Motor racing in Barcelona has deep roots. By 1908 international competition was conducted at the Circuit Baix Penedès with the Copa Catalunya. In 1923 the first Grand Prix of Spain was held at the permanent Autódromo de Sitges-Terramar near Barcelona. In 1932 a race was held on a street circuit whose start lay in the Montjuïc Park, a wooded hilltop above the city's harbour. The layout used for the 1933 Penya Rhin Grand Prix established the course that would become the Montjuïc Circuit proper.
In 1968 Montjuïc was selected as the new venue for the Spanish Grand Prix, which had previously been held at the Circuito del Jarama in Madrid. The inaugural Grand Prix at the circuit took place on 4 May 1969. The variable character of the anticlockwise course, with one half consisting of slow, twisting sections and the other opening into very fast sweeps, made chassis setup consistently demanding for teams.
The circuit hosted four Formula One Grands Prix in non-consecutive years: 1969, 1971, 1973, and 1975. Despite the demanding nature of the layout, it was regarded as a spectacular venue for spectators.
The 1975 Spanish Grand Prix proved to be the circuit's last Formula One race and one of the most controversial events in the sport's history. In the lead-up to the race, many drivers expressed serious concern about circuit safety. Two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi withdrew from the race in protest before the start.
On lap 26, the Embassy Hill-Lola car of Rolf Stommelen suffered a mechanical failure and left the track, killing five people. Race officials stopped the event before half distance was completed, meaning only half points were awarded. Jochen Mass was recorded as the winner of the truncated race. Lella Lombardi, finishing sixth, became the first and only female driver in the history of Formula One to score World Championship points, earning 0.5 points for her result.
Formula One never returned to Montjuïc after the accident.
Beyond Formula One, the Montjuïc Circuit held an important place in motorcycle sport. It hosted the Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix twelve times between 1951 and 1976. It was also the location of the 24 Hours of Montjuïc, a motorcycle endurance event held between 1960 and 1982, which gave the circuit extended relevance well past its Formula One chapter.
The site where the circuit once ran has been transformed substantially since the 1970s. Much of the area is now occupied by the Anella Olímpica, where numerous venues for the 1992 Summer Olympics were constructed.
In 2004 the city council of Barcelona decided to mark the layout of the old circuit, acknowledging its historical significance to the city and to motorsport. In October 2007 the circuit was used for the Martini Legends event, honouring the 75th anniversary of the circuit's founding. The occasion saw Emerson Fittipaldi return in his Lotus 72, and Marc Gené drove a contemporary Ferrari, signalling a nostalgic reconnection with the venue's Formula One past.
The Montjuïc Circuit holds a particular place in motorsport history as the only venue where a female driver has scored Formula One World Championship points, a record that Lella Lombardi held as of 2026.