Catalunya
Race Date:11 May 2014
Circuit Name:Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
First Grand Prix:1991
Number of Laps:66
Circuit Length:4.655 km
Race Distance:307.104 km
Lap Record:1:21.670 - K Raikkonen (2008)
History
The Formula One teams are no strangers to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (formerly known as the Circuit de Catalunya); not only have they raced there every year since 1991, they also conduct extensive testing at the venue.
Familiarity does not, however, lessen the challenge for car or driver. Barcelona's mix of high and low-speed corners, plus its abrasive and rather bumpy track surface, makes for a physically and mechanically taxing race. Tyre wear is particularly high and the varying winds that cut across the circuit mean an optimum set-up can be hard to find.
For spectators Elf corner is among the best places to watch, as it is one of the track's few overtaking opportunities. For the drivers it is the final two turns, known collectively as New Holland, which provide one of the biggest challenges of the season. A fast exit is essential in order to maximise speed down the start-finish straight into Elf.
2013 marked the 23rd time Barcelona has hosted the Spanish Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher has been the most successful driver at the circuit, with a total of six victories. Among the other current drivers, Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button, Mark Webber and Felipe Massa have all won there.
Mercedes thinks Ferrari the biggest threat in F1 title battle
Ferrari has been singled out by Mercedes as its biggest threat for the Formula 1 world championship this year.
Although Ferrari has managed just one podium finish so far in 2014, Mercedes believes that the potential of the F14 T - allied to the brilliance of Fernando Alonso - means the Italian squad rather than Red Bull is its main rival.
When asked by AUTOSPORT who he believes Mercedes' main rival for the title would be, motorsport boss Toto Wolff said: "I think it will be Ferrari.
"They are the only other team to have everything, car and powertrain, in-house.
"And I reckon Alonso to be a real race monster who can achieve everything".
This weekend's Spanish Grand Prix is viewed as a key race for the title battle, with all teams bringing aerodynamic updates that could shuffle up the order.
Wolff believes that the form shown at the Barcelona circuit would indicate just how much of an advantage his team had, and especially whether Red Bull can make the steps it needs to be fully back in the hunt for wins.
"I am not afraid of this race, but we enter it with a lot of respect," he said.
"Catalunya will prove how good our car really is, because we compete there on a Red Bull track.
"Red Bull's progress in the recent races was extraordinary, so Catalunya will really be a benchmark for everyone."
He added: "We all know it will become tighter and more difficult for us. If you look at Red Bull in Jerez in the first test and where they went from there, they really made impressive progress.
"And Ferrari showed excellent shape too lately. So nothing is guaranteed".
autosport.com
