On the Formula One calendar since the 1991 season, The Circuit de Catalunya also staged the start and finish of the time trial cycling event of the 1992 Olympic Games. For the F1 drivers, it's not just any old track.
Because its high speed corners and track surface, it's one of the best test venue. In 2012, two of the three pre-seasons tests took place there. Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton for example, have already covered 3,500km there.
Which means, competition during the race weekend is different than on any other place.
"Barcelona can be a funny circuit: we all test there so regularly that every driver knows it like the back of his hand, yet it can still be an extremely tricky place to get absolutely right," Button says.
"Because every team is so dialled in to the track […] it’s sometimes the smallest differences that determine the order[:] if your car is understeering around here, then you’re going to really struggle."
However, no matter how well the drivers know the track, as Sebastian Vettels notes, the wind that blows around the track can make up for surprises.
"The Knowledge that you gain at the tests doesn't always help due to the changing wind direction that occurs there, which can sometimes give you a nasty surprise, especially in Turn 1," the double world champion pointed out.
But aside from the feel on the track, the Spanish Grand Prix is also special because of everything before and everything after. Barcelona marks the start of the "European" season.
Vettel's Red Bull teammate remarks: "It's the first European race of the season, so it will be all hands on deck."
Even more so this year, as the first four fly-away races have proved very tricky.
"The first four races of the 2012 season offered great, thrilling sport," Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport boss felt. "Eight drivers from six teams on the podium in four race – one more driver than in the entire 2011 season – and four winners from four race for the first time in nearly 30 years.
"You couldn't ask for more in terms of on-track excitement and unpredictability."
Because its high speed corners and track surface, it's one of the best test venue. In 2012, two of the three pre-seasons tests took place there. Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton for example, have already covered 3,500km there.
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| Button: "I've done 3,500km here this year alone. You?" |
Which means, competition during the race weekend is different than on any other place.
"Barcelona can be a funny circuit: we all test there so regularly that every driver knows it like the back of his hand, yet it can still be an extremely tricky place to get absolutely right," Button says.
"Because every team is so dialled in to the track […] it’s sometimes the smallest differences that determine the order[:] if your car is understeering around here, then you’re going to really struggle."
However, no matter how well the drivers know the track, as Sebastian Vettels notes, the wind that blows around the track can make up for surprises.
 |
| "Which corner is this again?" – Paul di Resta testing at Barcelona (Photo: WRi2) |
"The Knowledge that you gain at the tests doesn't always help due to the changing wind direction that occurs there, which can sometimes give you a nasty surprise, especially in Turn 1," the double world champion pointed out.
But aside from the feel on the track, the Spanish Grand Prix is also special because of everything before and everything after. Barcelona marks the start of the "European" season.
Vettel's Red Bull teammate remarks: "It's the first European race of the season, so it will be all hands on deck."
 |
| Hands on errrr... deck? (Photo: WRi2) |
Even more so this year, as the first four fly-away races have proved very tricky.
"The first four races of the 2012 season offered great, thrilling sport," Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport boss felt. "Eight drivers from six teams on the podium in four race – one more driver than in the entire 2011 season – and four winners from four race for the first time in nearly 30 years.
"You couldn't ask for more in terms of on-track excitement and unpredictability."