THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX

The Spanish Grand Prix

Racing around in circles has long been a human obsession. Homer mentions Diomedes winning a chariot event in Ancient Greece. Also Charles II of England introduced horse-racing rules in the 17th Century and in 1870 someone nailed a lot of planks in an oval to build the first velodrome.

Lights Out in the USA

Finally in 1901 in Knoxville, Iowa some early automobile adopters decided to pit their vehicles against each other. They drove to the nearby horse-racing track and motorsport was up and running.

Humble Beginnings

Spain’s first official Grand Prix (the name was nicked from an international horserace in France) was held in 1913. The venue was a bone-shaking 300km road circuit at Guadarrama. In 1923 the event moved the stupidly dangerous Sitges-Terramar circuit near Barcelona.

However, this ‘new home’ only lasted one event before going bust. The track is still there and drivable if you have a rather large pair of ‘cojones’. The 1926 edition was back on a road circuit in Bilbao. After a couple of successful years, the Wall Street crash and a small matter of the Spanish Civil War meant the next GP wasn’t run until 1946. Back in Barcelona, the Penya Rhin Grand Prix was on a street circuit in Pedralbes.

Spanish Return

Consequently it wasn’t until 1951 that Spain officially returned to the international racing calendar. Legend Fangio winning his first world championship in an Alfa on the Pedralbes circuit. In 1968 Spain gained a permanent spot on the F1 championship roster. The Jarama and Montjuic circuits being used as alternating hosts.

Following a horrific accident killing 4 spectators at the 1975 GP led to the Montjuic circuit being abandoned. Jarama became the race’s home until 1981.

You can drive a bit of the Montjuic track on our Barcelona Experience Tour

Off and On Again

A rather strange episode involving a golf course led to the 1982 race being cancelled. Once again Spain dropped off the racing calendar until a new track in Jerez was given the event in 1985. There it stayed until 1990.

Contemporary Home

Significantly Catalunya, long being a hotbed for motorsport was keen to get back in the action and a new circuit was constructed at the turn of the decade. Thus a year before the arrival of the ‘92 Olympic Games, Formula 1 moved to the spectacular Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya just north of the city. Correspondingly it has been here ever since.

The 2024 edition is this month and the cars will make a quick loop of Passeig de Gracia before heading to the circuit for the Spanish Grand Prix weekend proper!