Race Week in Spain

It's Race Weekend in Barcelona, Spain.

Spain GP History

Formula 1 is in Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix, hosted at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The inaugural race was held in 1913, making it one of the oldest Grand Prix events on the F1 calendar. The first official Spanish Grand Prix was added to the F1 calendar in 1951 and won by Juan Manuel Fangio, driving for Alfa Romeo. During the 1950s, the race was held at the Pedralbes circuit, and it became a regular event starting in the 1967 season at the Jarama Circuit in Madrid. Since 1991, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has been the host venue for the Grand Prix. With over a century of history, the Spanish Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious races on the calendar.

There have been thirteen different winners since the year 200. Ferrari is the most successful manufacturer in Spain, with twelve victories. Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton are tied with six victories each for the most wins in Spain. Max Verstappen has won the last three races in a row: '22, '23, '24.

The Spanish Grand Prix is contracted to remain on the Formula 1 calendar until 2035, but it will move from Catalunya to a new street course in Madrid beginning in 2026. It will end an era with one last run at Circuit de Catalunya; Formula 1 is in Spain!

About the Circuit:

The fourteen-turn 4.657 km (2.894 mi) circuit in Montmeló, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, hosts Superbike, F1, GT World Challenge, and ELMS.

McLaren. A much-needed win in Monaco put Lando back on the top step of the Monaco podium; that was a must-win, in my opinion. It almost felt like the season favorite was beginning to be shoved to the side by teammate Oscar Piastri. McLaren is firing on all cylinders and running away with the constructor's title. The teammate battle for the driver's title is at a full boil, with only a three-point difference after eight rounds. We're halfway to the summer break, and every race will only increase in intensity until then. We might see one of the best teammate driver title battles in the last decade.

Mercedes. Monaco was a disaster for the Silver Arrows: accidents, penalties, and no points. After the roll the team was on, it felt like hitting the barriers. I expect a strong bounce-back and a refocusing for the team. Monaco was a bad apple; expect George to be back at the front again; he has two podiums in Spain and the lowest finish of 4th with his three races there with Mercedes; this is an excellent circuit for George. Kimi needs to refocus after back-to-back nightmare races for the rookie. Success cures all, and I expect George and Kimi to perform well, leaving the triple header with more steam.

Red Bull. It was not the best weekend for Red Bull in Monaco, but on to a circuit with success in the past for the team. Max has won the last three races at Catalunya, and the team has had success there. I wouldn't be surprised to see Max Verstappen on the pole with a potential win and Yuki in the points. These next few races are critical for Red Bull; the second, third, and fourth positions in the constructors’ title are entirely up for grabs. Yuki needs to switch the tone of the season if he wants to be RB #2 next season. I have complete faith in Yuki; I think highly of Yuki and hope this works for him at a critical time to prove himself to the team.

Ferrari. Monaco was another strong showing for the Scuderia Ferrari. Charles is on pole at his home grand prix, but just out of reach of the win. Overall, it was an excellent weekend for the team. The second consecutive weekend trending in the right direction. Ferrari needs a good weekend in Spain to prove to themselves more than anyone. We're in this constructors’ fight, and we're going to have some wins. Lewis and Charles could set F1 on fire with a run of victories; I can only imagine the buzz going into Monza later in the season with a few victories. Ferrari could be electric. Could is the big word there; it's looking good, but let's see if the team can keep it up. Spain is traditionally a good race for Lewis Hamilton, being tied for the all-time wins with Michael Schumacher at six Spanish GP wins. Charles also has multiple top 5 finishes here; expect Ferrari in the podium fight on Sunday.

Williams is fifth in the constructors’ title after eight rounds. I'll say that again: Williams is fifth in the constructors. Albon has been lights out, with two top 5s in the last four race points streak. Carlos is finding his pace and settling nicely into the team. Carlos's home GP has traditionally been good to him, never not scoring points at home, but uniquely, never a podium. I'm predicting Carlos's top 5 and Albon's top 6. And the Williams train keeps rolling.

Haas. Ollie tested in Spain last season with Haas, so it's not an entirely new circuit for him, but he does not have much experience in F1. Let's see how quickly Ollie finds his rhythm in Barcelona. Esteban had a four-year consecutive points finish with Alpine. The competition will be steep; if Haas wants to walk away with points, they will need everything to click at Catalunya. Monaco was a success; Haas can leave the triple header with back-to-back points. Spain is a big "prove it" weekend for Haas.

VCARB. Coming off a season-best sixth and eighth place in Monaco, it came together for the VCARB team. We'll see if that was a one-off race or if they are in a groove again after the team reshuffle. Isack is doing a fantastic job for a rookie, and Liam looked more comfortable in Monaco. This will be both drivers' first time in Spain as F1 drivers. VCARB could make a big statement with another lights-out performance.

Aston Martin. Newey was spotted in Monaco for the first time with the team; it feels like Aston Martin is due for a good performance. Monaco can be a brutal circuit; Alonso qualified well but had engine trouble, and Stroll had race pace but a grid penalty from an incident with Leclerc in practice. It hasn't aligned yet for the team, but it could happen any weekend.

Alpine. Monaco was disappointing for Alpine, which has been looking for a bit of luck since the driver switched to Italy. Gas has had points in Spain in five of the last six races at Catalunya, which is promising. This will be Franco's first time driving this circuit in F1. Alpine could be a sleeper team in Spain.

Kick Sauber. The tone is the same every week with KickSauber; expect little but hope for a lot. It's going to take a perfect weekend or a stroke of luck. The drivers are both doing great, but the car is a step behind. Nico has had a few points finishes in his career in Spain, but this will be a completely new circuit for Gabriel.