IndyCar Heads to Barcelona as Palou Gets a Dream Home Race

IndyCar is heading to Barcelona. The American series confirmed on Monday that the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will host a new Grand Prix of Barcelona, a landmark international expansion described as the longest contract in the championship's history outside the Indianapolis 500. The announcement was made in Spain, where series chief executive Mark Miles said the start time will be shaped around the North American television audience, with a 6 p.m. local start, noon Eastern, the most likely scenario. For Alex Palou, the news is personal. The 29-year-old Barcelona native has just wrapped up his fifth IndyCar championship, his fourth in a row, and he admitted he never believed the series would one day race in his home city. Palou is the only Spaniard on the grid, but he stressed the race will feel like a home event for more than ten European drivers who live within a couple of hours of the circuit. Miles insisted IndyCar will remain fundamentally a North American championship, while leaving the door open to two or three international races in future. Barcelona, he said, will be the event of the year there, and Palou called it an incredible moment for the series and for Spanish motorsport.