Formula 1 to alternate Spa & Barcelona races from 2027

Formula 1 has revealed a tweak to future calendars, with races at Barcelona and Spa-Francorchamps to alternate from 2027 until 2032.

Details of the changes were announced as F1 revealed its multi-year extension with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, alongside the race’s new name — the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. The race in Barcelona has been a permanent fixture on the F1 calendar since 1991, after the circuit was built as part of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games development programme.

The track has seen significant investment in recent years, including the construction of the Circuit Rooftop hospitality space and the installation of solar panels throughout the circuit. The announcement has revealed that it will now host races 2026, 2028, 2030, and 2032.

This won’t be the only race in Spain over the next few years, however, as it was revealed in 2024 that the Madrid Grand Prix would be joining the F1 calendar. Starting this year, the race will remain on the calendar until 2035, meaning 2026, 2028, 2030, and 2032 will each see two races in Spain.

In 2027, 2029 and 2031, the race in Barcelona will make way for a Grand Prix at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.

The Spa-Francorchamps track was one of only seven circuits to be part of Formula 1’s maiden championship in 1950. The Belgian Grand Prix that year was won by Juan Manuel Fangio of Alfa Romeo, and since that year, a further 57 races have been held at Spa. Like Barcelona, the circuit has undergone its own improvements in recent years, including the addition of two new grandstands, which increased the capacity by 10,000.

words: Mike Booth
pictures: Red Bull Content Pool