The eighth round of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship takes place this weekend at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
There were slight changes to the circuit for this year’s Spanish Grand Prix, as the track layout reverted to that used until 2006. The main difference is the removal of the slow chicane in the third sector, making the 2.9-mile track roughly 60 feet shorter than the previous year’s. .
Teams and riders know the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya well, as it has been on the calendar since 1991 and is a popular site for pre-season testing. It consists of a mixture of high, medium, and low speed corners, changes of direction, undulations, and a long start-finish straight. There’s a little bit of everything, which makes it an ideal place for testing.
The frequent changes in wind direction on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya also make balance more challenging. Typically, towing on the main straight early in the morning creates a headwind into a high-speed turn. This helps provide better stability to the car. Then it tends to rotate in the opposite direction in the afternoon, and the riders have to adapt.
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, home of the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix
Looking at the weather forecast, it’s expected to rain for both Saturday’s qualifying session and Sunday’s race.
Pirelli has nominated its toughest tire compound for the weekend: C1 as hard White, C2 as medium Yellow, and C3 as soft Red. During the training session the team will also test tires featuring the compounds it has developed for the 2024 season, Pirelli confirmed. The compound has been made more resistant so it can handle the faster speeds and increased downforce of the latest F1 cars.
Going into the weekend, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen leads the 2023 Drivers’ Championship with 144 points. Fellow Red Bull driver Sergio Perez is second with 105 points, and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso is third with 93 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull led with 249 points. Aston Martin is in second place with 120 points, and Mercedes-Benz AMG is in third place with 119 points. Last year’s winner in Spain was Verstappen, driving for Red Bull.
