motor sports

A track that all teams know well, having raced here every year since 1991 and completed many thousands of kilometres of testing. The circuit's long corners are a good test of car stability and aerodynamic performance, and a handful of slow corners towards the end of the lap put an onus on traction. Regarded as one of the most technically challenging circuits on the calendar, it is perhaps fortunate that the teams spend the majority of their allocated test days collecting valuable data at Montmeló ahead of the race. Unfortunately, however, track and weather conditions are invariably disparate between testing and the Grand Prix weekend leaving the drivers and their engineers with a relatively green track to contend with from the outset. Barcelona is a high speed, high downforce circuit, with fast, sweeping corners connected by even faster straights and will see the drivers reach speeds of 305kph along the start/finish straight and fly into corners such as Seat at 240kph. The engines will spend each lap of the 66 lap race at 57% full throttle, so top end speeds are important, most crucially on the start/finish straight which will see the drivers flat out for over a kilometre. The most demanding corner on the lap is Turn 3, a long uphill right-hander that is taken almost flat-out. The drivers fight oversteer all the way through it and every time they lift off the throttle, even for a moment, it's reflected in their lap time. Barcelona's erratic weather conditions, particularly the prevailing winds, can de-stabilise the car's aero balance, so the teams are continually chasing the perfect set-up.