The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was built in 1991 in Montmeló, a town approximately 25 km northeast of Barcelona in Catalonia. It replaced the older Montjuïc circuit as the home of the Spanish Grand Prix and became a permanent fixture on the Formula One calendar from that year. The facility holds an FIA Grade 1 licence and grandstand capacity for over 140,000 spectators. Its layout features long straights, a mix of medium- and high-speed corners, and technical infield sections, making it a widely used test and race venue for numerous international series across both cars and motorcycles.
The World RX of Catalunya was added to the FIA World Rallycross Championship calendar in 2015 and ran through 2022. The rallycross layout used the section of the circuit near turns 11 to 15, incorporating two additional gravel sections to create the mixed-surface format central to the discipline. This configuration made use of the circuit's existing infrastructure while constructing a compact, self-contained rallycross track distinct from the grand prix layout.
The European Rallycross Championship also used Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya during the same period, with the FIA European Rallycross Championship operating at the venue from 2015 to 2022. The proximity of the circuit to Barcelona, combined with its strong existing spectator infrastructure, made it a practical and commercially attractive host for international rallycross.
Alongside its rallycross calendar, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosted the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters from 2006 to 2009, the European Le Mans Series, the GT World Challenge Europe, and numerous Formula One support series. Its long-established role in Formula One testing — a result of favourable weather, extensive run-off, and a layout that exercises a wide range of aerodynamic and mechanical demands — gave it unique familiarity among engineers and drivers across disciplines.
The circuit's financial position became increasingly strained over the years following 2007, with declining attendance at the Spanish Grand Prix and reliance on public subsidies from the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Provincial Deputation of Barcelona. Despite these difficulties, it continued to operate across a broad schedule of events throughout this period.
The World RX of Catalunya brought top-level rallycross to one of Europe's most recognised permanent circuits for eight consecutive seasons. The rallycross layout, using the infield and gravel additions, demonstrated how permanent grand prix venues could accommodate the rallycross format alongside their traditional calendar. With the Spanish Grand Prix at the circuit concluding in 2025 — with Formula One moving to a new Madrid venue from 2026 — the circuit's future role across all disciplines entered a period of transition.