Barcelona: City councillor wants to revitalise Montjuic Formula 1 circuit for Formula E races

After rumours about the possibility of Formula E racing in Barcelona first emerged a few years ago, local politicians are now addressing the issue. City councillor Daniel Sirera is in favour of reactivating the former Formula 1 circuit on Montjuic for a Barcelona E-Prix in 2027 - the start of the Gen4 era of the electric racing series. This was reported by the Catalan TV channel Beteve.

The leader of the conservative, Christian Democratic party "Partido Popular" in Catalonia, Daniel Sirera, is proposing to revive the Montjuic racetrack in order to organise a Formula E race there in 2027. Incidentally, this is the same party for which Formula E Green Alejandro Agag was active for many years and a member of the European Parliament.

The politician is convinced that the Formula E World Championship would be a major attraction for the city: "Barcelona must focus decisively on electric vehicles", said Sirera at Beteve. "What better way to do this than to be a pioneer in races like these that combine technology, sustainability and entertainment?"

The then Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths had already advocated an E-Prix in Catalonia around two years ago. "Of course I would like (Formula E) to race in Barcelona", Griffiths said at the time, and he also spoke in favour of the former Formula 1 circuit as a venue: "I have in mind Montjuic in the heart of Barcelona, near the Olympic Stadium."

An idea that politician Sirera is now taking up. "Barcelona has the opportunity to host a Formula E race: technology, sustainability, and spectacle on wheels," he wrote in a post on X. "[Mayor] Collboni must make a move and invest in Montjuïc, a historic circuit that deserves to buzz again."

Barcelona tiene la oportunidad de acoger una prueba de Fórmula E: tecnología, sostenibilidad y espectáculo sobre ruedas.

Collboni debe mover ficha y apostar por Montjuïc, un circuito histórico que merece volver a vibrar. pic.twitter.com/T39sUL9ivy

- Dani Sirera (@danielsirera) May 25, 2025

Long before the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which is still used by Formula 1 today, was opened north of Barcelona in 1991, the racing series raced four times on the Circuit de Montjuic in the west of the city from 1969 to 1975. The circuit, which was first used in 1932, was considered one of the most difficult Formula 1 circuits. Due to safety issues and an accident of Rolf Stommelen, in which several spectators lost their lives, Formula 1 no longer raced on the circuit, which was subsequently used for motorbike races only until the 1980s.

How realistic the chances of a Barcelona E-Prix being realised are is not yet known. With the exception of the 2021 season, which was characterised by the pandemic, Formula E has not yet held any races in Spain, although pre-season tests have been held in Valencia since 2017. In 2024, the tests were moved to the Circuito del Jarama in Madrid on a one-off basis due to a catastrophic storm in the Valencia region. According to rumours, a double-header will take place in Madrid in March next year.

The Formula E racing calendar for the upcoming 2025-26 season is expected to be announced in around two weeks' time when the FIA's World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) next meets.