Spanish Drivers Hope WEC Returns to Barcelona in Future

Spanish drivers Daniel Juncadella, Alex Riberas and Miguel Molina have all expressed hopes that the FIA World Endurance Championship will return to Barcelona in future after what is currently a one-off visit to the track this weekend.

Barcelona was hastily added to the 2026 WEC schedule, along with Monza, to replace the Qatar 1812km and 8 Hours of Bahrain when it became clear the unstable geopolitical situation in the Middle East would not allow the races to go ahead.

While the Catalonia-based venue did host the Prologue test for the 2019-20 season, Sunday’s six-hour race will be the series’ first at the 2.89-mile track that is best known as the long-time host of Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Juncadella, who was confirmed as staying at Genesis Magma Racing on Saturday on the eve of the race in an event hosted by the Korean marque in the city, said he felt that racing at new venues was important to keep growing the series’ fanbase.

“I think it’s important,” Juncadella told Sportscar365. “There’s a lot of Formula 1 culture in Spain, but maybe not enough motorsport culture.

“This is the golden age of endurance racing. The bar keeps raising, we have new manufacturers coming next year again, even if we might lose some others, but it’s the championship that has the most brands in any FIA series.

“Le Mans always plays a big role, of course, but the fact that we can also race in new places, and being able to race in Barcelona, and race in Monza, which is an amazing track as well, I think it just keeps adding new fans to the sport.

“I think it’s an attractive venue. The track layout itself doesn’t offer many overtaking opportunities, at least in Formula 1, we have seen that in the past, but in multi-class racing it can offer different scenarios.

“It’s well known as a high-degradation kind of track, so that adds some spiciness to it.

“And then it’s not only about the track, but everything around it — I think city is nice, good weather, good food, a good environment. So I think there is some attraction and if it goes well it can for sure hopefully come back into the calendar.”

Heart of Racing Team driver Riberas, racing at Barcelona for the first time since 2019 having been mostly based in the United States in recent times, expressed similar views to Juncadella as he said he planned to savor the experience of a home race.

“The weekend feels like a gift for my racing career,” he told Sportscar365. “Everything that has happened in my career, it all came from this circuit.

“So to be able to come back and race at the highest level with the support of my family, in front of my close circle, it’s a very special feeling.

“I believe [the WEC] is starting to get traction that it needs to be as popular as it deserves to be. I think people are starting to understanding that it’s not just F1, that there is more than single-seaters in the world of motorsport. And you can see how the fanbase is slowly but constantly growing. 

“I might be slightly biased, but without a doubt it is in an honor to race at Barcelona, one of the highest level tracks around the world, with a large number of high-level competitions.

“It’s a venue that is made for high-level events, and I think WEC belongs here as well. I would love to see a future where Barcelona has a permanent spot on the schedule.”

Ferrari works pilot Molina, meanwhile, said he would enjoy Sunday’s race regardless of the performance of the Italian manufacturer, which is fighting to stay in title contention as what has been a tough title defense nears its conclusion.

“It’s good to have this opportunity for the Spanish and Catalan fans to experience this championship,” Molina told reporters. “I hope they enjoy it as much as I will do.

“Regardless of the result, I will enjoy this weekend, because I have been very linked to this racetrack for a long time. To arrive here as a factory Ferrari driver fighting for overall wins in endurance racing, it’s the top moment of my career. 

“I am pretty sure that the circuit, the government and all the entities involved in this track are going to put in the effort to bring back this championship in the future.

“I hope it will be like this. I will be also pushing for it.”