Formula E rules out Barcelona return for 2027, leaves door open for 2028
Barcelona will not join Formula Eâs 2027 calendar
Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds has categorically ruled out a race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya during the 2027 season, despite recent discussions involving the championship, its teams and the Spanish venue.
German outlet e-formel.de had reported that Barcelona could feature in April next year. Those reports followed talks between Formula E and the circuit, as well as discussions with teams about the possibility of adding the event. Although the responses were understood to be positive, the plan will not progress in time for the opening season of the Gen4 era.
Speaking to selected media during a roundtable, Dodds said: âWe have had conversations with Barcelona. I think I can say, categorically, and I might be surprised here â there's a 1% chance of that â but Barcelona won't make its way onto the calendar for next season.â
He added that the 2027 schedule is effectively settled, with only a slight date adjustment to the Monaco E-Prix having been announced to accommodate a request from the venue. Formula E recently moved the 2027 Monaco E-Prix to avoid a WEC clash, underlining how tightly the calendar is already being managed.
2028 remains a possibility
While Barcelona is absent from next yearâs plans, Dodds made clear that the decision does not represent a long-term rejection of the circuit. Formula E considers the venue an attractive prospect and has left open the possibility of adding it from 2028, the second season of Gen4.
âBarcelona won't be on the schedule next year. That doesn't mean it won't be on the schedule beyond next year, though,â Dodds said. âWhether that means it goes on alongside Madrid or on a rotational basis with Madrid, who knows? But I think we're excited by the prospect of the venue because we think it would be an interesting addition.â
The central calendar question is therefore not whether Formula E sees value in Barcelona, but how it could fit alongside Madrid. The championship already races in Spainâs capital, where its debut event earlier this year was described as a huge success. Jarama is scheduled to return next June for a double-header.
Madrid remains the priority
Barcelonaâs opportunity is also shaped by its wider motorsport schedule. The circuit is not due to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix next year and, under its rotational agreement, is currently scheduled for F1 events in 2028, 2030 and 2032.
For now, Doddsâ message is clear: Barcelona is a future option, but Madrid remains Formula Eâs established Spanish commitment. âWe would be very reluctant not to be racing there for the foreseeable future,â he said.
Simone Scanu
Heâs a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.