Barcelona Preview

By Ian Lockwood
July 13 2005

Race 5 of the 2005 Season is upon us. Already we are a quarter of the way into the season. This weekend sees the teams head off to the Circuit de Catalunya outside the Spanish city of Barcelona.

Barcelona has transformed itself from smug backwater into one of the most dynamic and stylish cities in the world. Summer is serious party time, with week-long fiesta fun. But year-round the city sizzles – it's always on the biting edge of architecture, food, fashion, style, music and good times.

The buildings, many the work of the eccentric genius Gaudí, will blow you away. The art, with significant collections by Picasso and Miró, will make you clammy all over. The people, with their exuberance, their duende, their persistent egalitarianism, will fascinate you.

Barcelona's enviable position between the mountains and the sea ensures year-round outdoor fun. It is a city that is inconceivable until you get there, unbelievable while you walk its streets and unforgettable after you've gone.

Unfortunately the circuit is a fair few kilometres outside of the city in a small, bland industrial town called Montmelo. Getting to and from the circuit can be a chore as the train network gets extremely crowded (beware of pickpockets) and particularly the small station at Montmelo struggles to cope. Expect even more disruption this year as the race has been a sell out for a long time due to the dominance of Fernando Alonso.

The Spanish Grand Prix has had a rather nomadic existence during its lifetime, taking in Pedralbes and Montjuich Park in Barcelona, Madrid’s Jarama and Jerez. However, the race has been held at the current venue since 1991.

The first race at the circuit was is best remembered for a stunning 200mph game of chicken down the start-finish straight involving Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell. But perhaps the most stunning drive at Barcelona came in the 1996 race when Michael Schumacher won by nearly a lap in appalling conditions.

The track is the best known of all circuits by most drivers due to its extensive use as a test venue. A resurface over the winter months though means that it won't as familiar as in previous years.