IndyCar unveiled the second phase of its 2027 schedule on Friday, headlined by a new race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain. The inaugural IndyCar Grand Prix of Barcelona marks the series’ first race outside North America since it competed in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2013, and its first European event since a 2007 stop at TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands.
The agreement to race in Barcelona is a multiyear deal, according to FOX Sports, though Motorsport.com reported the pact runs for 10 years. FOX Sports listed the race date as Sunday, July 18, 2027, while Motorsport.com reported a race weekend spanning July 16-18, 2027.
The Main Development: Barcelona Joins The Calendar
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, located in Montmeló just outside the city, opened in 1991 and has hosted Formula One, MotoGP and other major championships. It now adds IndyCar to that list as part of the series’ international expansion for 2027.
The Milwaukee Mile also returns to the schedule in 2027, this time as a doubleheader weekend on Aug. 28-29. It will be the third time the Wisconsin oval has hosted a doubleheader since IndyCar’s return to the track, according to Yahoo Sports. Attendance for the 2026 Milwaukee doubleheader weekend hit 36,100, up from 26,400 for the single race held the year before.
What It Means For The Oval Schedule
Nashville Superspeedway is departing the schedule in 2027, leaving IndyCar with four short oval races in addition to the Indianapolis 500. The Washington, D.C. street race, which was planned as a one-off event, will not continue into 2027 either. Road America in Elkhart Lake, a fixture on the IndyCar calendar since 2016, is set for June 24-27.
Palou’s Homecoming Race
The Barcelona announcement carries personal significance for Alex Palou, a Barcelona native who has won five NTT INDYCAR SERIES championships in the past six years driving for Chip Ganassi Racing.
“I’m so excited to be part of INDYCAR’s first race in Barcelona,” Palou said. “It is an amazing opportunity, and it means so much to me to have a race at home in Barcelona, it’s hard to put into words. I know the fans are going to love it, and I think we are going to put on a great show. We’re going to try hard with the team at Chip Ganassi Racing to bring home the trophy in July.”
Circuit officials also framed the race as part of a long-term strategy. “The arrival of INDYCAR is a major milestone and an exciting challenge for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya,” a circuit representative said. “Bringing one of the most prestigious and spectacular championships in global motorsport to our venue strengthens our international positioning, connects us with new audiences and markets, and reinforces our strategy of diversifying the circuit’s activity through world-class events. We are working with a long-term vision to make INDYCAR Grand Prix of Barcelona a benchmark event on the international racing calendar for years to come.”
Alonso’s Reaction To The Expansion
Two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso, who is from Spain, welcomed the Barcelona addition but cautioned IndyCar against expanding too far beyond its home market. “I think it’s going to be good,” Alonso said, according to Motorsport.com. “Obviously a historic event for our country and Barcelona.
That’s the benefit of having a permanent circuit. That you have that opportunity to test any day in the year. But also to host races here and there.”
Alonso called the venue essential to Spanish motorsport development. “That’s why Barcelona is crucial for the motorsport in Spain,” he said. “We cannot survive without Barcelona.
For the younger categories, for the people that go testing their cars for the first time. Freca, Formula 3, Moto3. You have to have a circuit that you can go there.
With this IndyCar is another example of how lucky we are.”
He was more measured about IndyCar racing regularly outside the United States. “IndyCar is very specific to the US market,” Alonso said. “One of the things that is more penalizing in F1 for the drivers and for the teams.
And the cost they go very high when you travel around the world. So it has some benefits and some downsides. I think they need to keep it somehow in the US.
And have one or two races. But I don’t think they will keep going elsewhere.”
What’s Next
IndyCar has not released the complete 2027 calendar beyond the events confirmed so far, which include St. Petersburg, Long Beach, the Indianapolis road course, Barcelona, Laguna Seca and the Milwaukee doubleheader. Further schedule details, including dates for races announced in the first phase, are expected to follow as the series finalizes its plans for the season.
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