Info & Historical past – Spanish Grand Prix

Historical past, info and background of the Spanish Grand Prix, which has been staged at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya since 1991 and can transfer to Madrid in 2026.

2025 Spain F1 Tickets / F1 Experiences Packages / Barcelona Accommodations / Spain Fb group

The 2025 Spanish Grand Prix takes place from Could 30-June 1

This put up comprises affiliate hyperlinks. We might obtain a fee in the event you make a purchase order after clicking on certainly one of these hyperlinks

The Spanish Grand Prix, first contested over 100 years in the past, is among the oldest motor races on the planet. Held ceaselessly all through the early twentieth century, the race was hosted on quite a few events on the Circuito Lasarte till the outbreak of the Spanish Civil Conflict. The occasion returned at a brand new circuit, Pedralbes, within the Nineteen Fifties. Since 1967, it has retained a spot on the Components 1 calendar at a wide range of venues together with Jarama, Jerez and since 1991, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya exterior Barcelona.

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has additionally often hosted winter testing, which means the drivers and groups know the observe very nicely. The Spanish Grand Prix regarded set to fall off the calendar in 2020, however its instant future was secured because of a money injection from the native authorities. The long run way forward for the occasion was secured in November 2021, when race organisers signed a brand new cope with Components 1 that meant the game would proceed to go to the Catalunya observe till a minimum of 2026.

Nevertheless, whereas the Barcelona observe will stay on the calendar in 2026, the Spanish Grand Prix could have a brand new residence on a hybrid avenue circuit in Madrid. Catalunya will as an alternative host a second occasion in Spain – probably titled the Barcelona Grand Prix – in 2026 however the observe’s long run F1 future past that may be very a lot doubtful.

Attendance Surges at Catalunya

The 2020 Spanish Grand Prix, initially scheduled to happen in Could, was pushed again to an August date because of the coronavirus pandemic. The occasion was certainly one of many within the 2020 season to happen behind closed doorways. In 2021, restrictions on spectator numbers have been nonetheless in place, with just one,000 followers in a position to attend the Grand Prix.

One yr later, with each Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso on the grid, the race weekend attracted a 4-day crowd of 277,836. The occasion additionally had its largest race day attendance determine since 2008; although there have been many complaints from followers concerning the organisation of the occasion. Lately, with Alonso again on the entrance of the sphere, attendance has grown even additional. The circuit loved its second biggest-ever race day attendance in 2023, whereas the weekend attendance determine neared 300,000 in 2024.

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya underwent quite a lot of adjustments forward of the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix. Most notably, the chicane within the remaining sector of the circuit was eliminated. The ultimate flip reverted to its pre-2007 format. There have been over 100 on-track overtakes within the 2023 race, partly on account of the removing of the chicane.

2026 and Past: Spanish Grand Prix Strikes to Madrid

In January 2024, it was revealed that the Spanish Grand Prix will transfer to a brand new residence in Madrid from 2026 onwards. The brand new 5.474 circuit is known as the Madring, and is being constructed across the IFEMA exhibition centre within the Spanish capital.

Planning for the observe started in 2022 and there have been upwards of 20 completely different layouts explored earlier than the ultimate design was determined upon and revealed to the general public in April 2025. There are some notable design options of the ultimate observe – which contains metropolis streets and a everlasting part – together with two tunnels and a steeply banked Flip 13, titled “Monumental”. Lap instances are anticipated to be round 92 seconds in qualifying.

The circuit’s pit and paddock space might be a brief facility, housed inside the halls of the exhibition centre. The occasion is predicted to be simple to achieve for race-attending F1 followers, on condition that the realm is already well-linked by many public transport routes. It’s at present anticipated that the circuit could have capability for as much as 110,000 followers, with aspirations to boost that determine by an additional 30,000 earlier than the top of the last decade.

Madrid holds a contract to stay as host of the Spanish Grand Prix till a minimum of 2035.

A number of and Notable Winners of the Spanish Grand Prix

The Spanish F1 Grand Prix was a favorite of Michael Schumacher, who gained the race six instances within the late Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s – maybe his most notable win right here coming in heavy rain in 1996, the place he gained his first Grand Prix as a Ferrari driver. Lewis Hamilton equalled Schumacher’s Spanish Grand Prix win file in 2021. Different a number of winners of the occasion in its complete historical past on the F1 calendar embrace Jackie Stewart, Mika Hakkinen, Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost, every with three wins apiece.

The spoils have been extra evenly divided between 2007-2016, when the Spanish Grand Prix was gained by ten completely different drivers in ten years! That goes some strategy to explaining why solely three of the present crop of F1 drivers have greater than two wins on the circuit. Along with Hamilton’s six wins, Max Verstappen has gained 4 instances (2016, 2022, 2023, 2024) and Fernando Alonso has gained his residence Grand Prix twice (2006, 2013).

Info & Historical past – Spanish Grand Prix 1

Residence Race Heroes: Spanish Drivers in F1

Fernando Alonso is Spain’s solely Components 1 champion. He has gained on residence soil thrice; twice on the Spanish Grand Prix on the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya in 2006 and 2013, and as soon as on the Valencia Road Circuit in 2012. Attendance figures soared on the peak of Alonso’s success. Learn extra about Spain’s Residence Race Heroes.

Lately, Carlos Sainz has loved the help of his residence crowd on the Spanish Grand Prix. He grew to become the nation’s second Grand Prix winner on the 2022 British Grand Prix. Sainz has a formidable racing file on the Spanish Grand Prix. Although he’s but to safe a house podium, he has by no means failed to attain on any of his appearances at his residence occasion.

Spanish Grand Prix: Did You Know?

Circuit de Catalunya Barcelona additionally hosts a spherical of the MotoGP championship. Often known as the Catalan Grand Prix, the race has been gained 5 instances by Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo

A second Spanish spherical in Valencia (often known as the European Grand Prix) was held for 5 years between 2008-2012. The Valencia observe was as a consequence of alternate with Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya because the host of the Spanish Grand Prix from 2013 onwards, however this didn’t materialise.

The 2020 Spanish Grand Prix marked the primary time within the occasion’s historical past, courting again to 2013, that the race had been held in August. It was additionally the primary time F1 raced in Spain in August because the 2009 European Grand Prix.

Lella Lombardi is the one lady to have scored a prime 6 end in an F1 World Championship race. She recorded half some extent for sixth place within the shortened 1975 Spanish Grand Prix on the treacherous Montjuïc circuit in Barcelona.

In addition to Pastor Maldonado’s 2012 win being his solely win in F1, it additionally marks the one time a Venezuelan driver has began from the entrance of the grid, completed on the rostrum or gained a race. Maldonado can be certainly one of solely two Venezuelans to have scored factors within the sport, the opposite being Johnny Cecotto.

Rubens Barrichello holds the file for many retirements on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. He failed to complete right here seven instances – one time greater than Kimi Raikkonen.

On the 1993 Spanish Grand Prix, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher all completed on the rostrum. By the top of their careers, they’d have 14 World Championship victories between them; probably the most to have ever completed on an F1 podium collectively.

Whereas Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton share the file of most wins for a driver on the Catalunya circuit (6), Ferrari are the crew with probably the most wins (8).

Schumacher’s first win for Ferrari got here right here in 1996, which coincidentally was the final Spanish Grand Prix to be affected by rain.

Because it joined the calendar in 1991, solely 12 podium finishes at this circuit have come from decrease than fifth on the grid. Solely three races on the observe haven’t been gained from the entrance row of the grid.

Memorable Moments within the Spanish Grand Prix

1991 Spanish Grand Prix: Senna vs Mansell

The very first F1 race on the Catalunya circuit produced a memorable wheel-to-wheel scrap between McLaren’s Ayrton Senna and Williams’ Nigel Mansell. After loads of place switches and tyre adjustments from moist to dry, Senna misplaced his nerve and spun, leaving Mansell to change into the primary victor on the circuit. Watch the highlights.

1996 Spanish Grand Prix: Schumacher shines within the moist

Michael Schumacher was in a category of his personal on the moist 1996 Spanish Grand Prix. The hectic race noticed loads of drivers slide off the observe, together with polesitter Damon Hill. Schumacher snatched the lead from Hill’s team-mate Jacques Villeneuve and proceeded to set lap instances three seconds quicker than every other driver. He ultimately gained the race by over 45 seconds from Jean Alesi to take his first victory for Ferrari. Watch the highlights.

2012 Spanish Grand Prix: Maldonado’s solely victory

After Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from the Qualifying end result, it might be Pastor Maldonado who began from pole for the primary time in his profession. He confronted no simple feat on Sunday, with Fernando Alonso beginning alongside him on the entrance row. Predictably, Alonso overtook him in the beginning, however Williams’ pit-stop technique and a brilliant speedy out-lap whereas the Ferrari was caught in site visitors noticed Maldonado emerge within the lead. He went on to take his solely F1 win, as nicely on the solely Grand Prix victory for a Venezuelan driver. It was Williams’ first win in eight years, and their newest thus far in F1. Watch the highlights.

Info & Historical past – Spanish Grand Prix 9

2016 Spanish Grand Prix: Verstappen makes historical past

The primary lap of the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix is notable for one of the talked about incidents of current instances in F1, as Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg got here collectively on the opening lap, ending each of their races. The crash paved the way in which for Max Verstappen to take a formidable victory on his very first look with the Purple Bull crew. It was arduous fought for, as Kimi Raikkonen pushed the Dutchman all the way in which to the end, with Verstappen successful by simply over half a second. Because of this, he grew to become the youngest ever Grand Prix winner at 18 years and 228 days. Watch the highlights.