formula 1

This weekend Lewis Hamilton won the F1 race in Barcelona followed by Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg. The two drivers fought hard for the victory and Hamilton finished only 0.6 seconds ahead of Rosberg. Daniel Ricciardo, from Red Bull, completed the podium. Sebastian Vettel ended in fourth position, after starting the race 15^th. Hamilton is now leader of the championship. More than 200,000 people went to the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit to watch the F1 Grand Prix over the three days, 60% of which came from abroad.  

This weekend the Formula 1 World Championship comes to Catalonia once again thanks to a long tradition which blends the motor industry and competition. Catalonia has several industries related to cars and motorbikes. Aside from SEAT, Nissan, Honda and Rieju are important factories that supply components worldwide. Catalonia plays host to a packed motor sports calendar. The Formula 1 Grand Prix, the GP Motorbike Grand Prix, the World Rally Championship all take place in Catalonia among other endurance series, classic races and indoor or outdoor motorbikes championships. Moreover, Catalan drivers are competing in a lot of international categories. For instance, last year the three Motorcycle World Champions – Marc Márquez, Pol Espargaró and Maverick Viñales - were all Catalans.

Car dealers are satisfied with this year’s Motor Show as several brands posted solid sales balances. However, some visitors were disappointed as major car manufacturers were absent, attendants were not very enthusiastic about the worldwide premiers and there was a lack of glamour. Driving simulators and luxury-car payment tours were the main alternative for those who wanted something other than the regular exhibition. The organisers are optimistic and aim to restore the splendour of past shows as the economic situation improves and Barcelona becomes a more important city for motor events.

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.

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, 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.

The Formula 1 circuit next to Barcelona, which hosts Spain’s Grand Prix, has been the stage of the fourth round of the ECO series 2011 race last Sunday, in which thirty electric and hybrid vehicles competed.

This last weekend Catalonia’s F1 Grand Prix and the Barcelona’s International Automobile Fair were held. These two events emphasise the weight the motoring industry has in Catalonia. Actually, Barcelona Metropolitan Area is one of Europe’s largest motoring industry hubs.