Organisers of the Spanish Grand Prix have secured the event’s medium-term future after inking a contract renewal with Formula 1.
The new agreement will keep the sport at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya until at least 2026, with the announcement revealing the deal will also result in improvements to the circuit, which has “ambitious sustainability plans”.
“We are delighted to announce this deal with Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya,” said F1 president and CEO, Stefano Domenicali.
“I want to thank the promoter and the authorities for their enthusiasm and commitment to keeping Formula 1 in Barcelona, with improvements that will be made to the track and facilities, and continuing our long history together.”
Roger Torrent, president of Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, added: “We welcome the renewal of this contract, which includes a mutual commitment clause to help us turn Circuit Barcelona-Catalunya into a model and world benchmark of sustainability applied to this type of facilities.
“We want the circuit to become an exponent of the green transformation and the adaptation of infrastructures to the demands of the climate emergency.”
Spain first hosted a round of the world championship in 1951 in Pedralbes, though didn’t become a regular feature of the calendar until the late 1960s.
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has been home to the event since 1991, and has historically been a popular testing venue courtesy of its location in southern Spain offering a warmer and more stable climate during the European winter.
It is set to host the sixth round of the 2022 season from May 20-22, a week prior to the Monaco Grand Prix.