Spanish Grand Prix - Barcelona, 05/12/2013

Circuit de Catalunya, Barcellona

The race in 2013 will be the 44thedition of the Spanish Grand Prix, held since 1991 on the Circuit de Catalunya. The track, 25 km North of Barcelona, has been built for the 1992 Olympic Games, which were held in the capital of Catalonia. A high-tech structure, considering the standards of the early 1990s, over the years the circuit turned into the (almost) official test track for the F1 teams: corners for high, middle and low speed, changes of direction and slight ups and downs as well as a long finishing straight are a test bed for the single-seaters’ quality. It’s not by accident that a car, efficient on the Circuit de Catalunya, will be competitive throughout the season. Amongst the permanent circuits, the one near Barcelona is one of the tracks where it’s difficult to overtake. Close to the sea and to the mountains, the wind changing direction represents a disturbance, because it can have a massive impact on the cars’ set up.

Keep an eye on
The Campsa, right-hand band taken with over 230 km/h, runs through a hill: the drivers therefore come through it without seeing its exit. At the slow RACC chicane the car needs good traction at the exit to reach the right speed for the last big bend with over 200 km/h before entering the finishing straight.

Did you know that
Since1951 Pedrables, Jarama, Montjuich Park and Jerez de la Frontera have been hosting the Spanish GP before the race moved to the Circuit de Catalunya. Out of 43 races the Scuderia won 11 and therefore is the team holding the record for the most Spanish GPs won. The first victory came in 1954 with Mike Hawthorn behind the wheel of the 553 F1 on the city circuit of Pedrables, an area of Barcelona. 20 years later, in Jarama, Ferrari celebrated a legendary one-two win on a wet track with Niki Lauda crossing the line ahead of his teammate Clay Regazzoni one lap ahead of the competitors. In 1996, under difficult weather conditions, Michael Schumacher won his first race behind the wheel of a Ferrari. With six wins, five with Ferrari, the German is the driver with most wins at the Spanish GP. After the Scuderia’s one-two win in 2008 with Raikkonen followed by Massa, in 2010 and 2012 Fernando Alonso gained second place on the podium.

See what happened last year ->

• Victories

  1. 1954 Hawthorn553 F1
  2. 1974 Lauda312 B3-74
  3. 1981 Villeneuve126 CK
  4. 1990 ProstF1-90
  5. 1996 SchumacherF310
  6. 2001 SchumacherF2001
  7. 2002 SchumacherF2002
  8. 2003 SchumacherF2003-GA
  9. 2004 SchumacherF2004
  10. 2007 MassaF2007
  11. 2008 RaikkonenF2008

• Pole Positions

  1. 1951 Ascari375 F1
  2. 1968 Amon312 F1-68
  3. 1971 Ickx312 B
  4. 1972 Ickx312 B2
  5. 1974 Lauda312 B3-74
  6. 1975 Lauda312 T
  7. 2000 SchumacherF1-2000
  8. 2001 SchumacherF2001
  9. 2003 SchumacherF2003-GA
  10. 2004 SchumacherF2004
  11. 2007 MassaF2007

• Race best laps

  1. 1971 Ickx312 B
  2. 1972 Ickx312 B2
  3. 1974 Lauda312 B3
  4. 1979 Villeneuve312 T4
  5. 1987 BergerF1-87
  6. 1996 SchumacherF310
  7. 1999 SchumacherF399
  8. 2001 SchumacherF2001
  9. 2002 SchumacherF2002
  10. 2003 BarrichelloF2003-GA
  11. 2004 SchumacherF2004
  12. 2006 Massa248 F1
  13. 2007 MassaF2007
  14. 2008 RaikkonenF2008

• Podiums

  1. First place:11 times
  2. Second place:14 times
  3. Third place:7 times

• Hall of Honours

  1. 1951 J. M. FangioALFA ROMEO
  2. 1954 M. HawthornFERRARI
  3. 1968 G. HillLOTUS-FORD
  4. 1969 J. StewartMATRA-FORD
  5. 1970 J. StewartMARCH-FORD
  6. 1971 J. StewartTYRREL-FORD
  7. 1972 E. FittipaldiLOTUS-FORD
  8. 1973 E. FittipaldiLOTUS-FORD
  9. 1974 N. LaudaFERRARI
  10. 1975 J. MassMCLAREN-FORD
  11. 1976 J. HuntMCLAREN-FORD
  12. 1977 M. AndrettiLOTUS-FORD
  13. 1978 M. AndrettiLOTUS-FORD
  14. 1979 P. DepaillerLIGIER-FORD
  15. 1981 G. VilleneuveFERRARI
  16. 1986 A. SennaLOTUS-RENAULT
  17. 1987 N. MansellWILLIAMS-HONDA
  18. 1988 A. ProstMCLAREN-HONDA
  19. 1989 A. SennaMCLAREN-HONDA
  20. 1990 A. ProstFERRARI
  21. 1991 N. MansellWILLIAMS-RENAULT
  22. 1992 N. MansellWILLIAMS-RENAULT
  23. 1993 A. ProstWILLIAMS-RENAULT
  24. 1994 D. HillWILLIAMS-RENAULT
  25. 1995 M. SchumacherBENETTON-RENAULT
  26. 1996 M. SchumacherFERRARI
  27. 1997 J. VilleneuveWILLIAMS-RENAULT
  28. 1998 M. HakkinenMCLAREN-MERCEDES
  29. 1999 M. HakkinenMCLAREN-MERCEDES
  30. 2000 M. HakkinenMCLAREN-MERCEDES
  31. 2001 M. SchumacherFERRARI
  32. 2002 M. SchumacherFERRARI
  33. 2003 M. SchumacherFERRARI
  34. 2004 M. SchumacherFERRARI
  35. 2005 K. RaikkonenMCLAREN-MERCEDES
  36. 2006 F. AlonsoRENAULT
  37. 2007 F. MassaFERRARI
  38. 2008 K. RaikkonenFERRARI
  39. 2009 J. ButtonBRAWN GP-MERCEDES
  40. 2010 M. WebberRED BULL-RENAULT
  41. 2011 S. VettelRED BULL-RENAULT
  42. 2012 P. MaldonadoWILLIAMS-RENAULT

Updated at the end of season 2012

• Practice 1
• Practice 2
• Practice 3
• Qualifying
• Race