Latest news with #CircuitdeBarcelona
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Are we nearing the end of Barcelona's run as an F1 city? Madrid addition puts race in doubt
MONTMELO, Spain (AP) — Barcelona may be quickly approaching its end as a Formula 1 city after more than three decades of racing in northeastern Spain. The grand prix is under contract through next year, but the addition of a race in Madrid also in 2026 has put a bullseye on the event that has been held near Barcelona since 1991. F1 has trended toward adding urban and temporary circuits, which offer spectators the services and attractions of a city and are not difficult to get to. That push was behind the announcement last year that Spain's capital would get its own race on a temporary circuit. Miquel Sàmper, who is president of the largely publicly-owned Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as the regional minister for business and labor for Catalonia, visited the paddock ahead qualifying for the Spanish GP on Saturday. He told reporters that negotiations were ongoing with F1 to keep the race on the calendar in 2027 but they would take maximum discretion and, most importantly, time, just like 'the best cooking.' 'This will only go well if we are discrete,' Sàmper said. 'There are lots of possible options, and that is making this take longer. We are analyzing each and every one for its pros and cons, and keeping in mind the circumstances: there are more and more countries that want grand prixs.' Two races for Spain? F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said during the presentation of the Madrid event in January 2024 that that the arrival of new race wouldn't rule out keeping the Barcelona event on the calendar. Spain did briefly host two races when it had the European Grand Prix on a street circuit in Valencia from 2008-12. But Italy appears set to lose Imola, leaving it just the Monza race, as F1 expands in the United States, where it now holds three races, and seeks out new fans beyond the already tapped-out European market. When asked by The Associated Press if F1 had slammed the hood on the possibility of having two races in Spain, Sàmper said he couldn't comment. The Madrid race will become the Spanish Grand Prix, meaning that next year's race in Catalonia will have to get a new name. Sàmper said that is still being talked about with F1 as well. Drivers defend Barcelona Fernando Alonso made an impassioned defense of Barcelona on Thursday, going so far as to predict that it would stay on the calendar. 'It's good to have new countries as well that Formula 1 has moved to in the last decade. But at the same time, we need to keep some traditional circuits where the history of Formula 1 has been written and made,' the Spanish two-time champion said. Those bits of F1 history include a memorable duel between Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna as they jousted side by side down pitlane during the first Barcelona race. And for modern fans, current F1 champion Max Verstappen became the youngest race winner at age 18 on this track. 'For F1 in general,' Verstappen said this week, 'it would be a bit of a loss, of course, if this track goes.' The circuit is considered a good standard track with high-speed and medium-speed turns. It has been regularly used for winter testing as well. The thinking goes: if your car performs here, it should perform well in most fixed tracks. Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton both won six times on this circuit as they amassed world titles. Hamilton agreed it is a 'classic' race, while adding it would be difficult for Madrid to build a better track. 'Building a new circuit is hit or miss, and 95% of the time it is worse,' Hamilton said. 'But as long as we have a good as circuit then it is OK.' Things to improve The 4.66-kilometer (2.89-mile) Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya layout is not conducive to overtaking. The best chance trailing drivers have is usually at the very start on the long run to the first turn. Officials have invested in recent years to improve facilities, but it still is difficult to get to despite being located on a hill above the working-class town of Montmelo some 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of Barcelona. Roads and commuter trains are overwhelmed by the more than 100,000 fans who come on race day. So next year could be the swan song for F1 in Montmelo. ___ AP auto racing:
Forbes
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
2025 Spanish Grand Prix: Everything F1 Fans Need To Know
BARCELONA, SPAIN - MAY 29: A general view of the main straight during previews ahead of Round 5 ... More Barcelona of the Formula 3 Championship at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on May 29, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Malcolm Griffiths - Formula 1/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images) After a controversial Monaco Grand Prix last week, the first European triple-header of the Formula 1 season ends in Barcelona this weekend with the Spanish Grand Prix. The mandatory two-stop rule introduced in Monaco to liven up the event failed to do the trick, leaving drivers and team principals disgruntled at the processional nature of the race. There will be no such thing in place at the Circuit de Catalunya, a track drivers and teams know well as it has long been the home of winter testing. With a mix of low- and high-speed corners, the track, which is could drop out of the calendar next year when the Spanish Grand Prix moves to Madrid, is particularly testing for tires. McLaren arrives into the race as the favorite with Oscar Piastri leading the drivers' standings by three points over Lando Norris, who won in Monaco a week ago ahead of Charles Leclerc. The Papaya is 172 points clear of Mercedes in the constructors' standings with Red Bull four points further adrift. Here's a number of storylines to keep an eye on ahead of this weekend. MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - MAY 24: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks on ... More during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 24, 2025 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco (Photo by) World champion in each of the past four seasons, Verstappen has been the man to beat in Formula 1 since he first dethroned Lewis Hamilton in controversial circumstances on the final race in 2021. The Dutchman has won twice in seven races this season, but does not expect to add a fifth consecutive world title to his CV. "I just try to do my best, have a bit of fun out there," he said at a media day as the paddock arrived in Barcelona. "I'm more excited if I know that we're going to be super quick. That's the most exciting. I always try to do my best, but this year so far it had some real positives, but of course also some negatives. "With some races we are really off the pace, which is not enjoyable. "That also doesn't mean that I'm enjoying it or loving it. I like it. Up until this point it's not going to be remembered forever." Red Bull has struggled in circuits with low speed corners, but should be faring much better in Spain this weekend, due to the Circuit de Catalunya's mixture of medium and high-speed corners. And Oscar Piastri, who leads the standings with a 25-point gap over Verstappen, suggested the Dutchman remains as dangerous an opponent as ever. "I don't think he can be counted out," the Australian said. "The gap is not very large at the moment, and they've genuinely been competitive at a decent number of circuits now. "Of course, there's been weekends where we've been stronger, but they've been developing their car, they've been finding more performance, so I think at this point, Max is definitely still in the fight." McLaren's British driver Lando Norris sprays champagne as he celebrates on the podium after winning ... More the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix at the Circuit de Monaco, on May 25, 2025. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP) (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images) Victory in Monaco last weekend was much-needed tonic for Lando Norris, who was in danger of watching teammate Oscar Piastri disappear into the distance in the drivers' standings. Norris' second win of the season cut the gap from the Australian, who has already won four races, to three points. For his part, the Briton suggested winning in Monaco was not a cure to all ills. 'What I felt this weekend was a small step forward,' he said. 'But it's not it. It's not like I've nailed it now and everything's back.' Last year, the Briton started on pole in Barcelona with Piastri 10th and finished second behind Max Verstappen, some 30 seconds ahead of his McLaren teammate in seventh. A repeat of the same scenario is unlikely this weekend, but Norris must live up to his tag of pre-season favorite and McLaren's No1 driver. Ferrari's Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc looks on as he sits in his car in the garage during ... More qualifying for the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix at the Circuit de Monaco, on May 24, 2025. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Charles Leclerc secured only his second podium of the season a week ago in Monaco, coming second behind Lando Norris, Ferrari's highest finish in a Grand Prix this season. So can the Scuderia build on an unexpected positive result? Not according to the Monegasque, who remains downbeat about his and his team's prospects this season. 'We've got to reset a bit our expectations going into this weekend compared to a weekend like Monaco where it was a bit more positive,' Leclerc told the media in Barcelona. 'However, it doesn't change our approach. "More than an extreme setup, the balance that we are trying to target is very, very aggressive this year and we've got to run like that and that doesn't change now. So we are still in the same situation for this.' Both Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have struggled to get the best out of the SF-25 so far this season, with the pair complaining the rear end of their Ferrari feels unstable going into corners. The Scuderia has also lacked pace in qualifying leaving the duo playing catch up, but Ferrari showed good pace in Monaco with Leclerc qualifying second and Hamilton fourth, before receiving a three-spot penalty for impeding Max Verstappen. TOPSHOT - McLaren's British driver Lando Norris drives during qualifying for the Formula One Monaco ... More Grand Prix at the Circuit de Monaco, on May 24, 2025. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP) (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images) Another weekend, another set of new rules coming into effect. A week ago, Monaco saw the introduction of a mandatory two-stop rule, which was meant to liven up a soporific event but only succeeded in making the race look even more of a procession. This week in Barcelona, Formula 1 will introduce stiffer tests on front wing flexibility, which can be exploited to enhance aerodynamics. Teams use clever carbon-fibre techniques to create flexible front wings, which allow them to balance car performance between high-speed and low-speed corners. These wings also increase top speed on straights by reducing drag, without sacrificing cornering performance, as the wing naturally lifts at lower speeds when the car turns. In practical terms, wings will have to flex less for a given amount of weight applied to them in official tests carried out by the FIA - world's motorsport governing body. McLaren's rivals have long complained its front wings are among the most flexible on the grid, but the Woking-based team has not brought wholesale changes to Barcelona. 'There are little tweaks here and there but nothing that will change how we have to do anything,' Norris said.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- New York Times
Spanish GP track breakdown: Laps at the Barcelona circuit gobble up F1 tires
The Spanish Grand Prix may be the home race for Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, but it's familiar territory for much of the grid as the teams often spend winter testing (and in some cases filming days) here at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Not that those filming days create too big an advantage. 'There's only a [set] amount of laps you can reach, and I think you get one or two push laps and that's it,' Sauber's Zhou Guanyu said in 2023. 'I'm sure everyone knows the track, and it's more about the details and how much confidence you feel on the high-speed tracks.' Advertisement The track changed ahead of the 2023 grand prix. One of the biggest was the axing of a chicane introduced in 2007, partly to slow down the racing for safety reasons. The track has returned (mostly) to its previous layout, with a pair of high-speed right-handers to lead the drivers back to the start/finish straight. But even with overtaking improving in 2023, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya's days look numbered. As things stand, Barcelona is at risk of being dropped from the Formula One calendar in 2026, when the Spanish Grand Prix moves to Madrid. As F1 prepares for a grueling run of five races in six weeks, here's what you need to know about a circuit that's known for eating up tires. Barcelona hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1992, and as part of the development program, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was constructed. The first cars to hit the track in 1991 were racing in the Spanish Touring Car Championship, and two weeks later, Formula One took it for a spin. Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna ended up in a drag race of sorts, going wheel-to-wheel down the straight. Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya features a mix of low- and high-speed corners, such as the final sequence and Turn 3, a spot where teams can better understand the car's balance. It's a familiar track for the grid as drivers have competed, tested and done filming days in Spain, but ahead of the 2023 race, only two drivers had experience with the pair of high-speed final corners: Alonso (in a F1 race) and Lewis Hamilton (in testing). 'I do remember testing here in 2006, my first test here in a McLaren, and that was, I think, two or three or four days of the high-speed last corners. I remember I couldn't hold my head up,' Hamilton said in 2023. 'The team asked me, I think Gary Paffett was one of the test drivers, they were like, 'Gary uses the pad, do you want the pad?' I was like 'No no no, my neck's strong!' Advertisement 'I remember getting to Turn 1 and just straight away not being able to hold my head up. I'd come back in and say, 'No, no, my neck is good,' but I was in so much pain, struggling to sleep at night.' The chicane was initially introduced as a safety measure, but today's cars should be able to handle the faster turns, according to McLaren team principal Andrea Stella. 'At the time, I think Formula One cars were like go karts with a lot of power, a little bit of aerodynamic forces, and very, very light cars,' Stella said when discussing the cars of 20 years ago compared to 2023. 'They were 200 kilograms (441 pounds) lighter than these cars. In this generation of Formula One cars, the second-to-last corner is easily flat in all conditions. 'At the time, it was a challenging corner, but they are much quicker, even if they are 200 kilograms heavier, because of an enormous amount of downforce, much bigger tires and much more grip as well, and still quite powerful engines.' One other turn to keep an eye on is Turn 9, Campsa. It's a speedy right-hander to head onto the back straight, making it a trickier corner. Back during the 2008 grand prix, Heikki Kovalainen flew straight into the barriers. Compared to the recent run of Monaco and Montreal, the paddock is headed back to a more conventional circuit. 'It's a proper race track, and this is where a Formula One car comes alive,' Verstappen said last year. Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is known for its high tire degradation, due to its high-speed nature and abrasive track surface. Even with the layout adjustments, it's safe to expect tire wear to remain an issue, especially on the left side. But that degradation issue opens the door to differing strategies, pace differences among the cars and potential overtaking opportunities. Advertisement Traditionally, the Spanish Grand Prix is a two-pit stop race, but it could shift to a three-stop plan depending on tire degradation. The race is being held a few weeks later than in 2023, which means the temperatures could be hotter and affect tire management. Heading into last year's race, some believed the removal of the slow-speed zone could facilitate better racing. Williams' Alex Albon pointed out how the cars stayed close through turns 10 and 12 in 2022 because of the racing lines, but when they hit the stretch from Turns 13-15, they fell into a single-file line. He felt the change could help with overtaking. Hamilton said, 'I hope that we're able to follow, with the cars we have, a bit better through the last two corners than we have (through) the little Mickey Mouse chicane.' Overtaking did improve last year, but is it enough to shake the criticism of it being a more processional race? Pirelli noted how qualifying is fairly important at this track in its preview: 'In no fewer than 24 races here, the pole sitter has gone on to be first past the chequered flag and adding to the importance of this statistic is that on four other occasions the driver who was quickest in qualifying retired from the race.' (Track video courtesy of EA Sports F1 — learn more about 'F1 25″ here.) (Lead image: Dan Istitene – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images, David Ramos/Getty Imgaes; Design: Drew Jordan/The Athletic)
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Washington Post
Formula 1: How to watch the Spanish Grand Prix on TV and what to know
MONTMELO, Spain — Here's a guide that tells you what you need to know about Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix. It's the ninth round of the 2025 Formula 1 season. — In the U.S., on ESPN. — Other countries are listed here . — Friday: First and second practice sessions. — Saturday: Third practice and qualifying. — Sunday: Spanish Grand Prix, 66 laps of the 4.66-kilometer (2.89-mile) Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. It starts at 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET / 1300 GMT). After the slow and twisty Monaco circuit, F1 is back to full speed at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The first corner at the end of long start-finish straight is the best of relatively few opportunities to overtake. The circuit is under contract with F1 for another year but its long-term future is uncertain because a new track in Madrid joins the calendar next year. Max Verstappen has won the Spanish Grand Prix for Red Bull the last three seasons. Lando Norris won the Monaco Grand Prix for his first victory since the season-opening race in Australia in March and closed in on his teammate and standings leader Oscar Piastri. Norris won from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, with Piastri third and defending champion Max Verstappen fourth. Piastri's lead is three points ahead of Norris and 25 ahead of Verstappen. Get caught up: — Lando Norris takes a 'dream' Monaco win to reduce Oscar Piastri's F1 standings lead — Frustration and slow driving at Monaco GP as F1 rule change backfires — Red Bull driver Max Verstappen wins F1's Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix to end Piastri's streak — Meet the Madring: New Formula 1 circuit in Madrid gets a name 170 — If Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri qualify on pole position Friday, it would be McLaren's 170th pole. Only Ferrari has more, with 253. 28 — Mercedes' 28-race streak of scoring points in each Grand Prix ended with George Russell placing 11th and Kimi Antonelli 18th in Monaco. 9 — For only the third time in his career, two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin heads into the ninth race of a season without a point. It also happened in 2015 and in his 2001 rookie season. 'A good weekend for me (in Monaco), not just in terms of results but personally, to kind of give myself that momentum, that boost. (It) definitely makes me feel better going into Barcelona next week.' — Lando Norris. ___ AP auto racing:
The Independent
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Formula 1: How to watch the Spanish Grand Prix on TV and what to know
Here's a guide that tells you what you need to know about Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix. It's the ninth round of the 2025 Formula 1 season. How to watch the Spanish Grand Prix on TV — In the U.S., on ESPN. — Other countries are listed here. What is the Spanish Grand Prix schedule? — Friday: First and second practice sessions. — Saturday: Third practice and qualifying. — Sunday: Spanish Grand Prix, 66 laps of the 4.66-kilometer (2.89-mile) Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. It starts at 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET / 1300 GMT). Where is the Spanish Grand Prix taking place? After the slow and twisty Monaco circuit, F1 is back to full speed at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The first corner at the end of long start-finish straight is the best of relatively few opportunities to overtake. The circuit is under contract with F1 for another year but its long-term future is uncertain because a new track in Madrid joins the calendar next year. Max Verstappen has won the Spanish Grand Prix for Red Bull the last three seasons. What happened in the last race? Lando Norris won the Monaco Grand Prix for his first victory since the season-opening race in Australia in March and closed in on his teammate and standings leader Oscar Piastri. Norris won from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, with Piastri third and defending champion Max Verstappen fourth. Piastri's lead is three points ahead of Norris and 25 ahead of Verstappen. What do I need to know about F1 so far? Get caught up: — Lando Norris takes a 'dream' Monaco win to reduce Oscar Piastri's F1 standings lead — Frustration and slow driving at Monaco GP as F1 rule change backfires — Red Bull driver Max Verstappen wins F1's Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix to end Piastri's streak — Meet the Madring: New Formula 1 circuit in Madrid gets a name Key stats 170 — If Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri qualify on pole position Friday, it would be McLaren's 170th pole. Only Ferrari has more, with 253. 28 — Mercedes' 28-race streak of scoring points in each Grand Prix ended with George Russell placing 11th and Kimi Antonelli 18th in Monaco. 9 — For only the third time in his career, two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin heads into the ninth race of a season without a point. It also happened in 2015 and in his 2001 rookie season. What they're saying 'A good weekend for me (in Monaco), not just in terms of results but personally, to kind of give myself that momentum, that boost. (It) definitely makes me feel better going into Barcelona next week.' — Lando Norris. ___
