 10 years, until 2035. At the same time, Barcelona's contract ends only next year, but the organizers of the race in Madrid are already openly calling it the Spanish Grand Prix.

      To quote the text that appeared today on the pages of the Marca newspaper, which, by the way, is published in the Spanish capital: "If the country accepts two stages of Formula 1 in 2026, it will be wonderful. Let's refrain from mutual criticism and start praising each other. Let's hope that the race in Madrid will be a success, and there is also hope that the same thing awaits Barcelona.

      We will know the dates of both races soon. Presumably, the Catalan Grand Prix may become the first race of the calendar to be held in Europe, i.e. it will replace the stage in Imola. And the race in the Spanish capital will be held on September 13, when it won't be so hot anymore ..."

      On June 10, the FIA World Motorsport Council will meet to approve the preliminary calendar of the World Championship for next season, and then we will find out what the stages in 2026 will be called and their dates. But it looks like Spain, not Italy, will host two Grands Prix, and starting in 2027, the practice of race rotation is likely to resume. Presumably, the stages on the Catalan circuit and the Belgian circuit in Spa will alternate – but this is not yet certain.

      The text on the pages of Marca ends with these words: "However, anything is possible if you put enough money on the table. Isn't it easier to negotiate than to fight?"