F1: Get to know the circuit of the Spanish F1 GP in detail

The characteristics of the Circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya (the renowned Montmel) make it a tremendously demanding circuit and in which a car very balanced in all aspectsits 14 curves (eight to the right and six to the left) require single-seaters high downforce, traction capacity and a good top speed for your two DRS activation lines.

Due to its layout, the circuit has always been used as a test to test improvements and innovations in the single-seaters with which the teams hope to make a leap in quality and improve their situation on the grid.

The circuit of Barcelona-Catalonia is undoubtedly a talisman for Max Verstapenin addition to being where he ran his first race for the Oracle Red Bull Racing team, in 2016 he broke the number of records: was his first winthe pilot youngest to win a career at 18 years and 228 days, the youngest in get a podium and the youngest to lead a race.

In the words of Toto WolfCEO of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1,”The circuit of Barcelona-Catalonia has a mix of curves of all kinds and straights, so it is a real test for the car. It is a circuit where the management of the rear tires is key to good performance.”

CIRCUIT ANALYSIS

In 2023 Montmel comes with news, the promoter of the Grand Prix changes the layout of the layout in its last two corners and eliminates the last chicane of the circuit.

Sectors 1 and 2 are high speed and aerodynamic efficiency is crucial.

Section 1 They are long radius turns where aerodynamic efficiency is everything. After the long finish straight, we have turns 1 and 2 in the form of an open chicane, it is not too long braking, but the speed is reduced to around 200 km/h.

In Section 2, in turn 4, closed at the beginning, he attacked early to slow down and straighten the steering wheel to perform a difficult braking right at the exit. Be careful with turn 5, it’s quite long and it’s easy to spin due to giving up the throttle too early, after going through the chicane of turns 7 and 8 we arrive at the fastest turn of the circuit, turn 9, where it is very important to have a load aerodynamics.

The Campsa curve (number 9) gives way to the second great straight of the circuit in which the third sector begins, but first you have to make sure you have a stable car in this turn, which climbs at more than 200 km/h without seeing the exit until you are inside the curve, once saved all that remains is to accelerate at full speed through New Holland to end up on the finish straight and unleash all the power that the engine is capable of deploying.

“It can be assured that Montmel is the complete circuit par excellence” according to the special website ‘motor.es’. “In the you need a car with a brilliant aerodynamic conceptwhich is stable under braking and provides good traction, but also has a powerful engine and allows for effective tire management.” As if that weren’t enough, its geographical position with almost 200 meters elevation above sea level in different sections of the route makes wind be a conditioningusually influences two aspects: fast corners (in which it can destabilize the car) and in the straight lines (in which it may cause the gear ratio to be improper)

At the Spanish Grand Prix the show is served from the classification of the race, it is crucial, 23 of the 32 races that have taken place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya have been won from pole position.