The NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ return to Europe is more than a milestone on the calendar. It’s an opportunity for the series introduce its brand of high-speed, ultra-competitive racing to a new audience at one of the continent’s most recognizable motorsports venues.

The inaugural INDYCAR Grand Prix of Barcelona is scheduled for Sunday, July 18 at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain. The event was the centerpiece of Phase Two of the 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The multiyear agreement brings North America’s premier open-wheel racing series outside the continent for the first time since 2013, when James Hinchcliffe won on the streets of São Paulo. It also marks INDYCAR’s first European race since 2007 at TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands.

“We are called frequently by international tracks and potential partners, and everybody's reported that from time to time we'll talk to somebody and just see what's out there,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “But then we got a call from Barcelona.”

The renowned road course that opened in 1991 has hosted Formula One and MotoGP events. Miles views this as an opportunity that could offer an established motorsports setting that will showcase the NTT INDYCAR SERIES while providing a strong foundation for a successful long-term partnership.

“This is an iconic track,” Miles said. “It’s the highest-level, highest-quality track, and we really got to know quickly the personnel, the executive staff, the governmental entities that look over the ownership of the track and believe these were people we could do business with. So, it just seemed like it's been four-ish months of work and discussions, but we felt like we could get here. And once we can be here, we think this is going to be a great home for the INDYCAR SERIES for many years to come.” 

The announcement also carries a significance for Alex Palou that extends well beyond the championship implications of another race weekend. The 29-year-old Barcelona native captured his fifth NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship in 2026, becoming just the second driver in series history to win four consecutive titles, joining Sébastien Bourdais, who accomplished the feat from 2004-07. With five championships in six years and 25 career victories, Palou is tied for 17th on the series’ all-time wins list. Only A.J. Foyt, with seven titles, and Scott Dixon, with six, have won more championships. He now will compete in front of his home fans in an INDYCAR SERIES race that once seemed unimaginable.

“Incredible for me,” Palou said. “I never thought that there would be any day that INDYCAR would come to Barcelona. I dreamed about having the series go overseas and kind of going to Europe but never in my times and in Barcelona.

“It’s just a start, but I feel like everybody's super excited here. It's not like we're going to a place where they're not excited about INDYCAR or it's just another event for them. It will be the event next year here. Everybody's super pumped.

“I cannot thank the INDYCAR team enough for making this happen, the Barcelona team for making this happen. I'm just like a passenger here, and I'm just going to enjoy every single moment.”

Palou, who is the only Spaniard in the INDYCAR SERIES field, doesn’t believe he has to carry the burden of lifting an entire series through a country. He explained there are plenty of European drivers competing in the series, and Barcelona could provide an accessible destination for fans who have followed those drivers from afar but have never had the opportunity to see the series race on their home continent.

“It’ll be my hometown race, but it'll be the home race for more than 10 drivers that are from Europe, and they are only a couple hours away from here,” Palou said. “Hopefully, we get a lot of fans. We get a lot of new fans that they then get following all our schedule.”

The July race isn’t a one-year opportunity. The 2027 race weekend is the start of what both sides view as a potentially decade-long partnership, Miles said.

“This could be the home base for INDYCAR in Europe,” Miles said. “I think we're landing in the right place.”