Information sourced from here, there and everywhere. Enjoy!Formula 1 Gran Premio de ESPAÑA Santander 2011 (Catalunya) OVERVIEWThis GP can be either a boring race or an exciting race because all the teams know the place
backwards given its popularity for testing.
The new DRS will give them some red hot speeds down the main straight, and add a
greater chance of overtaking, particulary if timing is right as a competitor is coming
out of the pits at the same time they have been lucky to use it to pass another on the straight.
Traditionally this circuit has produced some rather processional races at GP level,
teams over familiarity with the venue through testing is one factor in the annual procession,
difficulties in following cars closely enough to even attempt a pass make any potential
overtaking spots virtually redundant, but in GP2 and less sensitive formulas there have been
great races. As mentioned above DRS might just make a difference.
The Catalunya track is one of the very few on which teams have tested before the start of
the season, so it is one of the few tracks for which they have a reference point. It's an
aero-track and everybody will run very close to maximum downforce despite the very long
straight, so it is going to be the teams who find the highest amount of downforce who will
probably be in a good position, and we all know how good the Red Bull is at that.
THE TRACK
Circuit Length: 4.627 km (2.875 miles)
Race Length: 66 laps (307.1 km, 190.8 miles)
Details: Permanent racing facility Clockwise
Corners: 16 (9 right-hand and 7 left-hand corners)
Lap Record: 1:21.670 (Kimi Räikkönen, Ferrari, 2008)
Official Website: www.circuitcat.com
Fastest corner: Turn 3 - long sweeping, fifth gear right-hand bend, 235km/h (146mph)
Top speed: 308 km/h (190 mph)
Average speed: 205 km/h (127 mph)
Pitlane loss: 18.6 s
Pitlane length: 370 m
Gear changes per lap: 44
Time at full-throttle: 57%
Time under braking: 12%
Fuel effect: 0.08 s per lap of fuel
Fuel consumption: 2.30 kg per 5 km
Tyre allocation: soft/hard
Engine demand: [Medium]
Tyre wear: [Medium]
Brake demand: [High]
Downforce level: [High]
Grid - 2010
Result - 2010
While Catalunya is now one of the best attended races thanks to Fernando Alonso's rise,
the track continues to provide one of the more sterile GPs of the season. The new chicane
arguably took out the best corner on the track.
BACKGROUND Although the Spanish GP has always of late been the start of the European eason, it used to
always be the traditional launch for most new cars, with teams still using interim machines
for the flyaways. Nowadays all that is changed, with new cars generally being launched for
Melbourne. However Spain has always been if not the domain of new cars, then the race
when the first major updates show, and any other developments done by the factories while
the race teams are away.
One of the quirks of Catalunya is that despite each team carryimg out many thousands of
laps every year in testing, set up can never be just dialled in. Often it has been the case that
a set-up determined during testing was no longer be the right one for the race weekend. As
mentioned, every team in pit lane will be running an updated car to some degree. Ron Dennis
always used to say people should not judge the pace of any of the cars until Spain.
Lewis, Fernando, and Jenson in particular will be keen to put the wheels back on their
challengeHISTORY Thanks in large part to Fernando Alonso’s spectacular success in recent years, Formula One
racing now has a huge following in Spain. However, ask the average fan to name another
Spanish F1 driver and many will struggle. Perhaps that’s not surprising, though, given that
since 1951 only another 11 Spaniards have graced a Grand Prix entry list… with Pedro de La
Rosa the second most successful Spanish driver ever it's a pretty forgettable list.
Venues: Pedralbes (1951 & '54), Jarama (1968, '70, '72, '74, '76-'79, '81) Montjuich (1969,
'71, '73, '75), Jerez (1986-1990), Catalunya (1991-present)
Recent winners:
2010 - Mark Webber (Red Bull) 
2009 - Jenson Button (Brawn)
2008 - Kimi Raikkonen(Ferrari)
2007 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
2006 - Fernando Alonso (Renault)
2005 - Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren)
2004 - Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
2003 - Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
2002 - Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
2001 - Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
2000 - Mika Hakkinen (McLaren)
1999 - Mika Hakkinen (McLaren)
1998 - Mika Hakkinen (McLaren)
* Five different circuits have been used for world championship races - Pedralbes (1951,
1954); Jarama (nine times between 1968 and 1981); Montjuich (four times between 1969 and
1975); Jerez (1986-90); and Montmelo-Catalunya (since 1991).
* The first world championship event was held in 1951 on the Pedralbes street circuit near
Barcelona. Montjuich Park, in the centre of the city.
* In the 1960s, Spain made a bid to return to the world of international motor racing - the
Royal Automobile Club of Spain commissioned a new circuit north of Madrid at Jarama, and
Cataluna (the region) refurbished their circuit at Montjuïc Park in Barcelona. A non-championship
Grand Prix took place at Jarama in 1967, which was won by Jim Clark racing in a Lotus.
* In 1968, Jarama hosted the Spanish Grand Prix, near the beginning of the F1 season. It was
agreed, following this event, that the race would alternate between Jarama and Montjuich Park.
* The 1975 Grand Prix at Montjuich was marked by tragedy. There had been concerns about
track safety during practice, with armco collapsing when drivers sat on it for a photo shoot
and, despite teams fixing it pre race, many drivers boycotted practice and double-winner
Emerson Fittipaldi retired in protest after a single lap.
On the 26th lap of the race, Rolf Stommelen's car crashed through the armco when the rear
wing broke off, killing four spectators. The race was stopped some laps later and won by Jochen
Mass, though only half the points were awarded. Lella Lombardi scored the only ever (half)
point by a female in F1 (see below).
*Amongst the firsts recorded at Spanish Grands Prix, -
The Lancia team made their race debut in 1954; -
Frank Williams became a Formula One entrant for the first time (with a Brabham for Piers
Courage) in 1969;
-
1970 brought the first win for March (by Jackie Stewart in a Tyrrell-entered car);
-
1971 saw the first win by Tyrrell as a constructor (Stewart again);
-
1974 was the first Grand Prix victory for Niki Lauda;
-
1975 witnessed the only Grand Prix victory for Jochen Mass in a McLaren,
-
the Grand Prix debut of Alan Jones in a privately-entered Hesketh, and ....
-
the only time a female driver has claimed a points score - Lella Lombardi finished sixth in a March.
* The Spanish Grand Prix has produced amongst the largest and shortest winning margins in a
world championship Formula One race - Jackie Stewart (Matra-Ford) finishing over two laps clear of Bruce McLaren
(McLaren-Ford) at Montjuich Park in 1969, and Ayrton Senna (Lotus-Renault) beating Nigel
Mansell (Williams-Honda) by just 0.014sec at Jerez in 1986.
* The closest five-car finish in a Spanish Grand Prix - and a spectacular sight - occurred at
Jarama in 1981, when Gilles Villeneuve (Ferrari) led home Jacques Laffite (Ligier-Matra at
0.22 sec), John Watson (McLaren-Ford at 0.58sec), Carlos Reutemann (Williams-Ford at
1.01sec) and Elio de Angelis (Lotus-Ford at 1.24sec).
* Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver in Spain, with six wins, including the four
successive victories from 2001-04 and seven pole positions. Mika Hakkinen, Alain Prost, Nigel
Mansell and Jacky Stewart have all won the race three times. Ferrari lead the table of team
wins in Spain on 10, followed by McLaren (eight) and Williams (six).
* Eight Spanish drivers have started in their home Grand Prix - Paco Godia (1951, 1954),
Alex Solar Roig (1971-1972), Emilio de Villota (1976-78), Adrian Campos (1987), Luis Perez
Sala (1988-89), Marc Gene (1999-2000), Pedro de la Rosa (1999-2002,) and, of course,
Fernando Alonso (2001, 2003-10).
Memorable Barcelona moments:1991 -
The very first race at Catalunya provided a moment of breathtaking action that
remains one of the iconic F1 images. On a damp track, Nigel Mansell (Williams) jinked out to
pass his great McLaren rival Ayrton Senna half way down the long main straight. The pair
went wheel-to-wheel, with sparks flying off both cars, all the way into the braking zone for
the first corner. Mansell was on the inside, took the position and went on to seal the race
win. It moved Senna to admit Mansell was the only driver that he ever found imposing.
1992 - Young Benetton star Michael Schumacher gave the world a first glimpse of the wet
weather mastery that he would go on to show in the decade to come. In increasingly tricky
conditions, the German, in just his 10th F1 race, kept the pressure up on the dominant
Williams of Mansell to finish a career-best second.
1994 - Schumacher despite his Benetton becoming stuck in fifth gear 20 laps into the race,
still managed to complete two pit stops and finish the race in second place behind title rival
Damon Hill.
1996 - Schumacher genius part three. In treacherously wet conditions, the reigning two-time
champion obliterated the rest of the field to take his maiden Ferrari victory and one of his
most astonishing ever. After botching the start, he overtook Berger, Alesi and Villeneuve to
lead by lap 12 and then simply stormed away into the distance. His fastest race lap was 2.2s
quicker than anyone else's.
2001 - Mika Hakkinen had been unbeatable at Barcelona since 1998 and was cruising to a
fourth successive win there. But then suddenly on his final lap his McLaren started crawling
around the circuit and ground to a halt with a clutch problem. It gave Schumacher the most
fortunate win of his career and ironically the first of what would be his own quadruple
Spanish success.
2007 - The memorable moment from 2007 came at the very first corner when home hero
Alonso tangled with Ferrari's Felipe Massa. While Massa emerged unscathed from the clash
and went on to win, his rival damaged his McLaren bounding over the gravel and had to settle
for third.
TECHNICALAerodynamicsAerodynamic efficiency is always a key factor at Barcelona, although the introduction of
the new chicane a few years ago has replaced one of the most critical high-speed
parts of the lap and means the track is not as demanding as it once was.
Even so, the circuit remains the ultimate test of a car's aero package and
teams will run with high downforce levels to ensure competitiveness over the whole lap.
There are lots of high-speed corners where good aero performance is critical. A good
example is Turn Nine, a fast right hand corner taken in fifth gear at about 230km/h.
You have to be very precise with the car as there is there is no room for error on the
exit and it's important to carry good speed onto the back straight.
SuspensionWith the suspension it is all about finding the best compromise to give the drivers a well
balanced and responsive car. This means relatively stiff settings at the front of the car to
get a good change of direction, while the rear will be slightly softer in order to get the best
possible traction out of the slower corners. Getting a good exit out of Turn 15 is especially
important as it leads immediately into the final corner and onto the kilometre long straight.
Lose speed in 15 and you will be under pressure and vulnerable to attack down the front straight.
Ride height is also an important parameter to consider as generally teams will run the cars
quite low in order to gain maximum aerodynamic performance.
EngineBarcelona is not generally thought of as an 'engine circuit' as the engine is not under
particular stress as any point and only 62% of the lap is spent on full throttle. There are
relatively few hard acceleration zones from low revs as the engine spends most of the lap
accelerating from the middle of the rev range. As such, the priority is for the power delivery
to be progressive and driveable in order to maintain the best handling balance, and limit tyre
wear. Top end speeds are important, most crucially on the start/finish straight which will
see the drivers flat out for over a kilometre.
TYRES Barcelona is well known for being a demanding on tyre wear because it includes so many
long, high-speed corners and has a fairly abrasive track surface. The tyres are therefore
under high loadings, particularly the front left which has to work hard in the quick right-hand
corners such as Turns 3 and 9.
Those using the Softer specification during the race may need to adapt a shorter stint in
order for the tyre to hold up under the high levels of downforce required for a quick lap at
the Circuit de Catalunya. The loaded left-front tyre suffers from particular stress on the
clockwise track, as we saw in 2005 when a number of punctures occurred with drivers
allowed to use only one set of tyres for the duration of the race.
BRAKES Not really an issue at Catalunya, with few big braking zones and so many high-speed corners.
A pity as this is taking away from key overtaking opportunities.
STRATEGYCatalunya is one of the most important issues at Catalunya and to be honest in the past it has
been a race governed by qualifying performance. Overtaking, as said many times already is
extremely difficult and a good qualifying performance and sensible strategy are paramount for
a successful weekend. I would, weather permitting, expect in line with a light fuel load to ensure
a good grid position, for many teams to couple that with using the soft compound tyres to get
it out of the way with a short stint. Of course that will be something we might learn more about
after practice when we get an idea of how the teams are finding the deterioration of the soft compound.
TIMETABLE for F1 (Brisbane Times)
Friday 20 May 2011
Practice 1 18:00 - 19:30
Practice 2 22:00 - 23:30
Saturday 21 May 2011
Practice 3 19:00 - 20:00
Qualifying 22:00
Sunday 22 May 2011
Race 22:00
Drivers:Pos Driver Nationality Team Points
1 Sebastian Vettel German RBR-Renault 93
2 Lewis Hamilton British McLaren-Mercedes 59
3 Mark Webber Australian RBR-Renault 55
4 Jenson Button British McLaren-Mercedes 46
5 Fernando Alonso Spanish Ferrari 41
6 Felipe Massa Brazilian Ferrari 24
7 Nick Heidfeld German Renault 21
8 Vitaly Petrov Russian Renault 21
9 Nico Rosberg German Mercedes 20
10 Kamui Kobayashi Japanese Sauber-Ferrari 8
11 Michael Schumacher German Mercedes 6
12 Sebastien Buemi Swiss STR-Ferrari 6
13 Adrian Sutil German Force India-Mercedes 2
14 Paul di Resta British Force India-Mercedes 2
15 Jaime Alguersuari Spanish STR-Ferrari 0
16 Rubens Barrichello Brazilian Williams-Cosworth 0
17 Jarno Trulli Italian Lotus-Renault 0
18 Sergio Perez Mexican Sauber-Ferrari 0
19 Jerome d'Ambrosio Belgian Virgin-Cosworth 0
20 Heikki Kovalainen Finnish Lotus-Renault 0
21 Timo Glock German Virgin-Cosworth 0
22 Pastor Maldonado Venezuelan Williams-Cosworth 0
23 Narain Karthikeyan Indian HRT-Cosworth 0
24 Vitantonio Liuzzi Italian HRT-Cosworth 0
Constructors:Pos Team Points
1 RBR-Renault 148
2 McLaren-Mercedes 105
3 Ferrari 65
4 Renault 42
5 Mercedes 26
6 Sauber-Ferrari 8
7 STR-Ferrari 6
8 Force India-Mercedes 4
9 Lotus-Renault 0
10 Williams-Cosworth 0
11 Virgin-Cosworth 0
12 HRT-Cosworth 0
Edit: added 2010 grid and race results
Topic: 2011 Formula 1 Gran Premio de ESPAÑA Santander (Catalunya) (Read 1307 times)
