Spanish Grand Prix – Key figures

1951:

The first edition of the Spanish Grand Prix took place in 1951 but not on the modern circuit where F1 goes to. When the top category of motor racing was still taking its first steps, it went to Perdables. A circuit located in the city of Barcelona that hosted two races (1951 and 1954). Who better than the first great hero of F1 to claim the inaugural victory there: Juan Manuel Fangio.

6:

The two most victorious drivers in Spain are none other than Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. Having long been used as the venue for winter testing, Barcelona is a circuit that offers a wide variety of corners and is often a reliable indicator of the pecking order between the teams. Therefore, it is not surprising to see that the two most successful championship drivers are also the ones with the most victories in Barcelona.

2016:

It was during this season that the legend Max Verstappen was born. It was indeed on the Circuit de Catalunya that he won his first Grand Prix. It was the Dutchman’s first race with Red Bull. Since then, the native of Hasselt has added 38 victories to his collection and 2 world championship titles.

100:

It was in 2021, in Spain, that Lewis Hamilton further etched his name in the history books by securing his 100th pole position. The British driver now has 103 poles, with his latest one coming from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021. Can the Mercedes driver with his new W14 car secure another first-place qualifying spot? The answer will be revealed this Saturday.

1’15″406:

Record holder of the fastest time in Barcelona, Valtteri Bottas set this lap time behind the wheel of his Mercedes during the qualifying session of the 2019 edition. This time might be beaten this weekend, despite the slower new cars, due to the removal of the chicane in the final sector. It is now a very fast corner, which should be taken almost flat out, that completes the lap.

4:

The national anthem of France was played four times during the podium ceremony. The first to hold the trophy of victory in Hispania was Patrick Depailler at the wheel of his Ligier in 1979. Alain Prost added three more blue, white, and red victories between 1988 and 1993.

1310:

1310m, that is the length of the straight line of the pits. With the help of the DRS, undoubtedly this is where the drivers will exchange positions the most. This long straight line is the launching pad for an attack approaching turn 1. This part of the track was notably the scene of a great battle between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton in 2017.

45.302

: In 1996, Micheal Schumacher further solidified his legendary status by achieving his first victory in the red combination. Under treacherous conditions, the German driver delivered a masterful performance, setting a completely insane pace that none of the other competitors on the grid could keep up with. This outstanding performance allowed him to win the Grand Prix with a lead of 45.302 seconds over his closest pursuer, Jean Alesi. A display of rain mastery that was a precursor to the Italian-German domination that Formula 1 would experience in the early 2000s.