Barcelona will stay on the F1 calendar till 2032 after being handed a shock lifeline.
F1 introduced on Monday a deal to function the Belgian Grand Prix and the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit on annual rotation.
Barcelona confronted an unsure future with their earlier contract expiring on the finish of 2026, whereas many believed the Montmelo venue would disappear fully with the addition of a brand new dwelling for the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid this yr.
Nonetheless, F1’s new rotation has supplied an answer to maintain Barcelona on the calendar for the subsequent six years (beneath the title of the brand new Grand Prix of Catalunya) alongside one other traditional observe, Spa-Francorchamps.
F1’s calendar is already at its peak with 24 races, and that development will proceed in 2027, with Zandvoort, dwelling of the Dutch Grand Prix, being scrapped and the Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimao successfully returning in 2027 and 2028.
However is it a sensible choice to maintain Barcelona, and what does F1’s new rotation plan imply for the way forward for the calendar?
Right here is the author’s tackle this information…
2025 F1 Spanish GP begins in Barcelona
Rotation is a traditional approach to save tracks
Lewis Larkham
Actually, I believe the thought of F1’s rotation is a fairly good resolution for an already bloated calendar, particularly if it means maintaining traditional tracks like Spa.
Absolutely it is a higher final result than shedding an iconic circuit altogether? In any case, selection is the spice of life (so they are saying).
This looks like a sensible transfer, particularly in Barcelona’s case. Though removed from the very best circuit when it comes to overtaking, this venue has been the setting for some memorable moments. Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna’s iconic wheel-to-wheel battle on the primary straight in 1991, Michael Schumacher’s waterwalking in 1996 and the all-Mercedes crash that led to Max Verstappen’s historic first Grand Prix win.
There may be definitely an argument to be made that Barcelona will certainly set up itself in F1, however whether or not two races in Spain are vital raises one other query. I’ll reserve judgment till after the primary Madrid Grand Prix later this yr.
My greatest grievance with the F1 calendar is that it is too saturated. It is a delicate steadiness that must be struck, and a wholesome rotation is one approach to preserve some conventional European circuits whereas avoiding the necessity to enhance the variety of races every time a brand new venue is added.
For my part, there are already too many races the place the pressure on groups and F1 employees dangers reaching breaking level. I personally hope F1 would not transcend 24 races, however sadly it feels inevitable for the subsequent few years…
Rotating the calendar is ok, nevertheless it ought to be used to scale back the size of the calendar.
lewis duncan
The Barcelona circuit has been featured on the F1 calendar for therefore lengthy that it is largely symbolic, regardless that it would not do a lot to get folks excited. So it is mainly the Hollyoaks of motorsport.
It wasn’t a foul thought to probably be taken off the calendar in favor of a brand new venue in Madrid. There isn’t any want for F1 to have two races in Spain, particularly with a demanding 24-round calendar forward.
Rotation is necessary in F1 to maintain sure traditional tracks on the schedule, which is wholesome in precept.
However that is what’s taking place on a calendar that features three visits to america, races within the Center East only a stone’s throw away in Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, and a back-to-back triple-header to spherical out the marketing campaign.
It is an unforgiving schedule that in the end reduces the worth of many occasions. Rotation together with general race discount will help decrease this.
2025 F1 Spanish GP
©XPB Photographs
Dropping a traditional truck full time is not a foul factor
Ian Mangan
Let me preface my argument by saying: I’m not an F1 traditionalist or purist.
I imagine that for the collection to not solely survive, however succeed, it should take steps to take care of fan curiosity and develop its world viewers.
The fact that many F1 followers do not need to settle for is that Spa (or Barcelona, for that matter) hasn’t had an thrilling race in fairly a while.
The variety of overtaken instances in 2024 was 33, lower than half of the full of 75 instances in 2023. The circuit common within the hybrid period is 51 (ignoring the disruption of 2021).
And whereas final yr wasn’t fairly as unhealthy, the usually anticipated hostile situations at Spa and race management’s overly cautious strategy meant that each one the joy had fully disappeared by the point the Grand Prix began.
There isn’t a doubt that Spa is an iconic observe that deserves a spot on the F1 calendar, however the unstated rule that historical past dictates the permanence of the calendar is ridiculous.
Up to now we have stated goodbye to raised circuits, equivalent to Malaysia and the Nurburgring, simply to call a number of, however placing tracks like Spa and Barcelona into rotation might open the door for model new circuits to look on the calendar, and even the return of older circuits.
It has already been confirmed that Portimao will return to the calendar for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. Meaning we can’t see one other beloved and historic truck make a comeback, even when it is just for a yr or two.
F1 is a world championship, and sacrificing one European leg each two years to make method for a wholly new one can also be a worthwhile commerce.
