Three-year extension keeps Spain on the F1 schedule
Tuesday 12 May 2015 14:02, UK
Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya will continue to host the Spanish GP until at least 2019 after signing a contract extension with F1.
The venue is this weekend celebrating its 25th season on the calendar after succeeding Jerez as the host of its country’s grand prix in 1991.
The circuit’s contract had been due to run out after next season’s race, however a further three-year extension was announced on Friday night after they agreed terms with Formula One Management chief Bernie Ecclestone.
“We are extremely proud to announce this renewal in such a special year, marking the 25th anniversary of Formula One Grand Prix being hosted uninterruptedly at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya,” said circuit chief Vicenc Aguilera.
“We thus extend this fruitful relationship with Formula One and we look forward to the next 25 years.”
Used as a perennial testing venue in addition to staging its long-running race, Barcelona’s annual position on the calendar had appeared under threat several years ago when a race-share deal with the Valencia street circuit was mooted. However, the plan never came to fruition and Valencia ultimately dropped off the calendar from 2013, leaving just one Spanish round on the schedule.
The Spanish GP follows Malaysia in renewing its F1 deal, the Sepang venue recently extending is own contract until 2018.
In what was subsequently confirmed by FOM to be a leaked provisional calendar for 2016, Spain is again scheduled to be the fifth round of next season albeit with a slightly later race date of March 15.
The future of some of F1's long-standing European races have continued to look precarious amid the sport’s continued global expansion, with Germany the latest to fall off the schedule this year for the first time in half a century. The famous Italian GP at Monza is also under threat beyond 2016 with no new contract yet agreed.
