circuit de catalunya

The Saló de l’Automòbil exhibition is the main meeting point for the automobile industry in Spain and will take place at the Montjuïc trade fair from May 9th to the 19th. 22 car brands and 32 premieres are announced: two worldwide, four European and 26 at Spanish level. The showing coincides with the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya and the extreme sports event X Games of Barcelona, completing a motor week in the Catalan capital. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will kick off the Motor Show on Friday the 10th of May.

The President of the Catalan Government announced the initiative which will aim to develop an industry and knowledge cluster of the automation sector. The cluster would profit from the multinational companies based in Catalonia, the country’s industrial sector traditionally linked to cars and bikes, the export infrastructures, Barcelona’s car fair, the Formula-1 racing circuit and the innovation, design and education centres. The new cluster is fully supported by the Catalan Government, since automation is one of the main engines driving Catalonia’s economy. It aims to strengthen the sector’s competitiveness, foster cooperation between companies, facilitate the education and training of professionals, develop innovation and implement strategic agendas such as sustainable mobility and electrical vehicles.

Throughout this week the Formula One Test Days have been held at the Montmeló racetrack, located in Greater Barcelona’s northern area. While all the teams try to optimize their performance capacity, Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso has been the fastest driver this week. The Circuit has been a hive of activity thanks to other parallel activities of the event, such as guided tours. The Formula One Test Days at the Catalunya Circuit are back next week between the 28th February and 3rd March, just two weeks before the Formula One official season starts in Australia.

Spanish Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso was the fastest driver this week at the Montmeló F1 circuit, leading the field Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during the Formula 1 Test Days. However, the lap record was recorded by McLaren’s new driver, Mexican Sergio Pérez, who needed just 1 minute 21.848 seconds to complete the Catalan track.

The Circuit de Catalunya hosts the Formula Student Spain 2012 competition with over 700 participants from nine countries. The competition is designed to test the student’s knowledge and engineering skills over four days, in a competition judged by experts from the automotive industry. The competition is valued by the participants as a valuable experience with the chance to work as an engineer with a Formula 1 team.

In MotoGP the victory of Spanish rider Jorge Lorenzo and Catalan rider Dani Pedrosa’s second spot on the podium riveted the thousands of fans that came to the Catalunya Circuit at Montmeló, as did the victory of Catalan promise Maverick Viñales in the Moto3 category. However, in Moto2 local favourites Marc Márquez and Pol Espargaró clashed leaving Espargaró out of the race and Márquez in 3rd position. Victory in the Moto2 category was for Italian Andrea Ianone.

This weekend, Grand Prix motorcycle racing returns to the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló (Greater Barcelona) for the fifth race of the world championship in all three categories. Catalan racers are the favourites at MotoGP, GP2 and GP3 levels based on current form. From the very beginning, Catalonia opted for the motor racing industry. The Catalan circuit has a contract for the motorcycle Grand Prix until 2016 and it has been known recently that the Barcelona City Council and the Provincial Council of Barcelona are going to invest money in order to preserve as much as possible the activities

This weekend, Catalonia’s Formula 1 track, located in Montmeló, in Greater Barcelona, will once again organise the Spanish Grand Prix. As from next season however, the race will combine its venue between Catalonia and Valencia. In 2013 the race will be held in Montmeló, but in 2014 Catalonia will leave its place to Valencia. The decision to alternate venues was taken by racing mogul Bernie Ecclestone some weeks ago as a solution to both circuits’ financial problems. CNA investigates whether the local economy could suffer losses due to this decision.

Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed that both circuits will share one Grand Prix from 2013. That year the race would be held in the Catalunya Circuit and València would not host any F-1 race. In 2014, it would be the other way around. Due to the economic crisis, the Catalan Government proposed this solution to the Valencian Executive in May 2011, but they refused. Now, Valencia’s Government has confirmed the agreement, which still needs some details to be confirmed such as the date in which it will be held. Catalonia has host a Formula-1 Grand Prix since 1991 in a racing circuit in Greater Barcelona. València organised its own Grand Prix from 2008 onwards.