The fifth round of the 2014 Formula 1 season takes place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain.
The first European race of the year follows a three week break after an intense two months of travelling across the globe for the F1 circus.
It has given drivers and team members the chance to recharge their batteries and reflect on the opening four rounds, which took place in Australia, Malaysia, Bahrain and China.
However, there has still been plenty of work to do after the fly-away races. All 11 outfits on the 2014 grid have busy finalising major upgrades that they will take to Spain in the hope of moving up the competitive order.
The F1 grid knows the Barcelona circuit well through previous races, tests or competing in feeder series like GP2 and GP3. For the first time in many years, the sport heads to the track for the Spanish Grand Prix without any knowledge from winter testing.
Instead, the opening four-day event took place at the Jerez circuit, which is located in southern Spain, before the Bahrain International Circuit hosted the final two tests. The three practice sessions will certainly be very busy as the teams set up the cars from scratch and trial new updates.
Despite the introduction of the slow final sector chicane, the track is still one of the best barometers of aerodynamic performance. The track has a bit of everything, which makes it an ideal venue to test new parts and decide whether the upgrades are worth retaining. The decisions and changes made at the race will help to shape the rest of the season.
It has a variety of corner types, but it does lack a big braking zone. It is often said that if a car is fast at the Circuit de Catalunya, it will be quick everywhere else. Overtaking is notoriously difficult, although the addition of DRS back in 2011 has helped, with the first and 10th corners on the circuit being the best places to make a move. Because of this, qualifying is always crucial.
From the 23 F1 races that have taken place at the circuit, which is located just outside of Barcelona in Montmelo, 18 of them have been won from pole position. Fernando Alonso stood on the top step of the podium last year after starting from fifth on the grid and Michael Schumacher is the only other driver to win the race from outside of the front row after lining up in third place in 1996.
Let’s take a look at a lap of the 2.9 mile track, shall we? The challenging layout starts with the long pit straight, which is where the first DRS zone will be positioned, with the pit exit to the right. The run from the grid to turn one is the longest on the 2014 calendar, so a good getaway from the line is crucial.
The first two corners make up a medium-speed chicane. Turn one (Elf) is a right-hander that leads on to the full-throttle turn two, as drivers try and gain as much speed as possible on the exit of the left-hander. Due to the new brake-by-wire system, expect plenty of lock-ups into this complex.
The third corner is undoubtedly the best and trickiest on the circuit and will be particularly difficult this year with the decreased downforce levels and increased torque. It is a long right-hander that then leads on to a short straight before turn four, with the first sector ending just prior to the braking zone. It is another long right-hander that will be taken in fifth gear in 2014.
The ultimate line through this turn, named the Repsol curve, is to brake and take an early apex, before carrying lots of speed through the exit. The circuit then drops downhill for the turn five hairpin, which is a slow left-hander that can be an overtaking spot in the early stages of a race.
A short flat-out burst (which includes the barely-there turn six kink) follows before the medium-speed, uphill left-right chicane that makes up turns seven and eight. Drivers would previously cut the second part of the complex but a large kerb was placed there to prevent this from happening.
Turn nine is a fast, long right-hander that propels cars on to the back straight, which is where the second DRS zone will be positioned. The approach to the corner is uphill, but due to the downhill exit the apex is blind. Carrying good speed through this turn is hugely important for the following straight and the heavy braking zone for turn 10. This is where the second sector ends.
The slow left-hand hairpin is another good overtaking place and is followed by the flat-out kink of turn 11. The 12th corner is a long right-hander. "You have to make a 'v' out of this double apex corner before heading into the complex at the end of the lap," explains Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.
Turn 13 is a fairly straight-forward right-hander before the slow left-right chicane that was introduced back in 2007. Good traction and grip is needed around the final part of the lap due to the amount of low-speed corners. The pit entry cuts the inside of the final corner, which is a flat-out right-hander that leads back on to the pit straight.
The track surface is quite abrasive and the long, fast corners put a lot of demand through the tyres. Last season we saw the majority of the field complete a four-stop race due to high levels of wear. Because of this, F1’s supplier Pirelli has nominated the orange-marked hard and the white-banded medium compounds for this weekend.
Managing the tyres is incredibly important at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, particularly the front left. The weather is usually warm and dry, with the appearance of rain being very rare. It isn’t known to be an engine circuit so it will be a good guide as to which team has done the best job aerodynamically. This also means we could see a decrease in the advantage of the Mercedes-powered teams.
However, there is no doubt that Mercedes will remain the team to beat. The Brackley-based outfit has so far dominated the 2014 season, winning the first four races and registering three 1-2 finishes. The team is determined to increase its already sizeable advantage and that could well be the case this weekend.
Hamilton and his team-mate Nico Rosberg are both searching for their first Spanish Grand Prix win. The former looks to have the momentum and upper hand at the moment, but Rosberg has always performed strongly at the circuit and is typically kinder on his tyres – something that Hamilton struggled with last year.
Behind the leading two, the battle for the final podium position looks set to be a close one. Red Bull Racing’s 2014 car has proved to be strong aerodynamically this year and with less emphasis on engine performance, Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel could score a strong result.
Ferrari, Force India, Williams and McLaren will definitely be in the fight for points, with Toro Rosso a little bit further back. Sauber are hoping a lighter car and aero updates will help them to move up the order and Lotus is optimistic of scoring a top 10 result. Meanwhile Caterham and Marussia will be looking to close the gap to those ahead.
There is little doubt that Mercedes will win the race, but with major upgrades being taken to Spain, the competitive order in the midfield looks set to change, although it is very difficult to know what to expect at the moment.
There are only two multiple winners of the race on the current grid. Kimi Raikkonen took the victory in 2005 and 2008, while home hero Fernando Alonso was the winner in 2006 and 2013. Felipe Massa, Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel and Pastor Maldonado (remember that?) have all stood on the top step of the podium once.
The GP2 season continues in Spain with round two, while the GP3 series kicks off this weekend as well. On the Tuesday and Wednesday after the weekend, the second in-season F1 test will take place.
Spanish Grand Prix Fact File
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Track length: 2.892 miles
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 16
Laps: 66
First race: 1951 (1991 Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya)
Lap record: Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 2008, 1m21.670
Tyre compounds: Hard and medium
2013 race winner: Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
2013 pole position: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m20.718
2013 fastest lap: Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber, 1m26.217
Live on: Sky Sports F1 and BBC One
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
It has given drivers and team members the chance to recharge their batteries and reflect on the opening four rounds, which took place in Australia, Malaysia, Bahrain and China.
However, there has still been plenty of work to do after the fly-away races. All 11 outfits on the 2014 grid have busy finalising major upgrades that they will take to Spain in the hope of moving up the competitive order.
The F1 grid knows the Barcelona circuit well through previous races, tests or competing in feeder series like GP2 and GP3. For the first time in many years, the sport heads to the track for the Spanish Grand Prix without any knowledge from winter testing.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
Instead, the opening four-day event took place at the Jerez circuit, which is located in southern Spain, before the Bahrain International Circuit hosted the final two tests. The three practice sessions will certainly be very busy as the teams set up the cars from scratch and trial new updates.
Despite the introduction of the slow final sector chicane, the track is still one of the best barometers of aerodynamic performance. The track has a bit of everything, which makes it an ideal venue to test new parts and decide whether the upgrades are worth retaining. The decisions and changes made at the race will help to shape the rest of the season.
It has a variety of corner types, but it does lack a big braking zone. It is often said that if a car is fast at the Circuit de Catalunya, it will be quick everywhere else. Overtaking is notoriously difficult, although the addition of DRS back in 2011 has helped, with the first and 10th corners on the circuit being the best places to make a move. Because of this, qualifying is always crucial.
From the 23 F1 races that have taken place at the circuit, which is located just outside of Barcelona in Montmelo, 18 of them have been won from pole position. Fernando Alonso stood on the top step of the podium last year after starting from fifth on the grid and Michael Schumacher is the only other driver to win the race from outside of the front row after lining up in third place in 1996.
Let’s take a look at a lap of the 2.9 mile track, shall we? The challenging layout starts with the long pit straight, which is where the first DRS zone will be positioned, with the pit exit to the right. The run from the grid to turn one is the longest on the 2014 calendar, so a good getaway from the line is crucial.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
The first two corners make up a medium-speed chicane. Turn one (Elf) is a right-hander that leads on to the full-throttle turn two, as drivers try and gain as much speed as possible on the exit of the left-hander. Due to the new brake-by-wire system, expect plenty of lock-ups into this complex.
The third corner is undoubtedly the best and trickiest on the circuit and will be particularly difficult this year with the decreased downforce levels and increased torque. It is a long right-hander that then leads on to a short straight before turn four, with the first sector ending just prior to the braking zone. It is another long right-hander that will be taken in fifth gear in 2014.
The ultimate line through this turn, named the Repsol curve, is to brake and take an early apex, before carrying lots of speed through the exit. The circuit then drops downhill for the turn five hairpin, which is a slow left-hander that can be an overtaking spot in the early stages of a race.
A short flat-out burst (which includes the barely-there turn six kink) follows before the medium-speed, uphill left-right chicane that makes up turns seven and eight. Drivers would previously cut the second part of the complex but a large kerb was placed there to prevent this from happening.
Turn nine is a fast, long right-hander that propels cars on to the back straight, which is where the second DRS zone will be positioned. The approach to the corner is uphill, but due to the downhill exit the apex is blind. Carrying good speed through this turn is hugely important for the following straight and the heavy braking zone for turn 10. This is where the second sector ends.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
The slow left-hand hairpin is another good overtaking place and is followed by the flat-out kink of turn 11. The 12th corner is a long right-hander. "You have to make a 'v' out of this double apex corner before heading into the complex at the end of the lap," explains Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.
Turn 13 is a fairly straight-forward right-hander before the slow left-right chicane that was introduced back in 2007. Good traction and grip is needed around the final part of the lap due to the amount of low-speed corners. The pit entry cuts the inside of the final corner, which is a flat-out right-hander that leads back on to the pit straight.
The track surface is quite abrasive and the long, fast corners put a lot of demand through the tyres. Last season we saw the majority of the field complete a four-stop race due to high levels of wear. Because of this, F1’s supplier Pirelli has nominated the orange-marked hard and the white-banded medium compounds for this weekend.
Managing the tyres is incredibly important at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, particularly the front left. The weather is usually warm and dry, with the appearance of rain being very rare. It isn’t known to be an engine circuit so it will be a good guide as to which team has done the best job aerodynamically. This also means we could see a decrease in the advantage of the Mercedes-powered teams.
However, there is no doubt that Mercedes will remain the team to beat. The Brackley-based outfit has so far dominated the 2014 season, winning the first four races and registering three 1-2 finishes. The team is determined to increase its already sizeable advantage and that could well be the case this weekend.
Hamilton and his team-mate Nico Rosberg are both searching for their first Spanish Grand Prix win. The former looks to have the momentum and upper hand at the moment, but Rosberg has always performed strongly at the circuit and is typically kinder on his tyres – something that Hamilton struggled with last year.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
Behind the leading two, the battle for the final podium position looks set to be a close one. Red Bull Racing’s 2014 car has proved to be strong aerodynamically this year and with less emphasis on engine performance, Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel could score a strong result.
Ferrari, Force India, Williams and McLaren will definitely be in the fight for points, with Toro Rosso a little bit further back. Sauber are hoping a lighter car and aero updates will help them to move up the order and Lotus is optimistic of scoring a top 10 result. Meanwhile Caterham and Marussia will be looking to close the gap to those ahead.
There is little doubt that Mercedes will win the race, but with major upgrades being taken to Spain, the competitive order in the midfield looks set to change, although it is very difficult to know what to expect at the moment.
There are only two multiple winners of the race on the current grid. Kimi Raikkonen took the victory in 2005 and 2008, while home hero Fernando Alonso was the winner in 2006 and 2013. Felipe Massa, Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel and Pastor Maldonado (remember that?) have all stood on the top step of the podium once.
The GP2 season continues in Spain with round two, while the GP3 series kicks off this weekend as well. On the Tuesday and Wednesday after the weekend, the second in-season F1 test will take place.
Spanish Grand Prix Fact File
 |
| © AllF1.info |
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Track length: 2.892 miles
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 16
Laps: 66
First race: 1951 (1991 Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya)
Lap record: Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 2008, 1m21.670
Tyre compounds: Hard and medium
2013 race winner: Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
2013 pole position: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m20.718
2013 fastest lap: Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber, 1m26.217
Live on: Sky Sports F1 and BBC One
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