Red Bull ran a camouflage livery at this track during pre season testing
Track: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Number of Laps: 66
Circuit Length: 2.9 miles (4.7km)
Race Length: 190.8 miles (307.1km)
Start Time: 13:00 BST
Fastest Lap: 1:19.954 (Rubens Barrichello, Brawn Mercedes, 2009)
Fastest Race Lap: 1:21.670 (Kimi Raikkonen, Scuderia Ferrari, 2008)
2014 Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG Petronas, 1:25.232, Medium Tyres
2014 Race Winner: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG Petronas
Tyre Compounds: Medium, Hard, Intermediate, Wet
First F1 Grand Prix (Country): 1951
First F1 Grand Prix (Track): 1991, original layout
Most Wins: Michael Schumacher (6)
After a three week break from the floodlit Bahrain race, the European part of the F1 season begins with the Spanish Grand Prix. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is a traditional testing venue for the teams, meaning that it is the perfect place for teams to bring new upgrades that have been in the pipeline since the season began.
For McLaren, the race will also bring a new livery. The team have opted to change their red, chrome and black paint job used so far for “graphite grey” livery with McLaren “speedmarks” and “keylines” in dayglo paint.
Talking of the Woking based team, Fernando Alonso will be hoping to fair better than the last time he drove this circuit. During pre season testing, he sustained concussion after a crash at the fast turn 3, forcing him to miss the opening round of the year.
Ferrari will be hoping their upgrades take them a step closer to Mercedes, with Kimi Raikkonen gaining his first podium for over a year at Bahrain last time out when he finished second – ahead of Nico Rosberg. Ferrari team mate Sebastian Vettel has of course already taken a win this year.
Despite several revisions to the track over the years, Catalunya usually fails to provide a race full of overtakes. With cars seemingly struggling to run close to each other this year, things do not bode well. Let’s hope, then, that the race is against type – as one of my favourite parts of the season begins on Sunday.
Images courtesy of Red Bull Racing and Williams F1 Team
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