The fifth round of the 2015 Formula 1 season takes place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain.
It is the 45th running of the Spanish Grand Prix and the 25th time that the race has been held at the track.
The first European round of the year follows a three-week break, following 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, China and Bahrain.
However, there has still been plenty of work to do after the fly-away races. All 10 outfits on the 2015 grid have been busy finalising upgrades to take to Spain, in the hope of moving up the order and making progress forward.
The majority of the field knows the Barcelona circuit well through previous races, pre-season tests or competing in feeder series like GP2 and GP3 – which races for the first time in 2015 this weekend. Teams have already completed plenty of running with this year’s cars at the track, with the second and third pre-season tests taking place there.
Despite the introduction of the slow final sector chicane, the track is still one of the best barometers of aerodynamic performance. It 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. 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 even more important than usual.
A lap of the 2.892 mile layout starts on the long pit straight, which is where the first DRS zone will be placed. The pit exit is to the right. The run from the grid to Turn 1 is one of the longest on the calendar, so a good start is crucial. The opening two corners make up a medium-speed right-left chicane, with speed building throughout.
The third turn is undoubtedly the best and trickiest on the circuit. It is a long right-hander that leads onto a short straight before Turn 4, with the first sector ending just prior to the braking zone.
It is another long right-hander that punishes the tyres, with drivers needing to take an early apex to carry as much speed as possible through the corner and downhill to Turn 5. It is a slow left-hand hairpin that can be an overtaking spot, particularly in the early stages of a race.
A short flat-out burst – including the Turn 6 kink - follows before the medium-speed, uphill left-right chicane that makes up the seventh and eighth corners. Drivers would previously cut the second part of the complex but a large kerb was previously placed there.
Turn 9 is a fast, long right-hander that propels cars onto 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, which is where sector three starts. 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, with Turn 13 being a straight-forward right-hander. It is followed by the slow left-right chicane that was introduced in 2007. Good traction is needed around the final part of the lap. The pit entry cuts the inside of the final corner, which is a fast right-hander.
The track surface is abrasive and the long, fast corners put a lot of demand through the tyres. Pirelli has nominated hard and medium compounds for this weekend. Managing the tyres is incredibly important at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The weather is usually warm and dry, with the appearance of rain being very rare.
Mercedes heads to Spain as the team to beat, but Ferrari appears to be much closer. All teams look set to bring upgrades to the race, in order to make steps forward. Williams will be looking to cut the gap to the leading two teams, while Red Bull, Lotus and Toro Rosso will be hoping for trouble-free weekends. Sauber looks to be back in the midfield battle and Force India, McLaren and Manor will be hoping to make progress after tough starts to 2015.
I will be at the Spanish Grand Prix for Richland F1. Be sure to check out the website and follow us on Twitter for all the latest from the paddock. There will also be daily posts on this blog about my travels and time in Spain.
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, 1:21.670
Tyre compounds: Hard and medium
2014 race winner: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2014 pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:25.232
2014 fastest lap: Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing, 1:28.918
Live on: Sky Sports F1 (highlights BBC)
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
The first European round of the year follows a three-week break, following 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, China and Bahrain.
However, there has still been plenty of work to do after the fly-away races. All 10 outfits on the 2015 grid have been busy finalising upgrades to take to Spain, in the hope of moving up the order and making progress forward.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
The majority of the field knows the Barcelona circuit well through previous races, pre-season tests or competing in feeder series like GP2 and GP3 – which races for the first time in 2015 this weekend. Teams have already completed plenty of running with this year’s cars at the track, with the second and third pre-season tests taking place there.
Despite the introduction of the slow final sector chicane, the track is still one of the best barometers of aerodynamic performance. It 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. 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 even more important than usual.
A lap of the 2.892 mile layout starts on the long pit straight, which is where the first DRS zone will be placed. The pit exit is to the right. The run from the grid to Turn 1 is one of the longest on the calendar, so a good start is crucial. The opening two corners make up a medium-speed right-left chicane, with speed building throughout.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
The third turn is undoubtedly the best and trickiest on the circuit. It is a long right-hander that leads onto a short straight before Turn 4, with the first sector ending just prior to the braking zone.
It is another long right-hander that punishes the tyres, with drivers needing to take an early apex to carry as much speed as possible through the corner and downhill to Turn 5. It is a slow left-hand hairpin that can be an overtaking spot, particularly in the early stages of a race.
A short flat-out burst – including the Turn 6 kink - follows before the medium-speed, uphill left-right chicane that makes up the seventh and eighth corners. Drivers would previously cut the second part of the complex but a large kerb was previously placed there.
Turn 9 is a fast, long right-hander that propels cars onto 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, which is where sector three starts. The slow left-hand hairpin is another good overtaking place and is followed by the flat-out kink of Turn 11.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
The 12th corner is a long right-hander, with Turn 13 being a straight-forward right-hander. It is followed by the slow left-right chicane that was introduced in 2007. Good traction is needed around the final part of the lap. The pit entry cuts the inside of the final corner, which is a fast right-hander.
The track surface is abrasive and the long, fast corners put a lot of demand through the tyres. Pirelli has nominated hard and medium compounds for this weekend. Managing the tyres is incredibly important at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The weather is usually warm and dry, with the appearance of rain being very rare.
Mercedes heads to Spain as the team to beat, but Ferrari appears to be much closer. All teams look set to bring upgrades to the race, in order to make steps forward. Williams will be looking to cut the gap to the leading two teams, while Red Bull, Lotus and Toro Rosso will be hoping for trouble-free weekends. Sauber looks to be back in the midfield battle and Force India, McLaren and Manor will be hoping to make progress after tough starts to 2015.
I will be at the Spanish Grand Prix for Richland F1. Be sure to check out the website and follow us on Twitter for all the latest from the paddock. There will also be daily posts on this blog about my travels and time in Spain.
 |
| © Formula 1 |
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, 1:21.670
Tyre compounds: Hard and medium
2014 race winner: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2014 pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:25.232
2014 fastest lap: Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing, 1:28.918
Live on: Sky Sports F1 (highlights BBC)
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