Catalunya

The Circuito de Catalunya at Montmelo is Barcelona’s fourth major circuit after Villafranca, Pedralbes and Montjuich Park. It was built at great expense to hold the 1991 Spanish Grand Prix in the backlash surrounding Martin Donnelly’s near-fatal accident at Jerez a year earlier. The inaugural race featured Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell going wheel to wheel the length of the long main straight as they battled for the World Championship. The Nissan corner was slowed by a temporary tyre chicane for the 1994 race, as Formula 1 struggled to address safety concerns, and was bypassed in 1995. Twelve years later, a chicane was introduced between the final two corners for car racing but little could improve overtaking opportunities. Michael Schumacher’s six victories here included successive wins from 2001-04. Mercedes-Benz dominated in the turbo hybrid era but Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg collided in 2016, handing Max Verstappen the chance to become F1’s youngest winner on his Red Bull debut. The circuit was officially renamed Circuito de Barcelona-Catalunya in 2013 following a sponsorship agreement with the city.