Barcelona Not Giving Up On F1 Just Yet

No more hearsay and confirmed news, as a matter of fact, the future of the Spanish Grand Prix, it was already made clear, would change from Barcelona, the current venue, to Madrid. A brand new racing venue coming up on the ever-mushrooming F1 calendar, it became certain that F1’s popular Spanish Grand Prix would be held, come 2026, at Madrid and not the usual destination, Barcelona.

With the change about to strike in the next couple of years, there was no dearth of reactions from all sectors concerning Formula 1, including, without a doubt, its globetrotting fans and eminent observers and content creators.

While some say and maintain to this day, that Barcelona should remain on the calendar arguing with much passion that another street track is not something that F1 should persist with, there are, without much doubt, those new age fans for whom yet another street course is a merry development.

The more, the merrier, you know. But truth be told, the organisers of the race at Barcelona have not yet given up on the venue and cite that with some new added developments and extra spending, the track could extend its stay on the usually packed F1 grid.

All of the above said, the following excerpts are what a latest news report published on a revered F1 content site had to say on the matter and must be dwelled upon:

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was keen to stress that F1’s move to Madrid didn’t necessarily have to spell the end for Barcelona. But with spots on the calendar in high demand, it seems unlikely that Barcelona’s event will be able to co-exist with Madrid beyond its current terms.

Nevertheless, Barcelona’s chiefs are bullish about their event’s future, hoping the completion of a 50 million euro renovation project will help get a new deal across the line.

In recent years the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has received criticism for its dated facilities and mediocre fan experience. The 2022 edition was marred by logistical issues, which prompted an apology from the promoters and a demand from F1 to improve its access problems.

That being said, what is your view? Do you think that with several races like Monaco, Baku, Singapore, Las Vegas, Qatar, Jeddah and Australia already featuring as street races, does the sport need to move on from Barcelona to yet another street course in the form of Madrid?