Spanish GP Facts:

Full throttle ratio	57%
Top speed race	308 km/h
Longest flat-out section	16 sec / 1140m
Right-/left-hand turns	9/7
Tyre wear	medium
Brake wear	low
Downforce level	high
Gearshifts per lap	44

Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya is no stranger to Formula One, especially having been the host of the Spanish Grand Prix since 1991 as well as the venue for extensive testing by Formula One teams.

Despite the familiarity teams and drivers have of the circuit, the rough and bumpy track remains a challenging one for man and machine, with its mix of high and low-speed corners. In addition to the relatively high tyre-wear, the environment also adds to the degree of difficulty. The circuit is prone to high and varying winds that make it difficult for teams to find the optimum set up for a race.

The Spanish Grand Prix has been afforded the notoriety of being both physically and mentally challenging as well as one that relies heavily on strategy and tactics. The track itself offers few overtaking opportunities - of them the best is the Elf corner. Drivers have to maximise the limited opportunities in the final two turns – the New Holland, where a fast exit is essential in order to gather as much speed down the start-finish straight into Elf.

Barcelona celebrated the 15th anniversary of hosting the Spanish Grand Prix in 2005. In that time, Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher has proven to be the most successful driver at the Spanish circuit with a total of six wins. The German’s run ended in 2005 with a memorable win for the young Finn Kimi Raikkonen in a McLaren and Fernando Alonso in a Renault the following year. In 2007, the honour went back to Ferrari with Brazilian Felipe Massa claiming the top step of the podium.

Located just 30 kilometers from Barcelona, the circuit can be reached by most major motorway routes as well as being accessible by rail. Circuit de Catalunya is only minutes away from the station.

The El Prat de Llobragat Airport serves the city of Barcelona and is about 47 kilometers from the circuit. There are regular airport transfers to the city via bus and train services.

Technical Review: Barcelona
A popular venue for testing amongst the teams during the winter off-season, Barcelona is a track that is well known by all the teams who know it like the back of their hands. Nevertheless, experience over the years has demonstrated the fact that it can still somehow throw up new challenges. In particular the wind is a major factor. For this reason, teams have make constant adjustments to car set-up and it is therefore easy to lose direction. The track conditions also vary which is a contributing factor. In addition, the fast and medium-fast corners require a considerable amount of downforce, which therefor means high loads on the tyres. The refueling ban from 2010 will also compound this issue, an additional consideration for the teams when considering race strategy.