F1 retires seven-time champion in embarrassing Barcelona GP mix-up

Circuit Barcelona, 2023, generic — Photo: © IMAGO

Barcelona Grand Prix

F1 retires seven-time champion in embarrassing Barcelona GP mix-up

Marc Marquez is a seven-time MotoGP champion

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 12 June 2026 23:00

F1 made an embarrassing blunder during their broadcast of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix this weekend, retiring a racing legend.

F1 is in Barcelona for round seven of the 2026 season, with the drivers racing around a track that is very familiar to them, due to its role in pre-season testing earlier this year.

However, the race around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya now has a different name, being known as the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, rather than the Spanish GP.

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That has not put off one Spanish racing legend, however, with seven-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez at the circuit this weekend enjoying the racing action.

As well as being a seven-time champion in the MotoGP class, Marquez has nine Grand Prix World Championships all-told, and recently celebrated his 100th grand prix win at the Hungarian MotoGP.

That fact had clearly escaped F1, however, and in their broadcast of the first practice session at the Barcelona GP, they described Marquez as a 'former MotoGP rider'.

Karun Chandhok raised the issue on Sky Sports F1, and it was quickly resolved by the team who produce the pictures for worldwide showing, appearing as just 'MotoGP rider' five minutes later.

Why is Marc Marquez at the F1 in Barcelona?

Marquez was born not too far away from Barcelona, in Cervera, which is also part of the autonomous community of Catalunya.

Moto GP had its 2026 race around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last month but, with no MotoGP action this weekend, Marquez has returned to the track as a racing fan.

He is a guest of the Audi F1 team this weekend, and has been spotted in their garage watching all the on-track action.

Marquez also tried the Audi F1 car on for size, jumping into the cockpit of the car with the team's drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto watching on.

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya MotoGP Barcelona-Catalunya Grand prix