Catalan motorsport is enjoying the sweetest moment in its history.

With Àlex Palou's victory in the Indianapolis 500, Catalan motorsports have reached their best moment in history. The driver from Sant Antoni de Vilamajor already had three IndyCar Series titles (and appears to have a fourth in the bag), but never before has a Catalan driver climbed onto the top step of the podium in one of the three most important races in the world of motorsports.

Curiously, another of the three most important races in the world, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, was the scene of another resounding victory for a Catalan driver, Miquel Molina. The driver from Lloret de Mar won the most prestigious award in endurance racing in the Hypercar category at the wheel of a Ferrari 499P from the Ferrari AF Corse team. In Molina's case, this is the second time a Catalan driver has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as Marc Gené from Sabadell also won the race in 2009 with a Peugeot 908.

Barcelona-born driver Dani Juncadella is also competing in this season's World Endurance Championship in the GT3 category at the wheel of a Chevrolet Corvette, with a brilliant performance so far: he leads the championship after three races and wins the Qatar race held at the Losail circuit. But the participation of Catalan drivers in the World Endurance Championship goes even further and also includes the participation of Àlex Riberas, a Barcelona-born driver who this year competes in the Hypercar category at the wheel of an Aston Martin Valkyrie, another of the most important teams in the category.

To all these names, we can add co-driver Lucas Cruz, a four-time Dakar Rally winner partnering with Madrid native Carlos Sainz; Folgueroles-born driver Nani Roma, winner of the tenth stage of the Dakar this season; and young Barcelona native Pepe Martí, currently competing in Formula 2 at the wheel of a Campos Racing car. Martí has already tasted success, having secured a win and a second place during the first races of 2025.

Life beyond Formula 1

Prestigious titles and victories, such as those of Miquel Molina at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Àlex Palou at the Indianapolis 500, certify the current generation of riders as the best in the history of Catalan motorsport, surpassing the achievements of other great drivers such as Oriol Servià and Pedro Martín. Catalonia has historically been a land capable of producing great motorcycle champions such as Toni Bou, Marc Márquez, and Marc Coma, but never before has it stood out for its four-wheeled champions.

Developing a racing driver is an expensive process, one that few families can afford without the support of a sponsor or training program. In the case of the Catalan drivers mentioned above, we find a common denominator: the existence of the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona Young Driver Program and the willingness of some commercial brands to get involved in the learning and training process through financial and commercial support.

The great moment for Catalan motorsport, paradoxically, coincides with the Spanish Grand Prix, scheduled to be held at the Montmeló circuit this weekend, and at a time when no Catalan drivers are competing in Formula 1, although some of these drivers have tested a single-seater in the top category. At this point, it's impossible to secure a seat in today's Formula 1 without the support of a major sponsor, and the three or four teams that could compete for victory already have their seats covered. But cases like that of Àlex Palou demonstrate that there is life beyond Formula 1 and that the space in which a driver can express his talent goes far beyond the grand circus of the top category of motorsport.