Carlos Sainz and Jack Doohan to feature in Passeig de Gràcia Formula 1 Road Show today

Spanish Ferrari Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz Jr and Alpine F1 team reserve driver Jack Doohan will be the main drivers at Wednesday's Barcelona F1 Road Show on Passeig de Gràcia boulevard.

The event will start at 6 pm in one of the most famous roads in the world with landmarks such as architect Antoni Gaudí's Casa Batlló as the background.

Wednesday's show will be the first time F1 cars drive in the city center in a "memorable show," as the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya said, the organizers of such an event with members of the F1 team.

Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr, who will not repeat with the Italian team next season as they have signed with Lewis Hamilton, will be the main F1 driver at the show.

Sainz will be accompanied by Jack Doohan, the current Alpine F1 team reserve driver and son of Moto GP Australian five-time Grand Prix world champion Mick Doohan.

Other drivers will be Catalans Pepe Martí, from Formula 2's Campos Racing team, and Mari Boya, racing on Formula 3 for the same team as Martí.

They will drive in a circular track from Ronda Universitat Street to Aragó Street through Passeig de Gràcia Boulevard. Casa Batlló, one of Gaudí's main landmarks on the boulevard, will be part of the show.

Pedro de la Rosa, former F1 driver, will also take part in the Road Show and will then join his colleagues on stage from 7 pm to 8:30 pm at the Fan Village in Plaça de Catalunya square.

On stage, there will also be F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and members of the F1 Academy, such as Nerea Martí, Emely de Heus, Hamda Al Qubaisi, and Maya Weug.

Access to Fan Village and Road Show

Those fans willing to watch the F1 Road Show and enjoy the Fan Village will need to choose one site or the other one.

It will not be able to access the Fan Village after 5 pm, a free-entry area with prior registration, but those inside will be able to watch the Road Show on a large screen and then follow the different speeches and events taking place on stage.

Meanwhile, fans who want to watch the Road Show, a free event with no registration required, can do it from any point of the track but will not be able to access the Fan Village afterward.

Environmentalist protests

Climate activists will protest against the Formula 1 roadshow in Barcelona on June 19.

The protest has been scheduled for 5.30 pm, half an hour before the roadshow begins, at the intersection of Aragó and Balmes streets.

"We say no to an urban model based on large-scale events that privatize public spaces, where public money is spent for the benefit of big tourism lobbies," Jordi Elgström, from the Eixample Respira platform, said.

Announcing the protest, organizers also criticized that the show has the support of the Catalan government and the city council.

'Event is compatible with tackling pollution' 

Barcelona city council defended the roadshow after the event came under fire. 

The council, led by Jaume Collboni, said the event was "perfectly compatible" with its "firm compromise" to "continue to reduce traffic, CO2 and noise pollution." 

The city government stressed that it was a "temporary and exceptional" event and defended that the event gave Barcelona and Catalonia an "international projection."