Fernando Alonso has welcomed IndyCar’s decision to bring its championship to Barcelona in 2027, describing the Spanish venue as indispensable to the country’s motorsport future while cautioning the American series against getting carried away with its international ambitions.
The announcement – which follows Formula 1’s decision to rotate its presence in Barcelona in the coming years – marks a significant expansion for IndyCar, which will stage its race at the Circuit de Catalunya on July 16-18, 2027.
The multiyear agreement, described at the announcement as a 10-year deal, will bring the championship back to Europe for the first time since 2007.
For Alonso, however, the significance extends well beyond adding another destination to the calendar.
The two-time Formula 1 world champion believes Barcelona’s permanent circuit status provides something that aspiring drivers and developing teams cannot easily find elsewhere: a place to test, learn and compete throughout the year.
Barcelona’s importance goes far beyond IndyCar
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas, the 45-year-old Aston Martin driver welcomed the prospect of another major championship visiting his home country.
"I think it's going to be good. Obviously a historic event for our country and Barcelona," Alonso said.
The Spaniard pointed to the flexibility that comes with having a permanent racing facility, contrasting it with the limitations of temporary street circuits.
Barcelona has already demonstrated its versatility by hosting a round of the World Endurance Championship, with MotoGP also among the major series that compete at the venue.
"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,” he added.
“They did the WEC (FIA World Endurance Championship) race last week. Now Indy, they do MotoGP. That's why when we compare street circuits to the normal conventional circuits. That's the biggest advantage."
Read also: Barcelona lands 2027 IndyCar deal to fill F1 voidFor Alonso, the circuit’s greatest contribution may be what happens away from the spotlight of international race weekends.
Its facilities offer young drivers and teams a place to develop their skills and machinery, helping sustain the pipeline of Spanish motorsport talent.
"That's why Barcelona is crucial for the motorsport in Spain," Alonso insisted.
“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."
Alonso warns IndyCar against chasing global expansion
While Alonso sees clear benefits in IndyCar’s Barcelona adventure, he is less convinced that the series should follow Formula 1’s increasingly international footprint.
The American championship has traditionally been rooted in North America, and Alonso believes there are practical reasons to preserve that identity.
©McLaren
Moving teams and equipment around the world brings significant logistical demands and costs – burdens that can quickly outweigh the benefits of expanding into new markets.
"IndyCar is very specific to the US market," Alonso said. “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."
The Barcelona event will also give five-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou, a native of the city, the prospect of racing in front of his home crowd.
Alonso clearly sees that as an exciting addition, but his wider message is about protecting the foundations that make motorsport possible.
For Spain, that makes IndyCar’s arrival more than an international spectacle. It is another reminder that a permanent circuit can be central to a country's motorsport ambitions long before the lights go out on race day.
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