Preview – Spanish Grand Prix

Round five of the season sees Formula One return to the Circuit de Catalunya – Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix. The 2.892mi circuit was built during construction work for the 1992 Olympic and Paralympic Games, holding the start and finish line for the road team time trial cycling event.

The circuit has a mixture of high-speed corners and long straights, this plays to the strengths of Mercedes and this year’s Ferrari’s. Mercedes have won two out of the last three races, and arguably should have won here last year. But, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg crashed out at Turn Four on lap one.

Turn One provides the best option for overtaking following the long run out of the final corner and with the aid of DRS, drivers can make overtaking moves from either side of the car. This circuit allows drivers to push and physically pushes them to the limit. The first race in 1991, saw  Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell went down the entire front straight side-by-side while duelling for second place, with Mansell eventually taking the position and ultimately the race itself.

2006 saw Fernando Alonso become the first Spaniard to win his home race. Plus, was the scene for Pastor Maldonado’s only win and twelve months ago, Max Verstappen made a dream debut for Red Bull, taking his first win and became the youngest Grand Prix winner, podium finisher and lap leader. Also becoming the only Dutch winner!

Facts and figures

Event timetable

What happened in 2016?

Both Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton collided on the opening lap of the race taking each other out of the race. What unfolded was a thrilling race long battle between newly promoted Max Verstappen and the Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. But, the eighteen-year-old didn’t buckle under the pressure of the prancing horses and became the youngest race winner, podium finisher and first Dutch Grand Prix winner.

Full Race Report Full Result

2015 vs 2016 Race Data

Data Profile

A lap of … Barcelona

Lewis Hamilton launches himself right across turn 16 going to the outside of the track to start the lap. Runs perfectly into the braking zone before taking a bit of kerb into turn one hits the lower part of the kerb in the corner before angling across on the short run to T2.

Takes bit more kerb mid corner before pulling away for the run to turn three. Takes kerb on the run to T3 before pulling across the track going to the outside before turning in to the long T3 runs close to the inside before launching across going through four taking kerb on the exit.

Once again runs to the outside of five before the flat out run through T6 before setting himself up for t7 & T8. Kerb on entry to seven and stays close to the outside before darting across for eight. Runs to the outside before darting again across for nine taking kerb on the exit before the long run to ten.

Heads to the inside on the run to ten turns in close to the corner before taking kerb on the short run to eleven. Takes kerb before crossing quickly for the long turn twelve pulls across before hitting kerb on exit, hits kerb on entry to thirteen before quickly crossing the track to enter fourteen. Kerb through both fourteen and fifteen. Before heading to the outside for sixteen going inside before quick pulling across the track to set him up for the line and a 01:22.000