The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya began hosting motorcycle Grand Prix racing in 1992, initially under the name of the European motorcycle Grand Prix. The Catalan Grand Prix identity was established from 1996, separating the Catalan event from a separate Spanish round held at Jerez. The circuit is located in Montmeló, approximately 20 km north of Barcelona, and measures 4.657 km with a combination of long straights and a variety of corner types that make it one of the most complete and demanding layouts in the championship.
The circuit was built in 1991 and first hosted the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix the same year. Its construction coincided with Barcelona hosting the 1992 Olympic Games, and the circuit served as the start and finish line for the road team time trial cycling events during those Games. The track has FIA Grade 1 license and grandstand capacity of 140,700 spectators.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya demands a balanced setup from both motorcycles and cars, with long straights requiring low drag but fast, flowing corners demanding aerodynamic stability. The track is known for its changeable wind conditions: wind direction can shift significantly between morning and afternoon sessions, affecting aerodynamic balance and tyre behaviour in ways that are difficult to anticipate.
For MotoGP, the circuit offers several overtaking points. Turns 1 and 2 at the end of the main straight are the primary braking zone and the most common site for passing moves. Turns 4, 5, 10 and 14 also provide opportunities. The long back straight creates slipstreaming opportunities heading into the La Caixa hairpin. Despite the passing points, the circuit is not considered one of the highest-overtaking venues on the calendar.
A notable battle occurred at the 2009 Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix, where teammates Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo traded positions throughout the race, culminating in a last-corner overtake by Rossi that riders and commentators described as one of the best moves of that era.
In June 2016, during Moto2 free practice for the Catalan Grand Prix, rider Luis Salom crashed at turn 12 and died from his injuries in hospital. The FIM immediately altered the race layout to use the same configuration as Formula One, slowing the section where the crash occurred. Further off-season modifications removed grandstands in turn 12 to create additional runoff, allowing elimination of the chicane and a repaving of the circuit, with the revised layout used from 2018 onward.
The 2024 Catalan Grand Prix weekend saw Barcelona host an additional one-off round, the Barcelona motorcycle Grand Prix, which replaced the scheduled Valencian Community event after severe flooding in the Valencia area forced the cancellation of the Circuit Ricardo Tormo round.
The Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix has been known by several sponsor names. Marlboro held the naming rights from 1996 through 2003, followed by Gauloises and Cinzano. Monster Energy has been the title sponsor since 2014, with the event running as the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya. As of 2026 the race continues under the Monster Energy banner, designated the Monster Energy Grand Prix of Catalunya.