The Spanish Grand Prix takes place this weekend, the tenth round of the season and a home race for Carlos Sainz. Scuderia Ferrari HP is keen to put its poor performance in Montreal behind it and return to fighting for victory at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit.
The track. The track has undergone major changes in recent years: in 2021 turns 10 and 11 were transformed into one long hairpin and last year, the unpopular final chicane, a thorn in the driver’s side which demanded a lot from the cars in terms of traction at the very end of the lap, has reverted to its original layout, namely two very fast corners propelling the cars onto the start-finish straight at full speed. These changes have not created any major overtaking opportunities, but they have definitely improved the show. The best place to attempt a passing move is at the end of the straight that is over a kilometre in length, as well as at turns 5 and 10.
Special grandstand. As usual at his home race, there’s a grandstand specifically for Carlos Sainz’ most ardent fans. The man from Madrid has finished in the points in all nine of his appearances here.
Programme. The Spanish Grand Prix runs to the normal weekend format: the first two free practice sessions take place on Friday, starting at 13.30 and 17.00 CEST, with a final hour of practice on Saturday at 12.30. Then comes qualifying at 16.00 with the 66 lap race starting on Sunday at 15.00.
Fred Vasseur
Team Principal Scuderia Ferrari HPFERRARI STATS
GP contested 1083
Seasons in F1 75
Debut Monaco 1950 (A. Ascari 2nd; R. Sommer 4th; L. Villoresi ret.)
Wins 245 (22.62%)
Pole positions 250 (23.08%)
Fastest laps 261 (24.10%)
Podiums 816 (25.11%)
FERRARI STATS SPANISH GRAND PRIX
GP contested 53
Debut Pedralbes 1951 (J.F. Gonzalez 2nd; A. Ascari 4th; P. Taruffi ret.; L. Villoresi ret.)
Wins 12 (22.64%)
Pole positions 14 (26.41%)
Fastest laps 12 (22.64%)
Podiums 55 (34.59%)
THREE QUESTIONS TO...
CARLOS SAINZ #55, SCUDERIA FERRARI HP DRIVER
1. It’s time for your home race. How special is it to race in front of your fans?
It´s definitely one of the most special moments of the year for me! Being able to race in front of your home crowd is a privilege and I´m super excited for the upcoming weekend. The circuit is buzzing the entire time with thousands of Spanish fans and the support I get from them is very special. I also have a special grandstand, the Grada CS55, which is full of super tifosi! It has become a very nice tradition and I simply love driving past it and seeing the atmosphere there.
2. Can you tell us about the characteristics of the track? What does it take to be quick at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya?
This is a track with a lot of character and we drivers (most of us at least!) know it very well because of the amount of testing we have done here in the past. Turns 1, 2 and 3 is a very nice combination with medium to high speed corners where your neck is put to the test! Turn 9 is also super-fast and a bit of a blind corner because it´s uphill. You need to treat your tyres nicely in the first part of the lap if you want to extract the maximum in Sector 3 and complete a competitive lap in Quali!
3. On Wednesday, you will be driving a Ferrari Formula 1 car through the streets of Barcelona in an event for the public organised by our partner Santander. How special is that going to be?
I think this is something unique in the city of Barcelona and I´m extremely proud to be able to participate! It will give the people a closer look at the car and we will have fun together doing some tricks! I’m really looking forward to the whole experience and I hope people enjoy it as much as I know I will!
Profile
Carlos Sainz
Nationality: Spanish
Born: 01/09/1994
City: Madrid, Spain
SPANISH GRAND PRIX: FACTS & FIGURES
1.6. The length in kilometres of Barcelona’s Passeig de Gracia, which this Wednesday afternoon hosts a demonstration run through the streets, with Carlos Sainz at the wheel of a Ferrari F1-75, an event organised in collaboration with team partner Santander. It is one of the most famous avenues of the city, a commercial and business area, as well as a tourist attraction because of the exceptional examples of modernist architecture from the likes of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a classic boulevard in the French style, 61 metres wide, just nine less than the Champs-Elysées in Paris.
3. The number of Catalan circuits that have hosted the Spanish Grand Prix. This Sunday will be the 34th time the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit has been the venue, while, Montjuic and Pedralbes, both in the Catalan capital, have been home to the Grand Prix four and two times respectively. Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia has hosted the race five times, while there have been nine races at Jarama, on the outskirts of Madrid, the city due to host the race as from 2026.
4. The size in square kilometres of the town of Montmelo, home to the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit. It is one of the smallest municipalities in the region with a population of under 9000. The earliest reference to this town dates back to 945 and the act of consecration of the church of Santa Maria de las Puella in Barcelona, when there is a mention of a donation from the parish of Santa Maria de Montis Moloni, the ancient name for Montmelo.
5. The number of drivers from Barcelona who have raced in Formula 1: Pedro de la Rosa, Jaime Alguersuari, Luis Perez-Sala, Francisco Godia-Sales and Alex Soler-Roig. It’s a record for Spain, with Madrid in second place thanks to Carlos Sainz, Emilio de Villota and Antonio Creus y Rubin de Celis.
9. The number of points finishes from the same number of starts for Carlos Sainz in the Spanish Grand Prix. His best result is a fourth place in 2022 at the wheel of a Ferrari F1-75. Last year he finished fifth in the SF23. In 2016, in a Ferrari-powered Scuderia Toro Rosso he finished sixth, the same position as in 2020. He has finished seventh three times in 2017, 2018 and 2021, eighth in 2019 and ninth in his debut F1 season in 2015, again with Toro Rosso.