The Circuit de Catalunya is the unofficial home of Formula One testing and so it holds few surprises for the drivers.
However it is a track which is particularly sensitive to climactic changes and teams can expect their cars to perform very differently in the warm conditions this weekend compared to the cool of three months ago.
Track data: Circuit de Catalunya
| Lap length | 4.655km (2.892 miles) |
| Grand prix distance | 307.104km (190.826 miles) |
| Lap record (race) | 1’21.670 (Kimi Raikkonen, 2008) |
| Fastest lap (any session) | 1’19.954 (Rubens Barrichello, 2009, qualifying two) |
| Tyre compounds | See drivers’ choices |
| 2015 Rate the Race | 5.15 out of 10 |
| 2015 Driver of the Weekend | Nico Rosberg |
It’s 25 years since F1 first raced at the circuit just outside Barcelona. Since then the bite has been taken out of some of the circuit’s faster corners, most recently at the end of the lap.
Now more than ever, this is a circuit which exposes the full range of a racing car’s ability: top speed on the main straight, aerodynamic balance in the medium-to-high speed turns, and braking and traction in the low-tempo final sector.
“It’s a relatively high downforce circuit so we can strap most of the things on the car that make it go faster,” commented Daniel Ricciardo. “It’s quite hard on tyres so we are normally a bit stronger than some other teams in that area.”
It’s not just the long corners which punishes the tyres. The track surface is especially abrasive, and that combination of factors led Pirelli to specify their hardest possible tyre selection for this weekend.
Nonetheless drivers will attempt to run the race on the softer rubber if they can. “I don’t think we’re going to use [the hards] in Barcelona unless there’s an unexpected case,” says Romain Grosjean. “I only have two sets of them for the whole weekend.”
A lap of the Circuit de Catalunya
Getting off the line cleanly at the Circuit de Catalunya is important as the run to turn one is long. The quick opening sequence of curves funnels the drivers into single-file at the start of the race.
Drivers will often sacrifice their line at turn two in order to ensure the car is correctly positioned for the long turn three. This is a critical part of the lap for tyre preservation. “Approaching turn four you have a very sharp brake to turn in very quickly, carrying the speed into the corner,” says Gutierrez. “The exit is very long with a lot of load on the rear tyres.”
Braking for turn five is made tricky by the downhill approach. “You don’t really see the entry well and, at the same time, it is very important not to miss the apex,” Gutierrez explains.
A pair of quick bends follows – a high kerb at turn eight awaits to punish drivers who get too greedy with their turn-in speed. At the quick right-hander of turn nine the cars are particularly susceptible to gusts of wind.
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This is a favourite part of the lap for Kevin Magnussen. “It’s a good corner,” he sayd, “you really turn in aggressively and get back on the power quickly.”
The final sector of the lap is considerably slower: turn ten is an overtaking opportunity at the end of one DRS zone, while the long, constant-radius turn 12 requires more patience than skill.
On a flying lap the tyres are beginning to give up at this point, making the slow turn 13 and the following chicane a taxing affair. “You brake into the last section of the track, turn 13, which is one gear down and then on the power again then immediately on the brakes for turn 14 – left – and 15 – right,” explains Magnussen. “This last chicane is very slow so it’s important to really nail the apexes there.”
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Mike (@mike)
11th May 2016, 12:54
I quite like this track and am looking forward to the race. Ok, sure, it’s not mega for passing and the glam factor is rock bottom, but I think it’s a fairly challenging track and I like that. I enjoy it on F1 2015 anyway! XD
Really hoping the pace gap to the Mercs is lower this round. I think this is a great benchmark track so it will be interesting.
Deej92 (@deej92)
11th May 2016, 13:53
If you enjoy driving it on an F1 game, that is reason enough to like a track! I use that reasoning for judging tracks anyway, along with the standard of races.
I enjoy it on F1 games also, the medium-high speed corners are great to drive. Not so much the monstrosity that is the chicane though!
SatchelCharge (@satchelcharge)
11th May 2016, 14:27
Yea that is one reason I can’t bring myself to dislike Monaco, it’s great (and a great challenge) to drive to in a sim.
Sam Crawford
11th May 2016, 12:55
My least favourite track on the European leg of the calendar, too much testing on it, not enough drama and overtaking, too many boring corners.
I’d much rather see Valencia, Catalunya, Jerez, Jarama and Aragon all rotated
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
11th May 2016, 13:01
Aragon is an interesting track and without the chicane on the main straight would definitely be a good venue. But Jerez, Jarama and Valencia (I presume you mean the road course, not the street track) are all too tight and twisty for modern F1. We’ve already got the Hungaroring, Singapore, Monaco and several other tracks fulfilling that brief so why add another?
And the cost of all those tracks building F1-level infrastructure just to hold a race every five years is not realistic.
Silas fennec
11th May 2016, 13:57
So is there a state of balance between coreses, across the season? As a simple fan, the nuance is lost on me. Thanks
Gavin Campbell
11th May 2016, 15:09
Jerez is almost too twisty for Moto GP bikes at times!
However there are a lot of circuits in Spain with infastructure close to whats required for F1. Most of those tracks can accomodate over 100,000 fans and have full media facilities etc. because they host a round of Moto GP – which isn’t much of a step down in terms of paddock facilities and media attendance. (most of the races in Spain see Sunday only figures of over 6 figures – Jerez in 2015 pulled 125,000 for Sunday alone and Valencia last year hosted a weekend crowd of 211,000!!)
However Jerez and Valencia would require a visit from the Tarmac truck to get a 1 rating by the FIA (they currently both have 1-T if im not mistaken) which in turn probably wouldn’t make FIM very happy.
But I do believe the future for a lot of races is to alternate between 2 or 3 classic circuits. Especially the lesser loved Spanish round (and Spains weak economy at the moment means you can get two bites of the regional money) or if Baku’s not amazing instead of scrapping it twin it with Turkey or something. (Although it may be best not to race in Azerbaijan at all!)
lockup (@)
11th May 2016, 13:54
I can’t help thinking they could manage something better than that single-file final chicane that makes the straight just a drag race. Something wider and swoopier to allow a bit of racing and variable exits, like T1/2 at Nurburgring for example. Perhaps that would need more space than they have, but I wish they’d try.
ColdFly F1 (@)
11th May 2016, 15:39
was it really necessary to build that last chicane. It’s ugly, takes the flow out of the circuit, and I guess less overtaking.
lockup (@)
11th May 2016, 17:06
I think they decided they were short of runoff for the original fast corner @coldfly, for F1 at least, tho istr that was hard to follow in anyway. They went from one extreme to the other, really.
Mike
12th May 2016, 2:51
I think the problem is that it doesn’t fit in with the last corner. It’s turned it into a sort of, weird curved acceleration zone which goes to spread the cars out before the straight. It’s like having a round-a-bout right next to traffic lights.
I wouldn’t mind it they revisited that section of the track at the drawing board.
Ashwin (@redbullf1)
11th May 2016, 14:15
Last year the Mercedes were pretty strong here especially Rosberg, qualified pole and won the race.
I don’t expect much drama here.
Pukka T Pie (@pukktpie)
11th May 2016, 14:57
“There’s not a lot of run-off, and it’s gravel if you go off. It’s quite an exciting corner you don’t want to get wrong.”
I wonder how many Tilkedrome corners can boast this reaction?
Jerejj
11th May 2016, 15:07
One of my least favourite circuits.
René (@)
11th May 2016, 16:21
Can’t wait to see Verstappen, Sainz and Kvyat all together at the press conference tomorrow :)
Janet54321
11th May 2016, 17:16
I looking forward to hopefully seeing Seb, Lewis and nico with no penalties or breakdowns.
Fingers crossed that Max’s new status doesn’t make him over do it on the first (or later ) laps.
Pyon (@pyon)
11th May 2016, 18:03
Indeed, if take Vettel down on the first corner for sure he will make the front page of all media the following week :)
Tony Mansell
11th May 2016, 16:57
Great SIM circuit, challenging corners which can bite if you think you’ve nailed them. Never really cuts it in real life though Alonso going round the outside of Lewis in 2013 is up there with Webber on Alonso at Eau Rouge. Definitely a circuit worth a visit, Spanish are great people, very welcoming though not necessarily a good idea to tell them Alonso is past it….
PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
11th May 2016, 17:42
Last year I was in a grandstand at Silverstone. Everytime Lewis passed the entire grandstand stood up, I was the only one every single time Vettel passed.
Nick Wyatt (@nickwyatt)
11th May 2016, 18:53
I really like these track previews, but would it be possible to have an image of the track with the turn numbers on it so that we can identify which turn is being discussed in the text?
x303 (@x303)
11th May 2016, 19:51
You can find them on wikipedia @nickwyatt .
For example : https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Circuit_Catalunya.svg
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
11th May 2016, 20:01
@nickwyatt Good call – will see what I can do.
Nick Wyatt (@nickwyatt)
11th May 2016, 22:08
Thank you!
F1 in Figures (@f1infigures)
11th May 2016, 19:08
Great track, nice corners (even though they used to be better) and pretty good racing in the Pirelli era. Too bad the track still has a bad reputation.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
11th May 2016, 20:19
Great track, on sim I only have more laps done around SPA. Wonderful flow, especially 2004 version. Most corners are natural, curvy, rythem is good…
paulguitar (@paulguitar)
11th May 2016, 23:19
I went to this race in 2014 and found it a very boring track. Really soulless, bland, and a real effort to get there as well. We stayed in Barcelona and had a 90 minute commute, all in, including the walking. There was one ATM in a van, and it took an hour or more of queuing to get some cash. The food and drink outlets did not take cards!
What’s more, there were thugs employed by the circuit at the entrance taking everyone’s wine and beer on race day. This had not happened on the Friday and Saturday, and I thought it was scandalous really. I will never visit that circuit again.