Since 2018 he has been a Video Editor for EL PAÍS. Before him, he spent his first five years in the newspaper’s Sports section. He has a degree in Journalism and Audiovisual Communication from the Carlos III University of Madrid and a Master’s degree in journalism from EL PAÍS.
For 33 years, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has not known what life is like without Formula 1. In 2026 its contract with Liberty Media ends, the year in which it will coexist with the premiere of the Ifema urban circuit in Madrid, with an agreement until 2035 The negotiations, still open: a project led by the Generalitat of Catalonia that aims to save the economic impact of F1 in the territory. The event – which brings together 284,066 visitors in four days, almost half of all the tourists received in 2023 at the Circuit – generates 200 million euros in indirect return, according to the Department of Business, and 2,670 jobs, many of them temporary, according to a Circuit study with data from 2019. “Losing F1 would be catastrophic,” predicts the president of the Vallès Oriental Hospitality Guild, David Vázquez. He adds: “For the hotels closest to the Circuit it would mean closure.” For the majority of hotels in the region, the dates of the Grand Prix represent between “30 and 35% of their annual results”, although for the closest ones it increases to “70 or 80%”, shares the Guild. “The Circuit acts as a point of attraction as an economic engine for the entire Vallès Oriental area,” says its director, Josep Lluís Santamaria.
The impact of the world’s top motorsport competition transcends the circuit. “The Grand Prix has an economic, employment and image impact on the territory that must be preserved,” says the mayor of Granollers, Alba Barnusell. According to the mayor of Montmeló, Pere Rodríguez, F1 currently has an economic impact of “400 or 450 million euros.” “It is very important to position Catalonia in the world and that is why there is a global fight,” says the head of Business, Roger Torrent. The Government is “convinced” that they will be able to renew the contract beyond 2026, without comparing themselves “with anyone,” said the president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès. And from Barcelona City Council, the mayor, Jaume Collboni, showed his willingness to do “everything possible.”
From the Hotel Montmeló they agree on the importance of the Grand Prix: “As soon as the calendar comes out there are already reservations. “Fridays and Saturdays we are always full, and the rates are 300% higher than usual.” Without availability since December, with the season not yet started, they feel that they have left the pandemic behind, as they have reached 2019 figures. “A very large percentage of attendees are international audiences, and they not only come for the race, but they stay longer,” explains Rodríguez. Visitors to the Circuit spent, in 2019, 108 million euros – without taking into account tickets –, according to Torrent. “The type of tourist who comes to F1 has a lot of money and is willing to spend it. While the economic impact of MotoGP is more direct to small businesses, F1 reaches another level,” analyzes Vázquez.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya belongs to Montmeló – it occupies 25% of its municipal area –, a town of just over 8,000 inhabitants 27 kilometers from Barcelona. “The Circuit puts Montmeló on the map, but also Catalonia and Spain. The estimated audiences for one day of F1 are a marketing campaign that cannot be paid for in any other way,” says Rodríguez, its mayor. For a few days a year, the Vallesan people go all out, he says: “We facilitate the processing, the granting of activity licenses – occupation of public roads, works, etc. -, local police, cleaning brigade…”. Even Renfe, to reach the town, doubles its frequency of passage. “The Montmeló City Council is the only one that has always clearly and directly supported the Circuit and fills the town to overflowing,” says Vázquez.
But the drawback of the circuit is the deficit. Although the Generalitat and the Circuit do not want to talk regarding the economic situation of the facilities – “we are calm and things are going well” -, the Guild does not appear optimistic: “If F1 disappears, will we be able to maintain a deficit structure, right now, of more than 60 million euros?” Although from Montmeló, the diagnosis is different, and according to Rodríguez, “there are no debts.” “The Circuit is counterintuitive, because there is a contribution of public money, but the return is basically private. Although it also generates taxes, fees and contributions. But the economic impact on the territory more than justifies the negative balance it has had in the past,” shares the mayor.
To safeguard the future of the premier category in Catalonia, on March 21 they will meet – the Guild assures – to discuss the renewal and advance a common project. “We are spending a lot of time and money going separately,” says Vázquez. “The Government has sometimes questioned it,” Rodríguez recalls. Both the Circuit and Montmeló and the Business Department share the “coordination, commitment and complicity” that exists between the City Council, the Generalitat and the Provincial Council to extend the contract. “F1 is one of the icons of sport in Barcelona and Catalonia. The Generalitat is the one who must lead the negotiations,” Collboni shared.
Ferrari made official this Thursday the renewal of Charles Leclerc’s contract, which expired at the end of 2024. In the line that has currently been imposed between the different teams participating in the Formula 1 World Championship, the Maranello structure does not specify the duration of the contract. new link. Carlos Sainz, Leclerc’s partner in the Il Cavallino Rampante brand, has been negotiating with the company’s leadership for some time to continue wearing red.
At 26 years old and following having defended the most universal emblem in the racing world for the last five years, Leclerc has accumulated five victories, 30 podiums and 23 pole positions, all while defending the Scuderia. His best position to date is runner-up in 2022, a year in which he was 146 points away from Max Verstappen, the champion. In the last exercise he finished fifth, tied on points (206) with Fernando Alonso. With this maneuver, Ferrari secures one of the stars of the grid, and one of the drivers who, according to the leaders of the Italian team, has the necessary skills to put Verstappen in check. That will be, in any case, if he has a car that allows it. The renewal is nothing more than the logical effect of the entry on the scene of Fred Vasseur, the director, with whom Leclerc has always had a special affinity.
“I am very happy to know that I will wear the Ferrari suit for several more seasons,” Leclerc declares in the statement. “Running for this team has been my dream since I was three years old. I used to watch the Monaco Grand Prix from the window of a friend’s apartment on the corner of Santa Devota, always attentive to the passing of the red cars,” he adds, before emphasizing: “My dream is still to win the title as a driver. of Ferrari.” “Charles’ link with the Scuderia “It goes beyond that of a simple driver and a team, since it has been part of the Ferrari family for eight years,” comments Vasseur, for his part. “His values and those of our team are intertwined, and that is why it was natural that we agreed to expand our collaboration,” continues the French executive.
With the future of one of the two riders resolved, it should soon be Sainz’s turn, who at all times has been able to keep up with his workshop neighbor. At 29 years old, the Madrid native surpassed him in his debut dressed in red (2021) and finished behind in 2022 and 2023, the year in which he became the only member of the grid capable of stealing a win (Singapore) from the almighty Red Bull.
The pilot, who is part of the Williams Racing Academy, made a post on social networks where he promised a “well silver” car for his participation in Formula 3 with MP Motorsports.
the young pilot Franco Colapintowith only 19 years old, is one of the new faces that the team has Williams Racingsince his arrival at the academy of the team that plays in Formula 1. This Monday, as a member of the Williams Racing Academy, where he disembarked in January this year, he was in Grove, United Kingdom, to witness the officialization of the design that the car that will compete in F1 will have. In addition, on his social networks, Colapinto left a post-presentation message and He promised a “bien argento” car to compete in Formula 3.
The teams have already begun to formalize the design of the single-seaters that they will use during the 2023 season, which will start in Bahrain from March 3rd and will end on November 26 in Abu Dhabi, with a record 24 tests on the calendar. The design has already been made official by the Red Bull team, the American team Haas and this Monday it was the turn of Williams Racing to present the new FW45 single-seaterwhich will have its first test on February 13 at the Silverstone circuit.
To reverse the bad season that the team had in 2022, where they finished in the last position with only 8 points, the team opted for the FW45, which promises to be more aerodynamically efficient than its predecessor, the FW44. Unlike the previous model, the new car has modifications in the design of the front suspension and the main external aerodynamic surfaces.
At the presentation of the British team, one of the four historic teams in the highest category of motorsport, the drivers who will compete in F1 for the team were present, Alex Albon y Logan Sargeantwithout the presence of Nicolás Latifi who left the squad following poor results in 2022. Among the F1 drivers of the British team, there was also the Argentine presence of Franco Colapintothe promise that added Williams Academy at the beginning of this year.
The pilot born in the Federal Capital, following the presentation, expressed himself on social networks: “Today the 2023 season begins, to work hard and fight to fulfill one more dream“.
Colapinto arrived at the Williams academy positioned as one of the great promises for the near future within the team, as a result of his great participation in F3 driving for the team MP Motorsports, with which he will continue to participate in the same category this season. In 2022, the Argentine pilot achieved two wins, five podiums, and one Pole Position in 18 races.
With these numbers, he caught the attention of the emblematic British team where, from 1980 to 1982, the historic Argentine pilot did his work. Carlos Alberto Reuteman. After the great work of the young driver, the British team He closed his contract for him to participate in the Academy, where the young promises of the team train.
In addition to having entered the British team, which allows him to dream of reaching F1, his head is also focused on the new season together with the MP Motorsportswhere he promised a car that will not forget its roots: “I hope you liked the Williams Racing car for this year, in a few days I will show you how the F3 more silver there is!”, advanced Colapinto.