In recent times, the common denominator for the Spanish F1 GP has been its venue, the Montmelo track.
The Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit has hosted the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix since 1991.
The facility can be found just over 20 kilometres to the north of Barcelona and the track itself is 4.66 kilometres in length. There have been 49 Spanish GPs to date, going back to 1951 and five venues have hosted it: Pedralbes, Montjuic, Jarama, Jerez and the current Barcelona track.
From 2008 to 2012 there was a second GP held on Spanish soil, as the Valencia street circuit hosted the European GP.
The Classic Spanish Grand Prix
These days, the Spanish event is one of the classics on the F1 calendar and the track is a favourite with so many drivers who know every last detail of its 16 corners so well.
It features a mix of slow and quick corners, chicanes and long straights, which explains why the Barcelona track is the perfect track to highlight a car’s strengths and weaknesses.
That goes some way to explaining why it is the most used track for Formula 1 testing for real and on the simulator.
Barcelona Grand Prix Pre-Season Tests
All the Formula 1 teams therefore feel at home in Barcelona, with all pre-season testing have usually been held here, but this year, there are just three days of testing, held at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain.
While the Spanish GP has generally been held in mid-May, in 2020 the race was postponed until August. In much hotter conditions than usual, Lewis Hamilton won from pole position.
