The Circuit de Catalunya is a racetrack in Montmeló, to the north of Barcelona. History
The Circuit of Catalunya was built in 1991 and began hosting the Spanish Grand Prix that same year.
Because so much testing is done at this circuit, Formula One drivers and mechanics are extremely familiar with it. This has led to criticism that drivers and mechanics are too familiar with Catalunya, reducing the amount of on-track action. When first used, overtaking was frequent as cars could follow closely through the last two corners and slipstream down the long straight. As aerodynamic balance became more critical, this overtaking method drastically decreased as the cars were unable to follow each other through the fast final corner due to turbulence created by the leading car. The circuit is not known to produce copious amounts of overtaking, despite the long straights.
In 2008, Heikki Kovalainen left the track at 240 km/h (149 mph) after a wheel rim failure at turn 9. He managed to decelerate to 130 km/h (81 mph) when he hit the tyre barrier. He was temporarily unconscious and suffered minor concussion, but a few minutes later, spectators were relieved when he gave a thumbs up. Technique details:
Barcelona Circuit has 4.6 km, 66 laps with a race distance of 307 km; 5 highspeed straches, 3 slow turns, 2 ideal spots for overtaking and a top speed around 310 km/h. Best Preview and this year pole(1:20.981 - record lap of Catalunya's circuit) (both by Mark Webber):
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