A week after the announcement of arrival of Formula 1 in Madrid from 2026those responsible for The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was presented to the media this Tuesday (at noon in Madrid and in the evening in Barcelona) how the important works carried out on the Catalan route are progressing to update it to the needs of the competitions it wants and must continue to host, among them, the F1and to improve the possibilities of the layout of holding multiple events to increase the offer and productivity of the facilities.
This is not a reaction to the GP that will be held in Madrid. It’s all part of the Strategic Plan they presented to the media in October 2022, although there was a last-minute ‘bombshell’ that they didn’t reveal until yesterday: the arrival of a new mega facility across the route. A VIP catwalk, called ‘Circuit rooftop’, that will be ready for the next one 2024 Spanish F1 Grand Prix in June, a race where The city of Barcelona is sure to finally experience the competition in its full spirit over the past week, as the main character in some events that they are sure will be spectacular.
The big news: the ‘Circuit Rooftop’
Before the legendary turn 10, on that back straight, this massive facility is located, where VIPs can be accessed quickly and easily from the track paddock. It will consist of three floors and for The Grand Prix is designed so that, among other things, VIPs can experience the race from above the track.watching the cars pass beneath him through a glass window, 16 meters above the asphalt on the first floor, with suitable for direct views of the track and hospitality space, or about 30 meters high from the upper terrace. There you can see the acceleration of the cars on the straight, and from the other side, the braking of turn 10 from above, the Stadium area and even the main straight from the upper terrace.
The Circuit wants this work to be a new icon for the facility as the current main stand is now. To clarify that this new structure is not a reaction to Madrid’s announcement, The MD learned that the tender for these works took place in the summer of last year. And the project was prepared earlier. Furthermore, it is very clear that this project is not being carried out with F1 in mind, and while this is a huge boost in terms of the products and VIP experience that F1 wants to offer its customers, it is clearly made as part. of the ‘ Plan Estrátegic’ for the Circuit to increase its overall offer of events. In this case, This mega structure would be perfect, for example, to host car presentations from the best brands in the world.and therefore in one of the The sides will have a forklift to lift the cars up.
50 million investment in improvements
Josep Lluis Santamaría, director of facilities, and Oriol Sagrera, general secretary of the Department of Business and Labor of the Generalitat at the head, detailed the main changes that the Catalan route is experiencing as part of this famous ‘Pla Estrátégic’ which began to be implemented at the end of 2022 with a total investment of 50 million euros (when it was presented it was about 30) for works to be completed in 2024.
When this plan was presented in 2022, several key goals and important tasks to achieve them were highlighted. The first, the formation new income by organizing other new and innovative events. The Generalitat It is clear that their investment is necessary for the route to carry out its exercise, but by increasing the supply they want to reduce the investment to the maximum.
so, This plan aims to make the route a reference for green mobility and innovation events. And in that sense, another massive project presented already in 2022 has attracted attention, that of the installation of 18,480 square meters of photovoltaic panels in control locations and buildingsincluding main stand coverin addition to the implementation of a pioneering storage system to guarantee the Circuit’s energy sufficiency and some investment in electric chargers.
And of course, as requested by F1, which has always enjoyed visiting Barcelona because of the facilities offered by its facilities.s, the Circuit had to make some changes to improve the experience of all F1 teams and be updated for this competition. In this sense, the Circuit has the pits improved, allowing them to be connected to each other for those devices that want to use more than one. i know too The press room will be improved, there will be a new control tower with an adjacent building designed to house offices so that competition employees visiting the track have more privacy to do their work. AND There will be remodeling on the upper terrace of the main building. Here we must add the implementation of the covers on the stands.
And it’s been a long time the layout changes the parking area where the paddock is located, removing the supply boxes with mobile and removable boxes, thus leaving 55,000 square meters of asphalt without obstacles for the Circuit You can take driving courses and many events, such as presentations of all kinds and even the possibility of concerts in the future.
That last point is key to understanding the great effort the Circuit is making to not only host the 2024, 2025 and 2026 F1 Grand Prix. Also to ask for the renewal of his contract with the Great Circus with a name to be determined which could be the European GP.
Peace of mind about renewal
The resources from this facility, developed by a consortium between the Generalitat, the Montmeló City Council and the RACC (with more than 78% for the Government), have been assured in the MD a week ago after the announcement of Madrid’s arrival in F1 They are “calm” and confident they can renew their F1 contract, regardless of whether Madrid joins the calendar. And in the presentation of this event, that silence is more evident not only in the faces of the leaders, but also in their speech.
They do not think about the future of the Circuit de Barcelona-Cataluya without F1 beyond 2027. They cannot imagine that scenario and are sure that the event will remain in Barcelona.
The announcement from Madrid suggested that the Catalan track is losing negotiating power as there is already a GP secured in Spain and there are very few slots available in an F1 with increasing demand for events around the world. Furthermore, the fee Madrid will pay is double what Barcelona currently pays. However, they seem confident in their options and Stefano Domenicali himself, CEO of F1, has left the door open to have two races in Spain starting in 2026 and put Circuit directors in the clouds.
It’s true that track chiefs have made no secret that increased interest in F1 around the world means the fee the Circuit would have to pay F1 in a hypothetical new contract is likely to be higher. Of course, the economic needs of F1 must be in accordance with what the leaders of the Catalan track consider coherent based on the return included in the maintenance of said event in the Circuit.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
