What to know about Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Located in Montmeló, near Barcelona and Granollers, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is also known as the Montmeló circuit. This versatile permanent circuit combines long straights with a wide variety of corners.
The venue has hosted numerous competitions, notably the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix and the Catalan Grand Prix of the motorcycle world championship.
Here are a few facts to help you discover the circuit:
Dimensions and capacity: the circuit holds FIA Grade 1 homologation. Its 2017 F1 layout measures 4.655 kilometres. The archive mentions a spectator capacity of 131,000, which depends on the event configuration.
Construction: the foundation stone is laid on 24 February 1989. The circuit opens on 10 September 1991 with touring-car and single-seater demonstrations; the archive mentions SEAT Toledo GT-16v cars, Audi 100s and Volkswagen Formula 3 cars. Its first official competition follows a few days later. Widely used for racing and testing, the layout becomes familiar to drivers, sometimes prompting discussion about its effect on the spectacle.
Competitions hosted at Barcelona-Catalunya
From 13 to 15 September 1991, the Inauguration Trophy and Spanish touring-car championship open competitive racing at the circuit, with Luis Pérez Sala among the winners. On 29 September, the venue hosts its first Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix.
The archive also lists the FIA sportscar championship from 1999 to 2002, World Series from 2002 to 2004 and 2006 to 2011, DTM from 2006 to 2009, Le Mans Series in 2008 and 2009, European Formula 3000 from 2006 to 2008 and International GT Open from 2006. Since 2015, the World Rallycross Championship has also used a mixed-surface course built in the circuit’s third sector.
A few distinctive features
- Wind direction can change significantly during the day. Because single-seater aerodynamics are sensitive to it, teams need settings that maintain performance as conditions evolve.
- Nigel Mansell wins the first Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at this circuit on 29 September 1991. Alain Prost and Riccardo Patrese complete the podium.
- On the layout used at the time of this archive, the race lap record was 1:21.670, set by Kimi Räikkönen in a Ferrari in 2008. This historical reference is not the lap record for today’s layout.
For a Formula 1 enthusiast, visiting this iconic circuit offers a connection with a venue that has hosted memorable chapters of the sport.
Catalan Grand Prix · Motorcycle World Championship · FIA Sportscar Championship · World Series by Renault · Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters · European Le Mans Series · European Formula 3000 · International GT Open · World Rallycross Championship
Official sources for the correction
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya — Trente ans d’histoire
