The Spanish Grand Prix dates back to 1913, and has since been held intermittently at eight different circuits, five of which have hosted the race during the Formula One era, and three of those have been in or near to Barcelona – including the race’s current venue, the Circuit de Catalunya, which has hosted the event since 1991.
The first Formula One Spanish Grand Prix was held in the Catalonian capital in 1951, on the circuit of Pedralbes. Repeated in 1954, the race was dropped in 1955 in the wake of the Le Mans disaster – its wide, spectator lined streets deemed unsafe.
It would be 14 years before the Spanish Grand Prix returned to the Formula One World Championship in 1968, at Jarama near Madrid. The uninspiring landscape of Jarama was dramatically contrasted in alternation with the splendour and spectacle of the Montjuic Park circuit, again in Barcelona, which swept and undulated through the beautiful parkland of Montjuic in front of the Royal Palace. Despite only hosting four championship Grands Prix in alternate years from 1969 to 1975, Montjuic is revered as a classic circuit, and one which also saw its share of drama and tragedy. The 1969 race led to the banning of elevated wings, with several cars becoming airborne and out of control as the circuit crested sharply before the first hairpin bend. This section of circuit again proved dangerous in 1975, with Rolf Stommelen’s Embassy Hill Lola vaulting a safety barrier and killing five people. The race was stopped before half-distance and Formula One did not return to Montjuic.
The Spanish Grand Prix thus resided at Jarama until 1981. This final race is an all-time classic with the unwieldy turbocharged Ferrari of Gilles Villeneuve defending an unlikely lead from an ever-changing succession of better-handling cars. Villeneuve is evidently struggling in the corners from early in the race, but positions his car perfectly to defend from his various challengers, and utilises his car’s horsepower advantage to best effect to eek out a margin of safety on the circuit’s one straight. This race remains one of the closest in Formula One history, with the top five drivers covered by 1.25 seconds.
Another close finish ensued on the Spanish Grand Prix’s return to the calendar in 1986 at the newly constructed Circuito Permanente de Jerez. Nigel Mansell’s trademark pit-stop-for-fresh-tyres-before-a-late-race-charge came up just short of overcoming a 19 second deficit in 10 laps, crossing the line side-by-side with Ayrton Senna’s, the official margin of victory being 0.014s.
Jerez retained the Spanish Grand Prix until 1990 – a race won by Alain Prost, and featuring a severe practice crash for Martin Donnelly that left him severely injured. It has since hosted two further Formula One Grands Prix – the European races of 1994 and 1997, and remains one of the series main testing facilities.
The following year, in 1991, the race was moved to its current home at the Circuit de Catalunya – built to coincide with the Olympic Games of 1992. Almost certainly the most enduring racing image of the Circuit de Catalunya occurred during the opening race in 1991, with Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell running side-by-side, sparks flying from their front wings, for the majority of the kilometre long front straight. Mansell eventually took second position from Senna and went on to win the race. The Circuit de Catalunya is recognised as an extremely demanding circuit for the technical performance of a car – its high-speed, constant radius corners demanding much of the cars aerodynamics – and a strong performance here is seen as a key indicator of a car’s technical strength. This, along with the teams and drivers familiarity with the circuit through the extensive testing which takes place there, has often been cited for the frequently processional nature of subsequent races – with the high aerodynamic demands of the circuit leading to cars being unable to follow closely behind others of similar pace due to turbulent air already heavily worked over.
In 2007, modifications were made to the circuit to introduce a chicane between the final two turns, both high-speed right hand bends. The resultant chicane was intended to break this succession of high speed bends, slowing cars down and allowing them to close ranks on one another, before a slower, less aerodynamically demanding entry to the long pit straight which should be more conducive to overtaking. These modifications have not been an unequivocal success, and the circuit remains one of the most difficult on the calendar for overtaking. Such is the problem, that Sebastian Vettel’s victory in 2011 was the first in 10 years where the race was not won by the driver starting in Pole Position.
Nonetheless, the Circuit de Catalunya seems secure as the venue for the Spanish Grand Prix, continuing its succession of races to 22 years which makes it easily the most prolific and consistent host for the race.
Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver at the circuit with six victories to his name, including his dominant win in the torrential rain of the 1996 event, and a surprise, last-lap inheritance in 2001 when Mika Hakkinen’s McLaren expired – ending his streak of three consecutive wins and beginning Schumacher’s run that stretched until 2004. Eight of the current field of drivers can claim possession of the winner’s trophy.
Schumacher’s victories, coupled with two more provided by Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen, make Ferrari the most winning constructor, but Renault engines have enjoyed more success – powering successful cars produced by themselves, (their erstwhile works team’s previous guise of) Benetton, back-to-back victories for Red Bull Racing in the hands of current drivers Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, and most recently a resurgent victory for Williams, their first in 8 years.
Preious Winners (at Circuit de Catalunya) …
2012 – Pastor Maldonado – Williams-Renault
2011 - Sebastian Vettel – Red Bull-Renault
2010 – Mark Webber – Red Bull-Renault
2009 – Jenson Button – Brawn-Mercedes
2008 – Kimi Riakkonen – Ferrari
2007 – Felipe Massa – Ferrari
2006 – Fernando Alonso – Renault
2005 – Kimi Raikkonen – McLaren-Mercedes
2004 – Michael Schumacher – Ferrari
2003 – Michael Schumacher – Ferrari
2002 – Michael Schumacher – Ferrari
2001 – Michael Schumacher – Ferrari
2000 – Mika Hakkinen – McLaren-Mercedes
1999 – Mika Hakkinen – McLaren-Mercedes
1998 – Mika Hakkinen – McLaren Mercedes
1997 – Jacques Villeneuve – Williams-Renault
1996 – Michael Schumacher – Ferrari
1995 – Michael Schumacher – Benetton-Renault
1994 – Damon Hill – Williams-Renault
1993 – Alain Prost – Williams-Renault
1992 – Nigel Mansell – Williams-Renault
1991 – Nigel Mansell – Williams-Renault
Previous Winners (at other circuits) …
1990 (Jerez) – Alain Prost – Ferrari
1989 (Jerez) – Ayrton Senna – McLaren-Honda
1988 (Jerez) – Alain Prost – McLaren-Honda
1987 (Jerez) – Nigel Mansell – Williams-Honda
1986 (Jerez) – Ayrton Senna – Lotus-Renault
1981 (Jarama) – Gilles Villeneuve – Ferrari
1979 (Jarama) – Patrick Depailler – Ligier-Ford
1978 (Jarama) – Mario Andretti – Lotus-Ford
1977 (Jarama) – Mario Andretti – Lotus-Ford
1976 (Jarama) – James Hunt – McLaren-Ford
1975 (Montjuic) – Jochen Mass – McLaren Ford
1974 (Jarama) – Niki Lauda – Ferrari
1973 (Montjuic) – Emmerson Fittipaldi – Lotus-Ford
1972 (Jarama) – Emmerson Fittipaldi – Lotus-Ford
1971 (Montjuic) – Jackie Stewart – Tyrell-Ford
1970 (Jarama) – Jackie Stewart – March-Ford
1969 (Montjuic) – Jackie Stewart – Matra-Ford
1968 (Jarama) – Graham Hill – Lotus-Ford
1954 (Pedralbes) – Mike Hawthorn – Ferrari
1951 (Pedralbes) – Juan-Manuel Fangio – Alfa Romeo
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