The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was built in 1991 and spans 4.657 km in its full Formula One configuration. It is located in Montmeló, approximately 30 km north of Barcelona in Catalonia. The circuit holds an FIA Grade 1 license and has stands with a capacity of approximately 140,700 spectators. Until 2013, the circuit was known simply as the Circuit de Catalunya, before a sponsorship arrangement with Barcelona City Council added the city's name to the official title.
The track was constructed alongside preparations for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, during which the circuit served as the start and finish line for the road team time trial cycling events. Formula One immediately adopted the venue for the Spanish Grand Prix in 1991, and a MotoGP round followed from 1992.
The circuit has used different configurations across its history, particularly to address safety concerns and improve racing. Through 2015, the MotoGP layout used the version of the track that had been in place from 1995 to 2003, which retained the original long sweeping final corners that Formula One cars had used through the same period.
Formula One added a chicane in the final sector in 2007, replacing one of the two fast final sweepers with a slow chicane to reduce speeds and — in theory — improve overtaking opportunities. This configuration became the standard F1 layout until it was removed again ahead of the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix, restoring the faster layout last used in 2006.
For MotoGP, the F1 layout (with its turn-10 La Caixa hairpin) was implemented following the fatal accident of Moto2 rider Luis Salom in June 2016 during practice for the Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix. Salom crashed at Turn 12 at the circuit's existing configuration and died of his injuries. The FIM switched to the F1 circuit for the remainder of that weekend and later confirmed the change as permanent, though further adjustments were made in subsequent years.
The RACC designation reflects the circuit's administrative and sponsorship history. The Royal Automobile Club of Catalonia (RACC) has been associated with the circuit since its founding, and circuit layout maps have historically referred to certain corners and configurations using RACC branding. The circuit has maintained multiple codified layout options allowing it to host a wider range of events while the international Grand Prix layout remains the primary configuration.
The circuit has hosted the Spanish Grand Prix every year from 1991 through 2025, when a new circuit at the IFEMA exhibition center in Madrid was confirmed to take over from 2026. A Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix has been held at the venue since 1992, originally designated the European motorcycle Grand Prix. The circuit has also hosted the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, European Le Mans Series, GT World Challenge Europe, FIA World Rallycross Championship, and numerous other national and international championships.
In 2006, Fernando Alonso became the first Spanish Formula One driver to win his home Grand Prix at the Barcelona circuit, a landmark moment for Spanish motorsport.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is a mainstay of sim racing libraries and appears in virtually every major racing simulation platform given its status as a Formula One venue with a well-documented layout.