IndyCar is stretching its footprint into Europe by taking its first race to the historic Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where five-time series champion Alex Palou will no doubt be the fan favorite for the race 30 minutes from his hometown.
The Grand Prix of Barcelona is scheduled for July 18, giving IndyCar a marquee international event about six weeks after the iconic Indianapolis 500. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has long been a fixture on the Formula 1 schedule and earlier this year agreed to a multiyear extension to rotate annually with the grand prix at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
"It's an amazing opportunity, and it means so much to me to have a race at home in Barcelona. It's hard to put into words," said the 29-year-old Palou, who earlier this year became only the second IndyCar driver to win four consecutive series titles.
His five overall championships trails only A.J. Foyt with seven and Scott Dixon with six on the career list.
IndyCar said there was a multiyear agreement to hold races at the Barcelona track.
"I know the fans are going to love it," said Palou, who grew up in Sant Antoni de Vilamajor, "and we're going to put on a great show."
IndyCar has been bold in its scheduling in recent years, taking races to new and unique venues. That was underscored in August, when the series staged the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington on the streets of the nation's capital.
The race in Spain will be the first outside of North America since James Hinchcliffe won in 2013 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The last time IndyCar held a race in Europe was in 2007, when what was then known as the Champ Car World Series raced in the Netherlands.
"This is a monumental day for our sport," Mark Miles, the president and CEO of Penske Entertainment Corp., said in a statement. "We are pleased to be able to take our ultracompetitive brand of wheel-to-wheel racing to Europe and thrilled that we can showcase IndyCar in Alex Palou's hometown. We have seen Alex's remarkable skill and talent for several years and know his fans in Spain have been clamoring to watch him race in person."
IndyCar also released the full 2027 schedule Friday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.