Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona

Web Site: http://www.circuitcat.com

The Spanish Grand Prix was one of the rounds of the first ever FIA Formula One World Championship in 1951 but has not been a permanent fixture on the calendar. Held initially at the Pedrables circuit it has also been held at the Jarama and Monjuich Park circuits amongst others. In 1991 it moved to the purpose-built Circuit de Catalunya about 30 miles from the centre of Barcelona and has remained there ever since.

The circuit itself has a long start/finish straight coupled to an â??infieldâ?? that take the drivers behind the paddock and back to the start/finish straight. The first corner is a key passing spot on the track, with a good exit from the last corner the key to turning a possibility into a successful overtaking manoeuvre.

Memorable moments here include the famous side-by-side shot of Ayerton Senna and Nigel Mansell from 1992 â?? reputed to be one of the most broadcast sports clips in the world â?? and Jaques Villeneuveâ??s overtaking manoeuvre around the outside of Michael Schumacher in the final corner in 1997. Less memorable moments (for the drivers at least) include Damon Hill going off in the wet in 1996 after just 11 laps and Mika Hakkinenâ??s car expiring whilst leading on the final lap in 2001.

A lap of the Cirucit de Catalunya runs as follows:

Accelerating downhill along the start-finish straight you hit 190mph in seventh gear before braking hard for the right-hander of Elf corner, which acts as a funnel at the start of the race and is often the site of first lap incidents. You can hit up to 4.8G under braking as your speed reduces to 86mph in second gear. The second corner, the uphill left flick of Elf at 118mph is in third and flat out in qualifying. This is immediately followed by the long demanding sweep of Renault, powering through the 180-degree right hander you reach 170mph on the exit.

You continue to push hard on the throttle for the short straight that leads to Repsol, reaching some 180mph in sixth gear before braking hard for the tricky right hander. You enter Repsol in second gear at 85mph, increasing your speed as you are swung round the right curve, exiting at 155mph. A short burst of acceleration takes you down to the Seat hairpin. Hard on the brakes the track drops as you negotiate the tight left-hander at 60mph in second gear. Accelerating out of Seat, the track sweeps through a gentle left curve reaching 160mph in fifth gear before once again braking hard for the difficult left of Würth, which is taken in second at 85mph. Würth leads you onto a short uphill straight.

A spurt of gas sees your speed hit 147mph/236kph in fourth gear on the approach to the blind right-hander of Campsa. Negotiated at 135mph in fourth gear this is a tricky corner with a large bump as you turn in. Campsa leads onto the fast Nissan straight, which sees you reach speeds of 180mph in sixth gear before braking sharply for the La Caixa hairpin. The left turn is taken in second gear at 65mph as you climb on the approach to the double right apex of Banc Sabadell.

Entering the bumpy corner at 80mph in second, you push hard as you exit the second apex, building up speed on the short straight that leads to New Holland. The right hander is taken flat out in qualifying, and in the race you lift slightly to negotiate it at 150mph in fourth gear. Another short straight follows that leads you to the final corner, a very fast right hand turn that is taken at a minimum on 140mph in fourth and sweeps you back on the pit straight to start another lap.

Lap information courtesy of West McLaren Mercedes.