F1 Spanish Grand Prix

The circuit was built in 1991, though it just about made it onto the calendar given that construction of the circuit was delayed. The first-ever race at the track paved the way for one of Formula 1’s most iconic moments when Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna went wheel to wheel down the entirety of the start-finish straight.

Covering a distance of 4.6 kilometers, the circuit’s configuration, with its mix of fast and slow corners makes it an ideal testing spot. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya also witnesses drastic wind changes over the course of the day, this becomes important when taking into account how demanding the track is for a car’s aerodynamic capabilities.

In 2004, the track underwent its first major change when in order to reduce the speed of the cars and increase overtaking opportunities, a new turn, La Caixa, was introduced.

Given the popularity of the track, both team members and the drivers themselves know the circuit well, it is this same facet that also proves to be a liability as the circuit does frequently play host to some of the more boring races on the calendar, given that tire management is crucial and overtaking occurs mostly during the pitstops rather than on the race track, in fact, the Spanish Grand Prix in 1999 was notorious for only recording a solitary overtake during the entirety of the race.

That being said, the race does throw up an unexpected result sporadically, with Pastor Maldonado winning the race in 2012 and Max Verstappen winning on his Red Bull debut in 2016.

The Spanish Grand Prix 2020

Conducting the sixth round of the revamped 2020 Formula 1 season, the Spanish Grand Prix was won by Lewis Hamilton, who made it lights to flag affair after securing pole position during the weekend’s qualifying session, Hamilton would go on to lap everyone bar the other two podium finishers during the race.

Max Verstappen was able to leapfrog Valtteri Bottas into second, with the Finn taking third and the fastest lap. Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez of Racing Point would round out the top five.

When is the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix on the F1 calendar?
The Spanish Grand Prix is scheduled to take place on the weekend of May 7-9 and is provisionally set to be the fourth race of the Formula 1 season. The first two free practice sessions will take place on May 7, with qualifying on Saturday, May 8 at 15:00 CET.

What time does the Spanish Grand Prix Start?
The Spanish Grand Prix starts on Sunday, May 9 at 15:00 CET. The race can be followed live on RacingNews365’s blog and via television on Movistar.