#SpanishGP Race Setup

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

The well-known Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is a familiar sight for the F1 circus, with pre-season testing normally taking place there as well as the in-season race.

In 2021, with the ongoing pandemic, all the teams headed to Bahrain for three days of pre-season running. An updated track layout over the winter break means that we'll be studying data thoroughly to get the most out of the slightly different configuration.

Max put in a strong performance here last year, splitting the Mercedes cars and finishing with a good gap to Valtteri back in P3. The track’s location, not far from the coast, means that the wind can blow strongly and change direction rapidly, destabilising the cars, which tend to run relatively high drag, to provide enough downforce for the corners. Let's see if the Spanish sun shines on us in Catalunya.

Toyoharu Tanabe

Honda Racing F1

After last Sunday’s race in Portugal, we have now moved across to the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit to complete the first back-to-back pair of races of this season, which means it is a busy time for everyone, especially from a transportation and logistical point of view. The Barcelona track had been the regular venue for pre-season testing for many years, but because of the on-going pandemic, this year the test was shifted to Bahrain. Nevertheless, all the teams and most of the drivers have a good understanding of the Catalunya circuit and have plenty of available data.

From the first three races, it’s clear that both teams are performing at a higher level than last year and we will get a better understanding of how we can improve even more after a weekend and a race at this benchmark circuit and get important information on how to keep moving forward on the development front for future races. In Portugal, we had a trouble free time on the PU front and it will be important to maintain that situation in this close fight for the championships.

We have been working hard, studying data from the past at this venue as well as from the first three races of this year, to ensure we are as well prepared as possible, as well as looking at optimising energy management settings to suit each team and driver. We hope that the Spanish GP will see us make a step forward with both our teams.