2026 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix Preview: 5 Big Talking Points Heading into the Weekend

Linus O'Howell
Jun 11
4 min read

A New Name

Since 1991, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has hosted the Spanish Grand Prix every single year, with its additional use for Pre-Season Testing positioning this event as a staple on the Formula 1 Calendar! However, with the arrival of the brand-new “Madring”, which is set to debut in September, the Spanish Grand Prix will take place there instead, meaning that this weekend’s event will be known as the “Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix”! Both Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton are 6x winners around this circuit, whilst Oscar Piastri won the Race for McLaren 12 months ago! It’s also worth noting that this is scheduled to be Barcelona’s last appearance on the F1 calendar until 2028, with them entering a rotational slot alongside Belgium! I’m very excited to see the start here!

Fernando Alonso Returns Home (with a Point)

This time last year, it was a reasonable dream for Spanish fans to make that Fernando Alonso could win his Home Race in 2026, given the massive hype and expectations surrounding Aston Martin! Sadly for all of them, Aston have been absolutely diabolical, building one of the worst Formula 1 cars ever made, and if there’s anyone who doesn’t deserve this, it’s Fernando Alonso! Now, Fernando will enter this weekend on a slight positive given the fact that he finally managed to score a point last time out in Monaco, but as big of an achievement as that was in this car, there are arguments to be made that Aston Martin’s performance in Monaco was even worse than in previous rounds! I’d love to be able to say that Fernando Alonso will be able to build from last weekend’s positive result; it’s his home weekend after all, but the likelihood is another Q1 exit for the former 2-time World Champion!

A Momentum Shift at Ferrari?!

When Lewis Hamilton was announced as a Ferrari driver in early 2024, the expectation was that the battle between Lewis and Ferrari’s star driver Charles Leclerc would be close! In 2025, that was anything but the case, with Hamilton having the worst year of his Formula 1 career, consistently off his teammate’s pace! However, with a reset this year due to the new regulations, things have started to change, with Hamilton finding a good amount of form, particularly in the last couple of weekends! Due to back-to-back P2 finishes, Lewis Hamilton finds himself second in the Drivers’ Championship, an impressive feat given where he was last year! However, whilst momentum has very much shifted Lewis’ way in recent weeks, that isn’t just about him, as Charles Leclerc’s form has dropped! In Miami, Charles crashed on the final lap, dropping him from Podium contention to P8, whilst he was absolutely miles off his teammate’s pace in Canada, something we rarely ever see with him! Then, at his Home Race in Monaco, Leclerc crashed in both Qualifying and the Race; mistakes that are simply unacceptable for a top-tier driver! Because of all of this, this feels like one of Charles Leclerc’s most important Formula 1 weekends in a while, because if Lewis Hamilton beats him again, the momentum at Ferrari really is shifting!

Carlos Sainz is Spain’s Best Chance

The decision to move the Spanish Grand Prix to Madrid was perhaps celebrated by none more than Carlos Sainz, who was literally born in that famous city! However, it would be silly to say that Carlos doesn’t care about the Race in Barcelona, with this granting him a unique opportunity to have not 1, but 2 Home Races! Up until last year, Sainz had had a pretty impeccable record at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, scoring points at every attempt! Having said that, though, Sainz is still waiting to appear on the Podium in front of his adoring home crowd! Whilst it will probably take him a while longer yet to achieve that feat, Carlos Sainz is without a doubt Spain’s best chance at scoring points this weekend, so that could result in a little more added pressure for the former 4-time Grand Prix winner! Personally, I think Carlos can do it!

Can Anyone or Anything Stop Kimi Antonelli?!

I never, ever would’ve expected that 6 rounds into the 2026 Formula 1 Season, we’d be talking about Andrea Kimi Antonelli having a 66-point Championship lead over the rest of the field! Like, it’s utterly ridiculous! It’s so ridiculous that we’re now having to start pulling out the same questions we’ve used for Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in the past, and that’s: can anyone stop him?! I’ve purposely written “Anyone or Anything” due to all of the bad luck that his teammate George Russell has suffered, but even then, I’ve partly said it because I’m not sure anyone can stop Kimi right now! Antonelli looks completely dialled in, something his teammate very much isn’t, and given the fact that he dominated a weekend that Mercedes were supposed to struggle in last time out around Monte Carlo, I’d expect the young Italian to win again!