Challenging track for the tyres
A “tough” appointment for Formula 1 in the tenth stage of the season. The Spanish Grand Prix will once again take place on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, one of the most technically demanding tracks not only for the cars but also for the tyres. It is therefore no surprise that, as per tradition, Pirelli has selected for this event the three hardest dry compounds – C1 for Hard, C2 for Medium and C3 for Soft – from its 2024 collection, the same choice made for the first race of the year in Bahrain.
The route is one of the most complete in the world and not just in the world championship calendar. There are straights and all possible types of corners, including some – such as 3 and the combination of 13 and 14 which lead to the main straight – to be taken at decidedly high speeds. The lateral forces exerted on the tires are particularly high, particularly on those on the left side of the car, given that there are nine out of fourteen right-hand bends.
Crucial stage from a championship perspective
For many years this circuit was the site of the teams’ winter testing and, as it opened the European phase of the season, it was the stage for the debut of the first significant upgrades of the season. In recent years this function has diminished but Barcelona remains a proving and eagerly awaited stage for all the teams because – and this is not a cliché – if a single-seater is competitive here it should be competitive on every type of track.
From 2023, the original configuration used from 1991 – the year of this track’s debut in the top motor racing competition – to 2007, when a chicane was inserted before the last corner, was reintroduced, with the theoretical aim – however unsuccessful – of creating greater opportunities for overtaking. In fact, it was precisely the elimination of the chicane – combined with the current aerodynamic configuration of the cars – that brought overtaking back into vogue on this track which, it is no coincidence, last year went from being in the central part of the specialty ranking to enter the top four last season.
Warmer temperatures
Compared to 2023, this year the race weekend takes place three weeks later and temperatures could be higher. This could add a further factor – the thermal one – in tire management, which could put the C3 at a disadvantage, which last year was also quite competitive in the race and was chosen for the first stint by 16 out of 20 drivers.
From a strategy point of view, the double stop should be the fastest option, with all the compounds that could come into play. In the event of more pronounced degradation, the three stops could represent a variable, also in light of the fact that last year’s race demonstrated that overtaking is easier than in the past.
The weight of the pole
Another tradition linked to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is the weight of the pole position for the final result. In 24 races, whoever started in front of everyone went on to take the checkered flag first. And if you consider that on four occasions the pole man was forced to retire, you understand even more how important it is – at least statistically – to be the fastest on Saturday afternoon.
After the one in Miami, this one in Barcelona will be the second Grand Prix of the season and will see all four championships for which Pirelli is the exclusive tire supplier alternate on the track: in addition to Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3, the third stage is in fact on the calendar season of the F1 Academy, the women’s series created in 2023.
A dive into history
The Spanish Grand Prix reaches its fifty-fourth edition this year. It entered the world championship calendar for the first time in 1951 but has been a permanent part of it since 1986. Barcelona is the fifth track on which this Grand Prix has been held: previously it had in fact been raced on two city tracks in the Catalan capital – Pedralbes ( twice) and Montjuic (4) – and on two permanent racetracks, that of Jarama (9), on the outskirts of Madrid, and that of Jerez de la Frontera (5), in Andalusia. This year’s edition is therefore the thirty-fourth to be hosted on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Spain has hosted seven other world championship events, always under the name of the European Grand Prix: in 1994 and 1997 in Jerez, from 2008 to 2012 on the city track of Valencia.
Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton are the drivers who have achieved the most successes in the Spanish Grand Prix, with six victories each: thanks to first place in the 1994 European Grand Prix Michael is the most victorious in F1 races held on Spanish soil. The German champion is also first in the ranking of pole positions (7), fastest laps in the race (7) and podium placings (12). Among the manufacturers, Ferrari is first in terms of number of victories (12), pole positions (14), fastest laps in the race (14) and podium finishes (38).
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