midday when Formula 1 took over the center of Barcelona

Thousands of people crowded together with their phones at the ready. Some climbed the stairs; the easiest ones are on horseback. Because of the crowds, everyone is hoping to hear – rather than see – some of the Formula 1 cars driving through the streets of central Barcelona, ​​which has been turned into a circuit, this Wednesday. Displaced by pedestrians, cyclists and regular traffic, single-seater cars and the occasional luxury car such as an Aston Martin are, not without complaint, displayed with a healthy dose of spin, smoke and decibels.

This is the F1 Road Show, an exhibition organized by the Circuit de Catalunya as part of the Barcelona Fan Fest, which occupied the center of the Catalan capital for a whole week. The scenes are set in Plaza Catalunya and costs with talks, exhibitions and events related to the world of cars, which the organization expects to be attended by approximately 65,000 people. This in turn is a prelude to this weekend’s race in Montmelo.

Almudena came with two children. She “hates” cars, but her three-year-old son is “obsessed” with anything with an engine. The mother began to feel nervous about the crowd and kept asking her son if he was safe and if he wanted to leave. He wanted to stay. But he changed his mind when the first car crossed Passeig de Gràcia, which less than 24 hours earlier had been updated to make driving easier for drivers. The roar of the first engine scared the little boy so much that he began to cry uncontrollably, and Almudena had to take the children home.

The car engines had been roaring for over an hour. The 2,000 seats the organization had provided to watch the show were not enough, and the surrounding streets were filled with thousands more people – 38,000, according to Guàrdia Urbana – who contented themselves with the noise of vehicles and applause. of those who have been in space.

For Antonio, dressed from head to toe in merchandising from different teams, that’s enough. “I like it. The noise, the smell of gasoline. “It’s a wonderful fantasy,” he exclaimed. His friend Sophia doesn’t think so. “It all seems like a joke to me,” he concluded in a quiet voice as his boy looked back at the track.

Not all the people who gathered in central Barcelona on Tuesday were asphalt fans. Hundreds of protesters also attended the event. The drive-in event, held in the heart of a city that has been pushing for years to pedestrianize streets and reduce traffic, has drawn the enmity of many neighbors.

A local platform published a manifesto against the law, which received support from more than 200 organizations in less than a week, and organized a demonstration two blocks from the polling station. More than 300 people gathered tried to overcome the noise, chanting slogans such as “Barcelona is not for sale” and demanding the resignation of the city’s socialist mayor, Jaume Colboni.

“We are not against the occupation of public space, but we want it to be for the benefit of the neighbors,” said Jordi Elgström, one of the representatives of local organizations rebelling against the Formula One competition. “The problem is that although you see the place full of people today, it’s not for the neighbors. The goal is to attract macro events that will attract tourists. And all this with public money, which also funds pollution and gentrification,” he added.

While the focus has been on racing cars, other macro events have emerged, such as the Vela America’s Cup – and celebrations of related events, such as the Louis Vuitton parade in Parc Güell – or the Mobile World Congress. “This is an absurd form of extreme tourism when we need fewer visitors and not be kicked off the streets,” Elgström said.

The activist refers to the closed streets and travel problems caused by the Formula 1 competition, or the fact that Barceloneta residents will need accreditation to access their area due to security measures introduced during the America’s Cup.

Criticism of noise and pollution

The mayor of Barcelona has spoken out several times in defense of the major sporting events that the city is hosting and will host in the coming months. He insists that they are “essential” to “promote the Barcelona brand” and notes that they will bring great economic returns to the city. Moreover, he wanted to deny that these were elitist events and assured that they could be enjoyed by all citizens.

But local associations disagree. As an example, they cite the recent closure of Park Güell for two days due to the celebration of a private parade, which affected the daily lives of residents and students who study at a school located in the park.

In fact, not everyone was able to visit the Formula 1 exhibition either. Alberto and Claudio were two of thousands of people who received a free ticket to the event. The problem is that this did not guarantee access to the site since only as many seats were given out as were requested and entry was dependent on the order of arrival. “Of course, the place is full of friends and businessmen. Don’t lie to me because this is not meant for everyone to see,” they complained. And they regretted that there were “not even” screens on which they could see the cars.

Another of the most controversial aspects of this event was the environmental pollution. The scheme has drawn hostility from opposition political parties, local organizations and even Barcelona’s Catalan Ombudsman, who has asked the city council to assess the benefits the city will receive from the activity and the impact on citizens’ rights. He concluded that the event should not be held in central Barcelona, ​​but in Montmelo, and called on the council to consider “the possibility of canceling it”.

The trustee also believed it was “hardly justifiable” to sanction polluting activity in the context of the climate crisis. In fact, many protesters lamented the irony of not being able to get to Barcelona in their old cars due to Low Emission Zone (ZBE) rules, while the “door is open” to these polluting cars in six times more. . than a gasoline car.

However, the mayor stated that this was a “one-time” event. For this reason, he believed that the Formula 1 exhibition was “perfectly compatible” with a commitment to “continue to calm traffic, reduce CO2 emissions and combat noise pollution.”

It was this last point that also caused protests from neighbors and subjects. While Barcelona’s rules set a limit of 65 decibels during the day, a Formula One car can emit more than 130 decibels.

Montmelo’s continuity is in danger

The Barcelona Fan Fest has also been organized to boost the track’s popularity and link up with the Montmelo Grand Prix in Catalunya, which is in danger from 2026. This year, a contract was signed with the track, the public-private company that manages the race. – when the contract with FOM (Formula 1 Management) ends, and also when the contract signed by Madrid begins.

Organizers doubt Formula 1 can coexist in both cities, with Barcelona facing losses due to the economic losses the circuit has accumulated since 2014. In fact, it ended 2023 with a loss of 2.4 million euros. However, Ricuit plunged into a “policy change” to save the Grand Prix and invested 50 million in infrastructure upgrades. He also developed a series of events, such as the Barcelona Fan Fest, to restore the popularity of the sport.

But judging by the tens of thousands of people who turned out for the Barcelona event, it doesn’t appear that Formula One’s lack of popularity is a problem. Many of those present claim that they watch all the races, both Formula 1 and other categories, but admit that they have never been to Montmelo. “A ticket can cost, if you’re lucky, 300 euros. Who pays for this? – Eric asks.

His concern is that protesters see Formula One as a “posh” sport and put it on the same level as other more elite competitions such as the America’s Cup. “Let’s not kid ourselves: those of us who watch the races are more locals. But with these prices and the money that they drive, I understand that there are people who believe that this is also elitist,” he emphasized.