Spanish Grand Prix

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Spanishgprix.png
Spanish Grand Prix
Flag 22px-Flag of Spain.png
Circuit Circuit de Catalunya
Laps 65
Circuit length km 4.655
Circuit length mi 2.892
Race length km 302.449
Race length mi 187.942
Current year 2007
Most wins driver 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher (6)
Most wins constructor 3dflagsdotcom italy2bs.gif Ferrari (10)
Winning time 1:31:36.230
Winner 22px-Flag of Brazil.png Felipe Massa
Winning team Ferrari
Pole time 1:21.421
Pole driver 22px-Flag of Brazil.png Felipe Massa
Pole team Ferrari
Fastest lap 1:22.680
Fastest lap driver 22px-Flag of Brazil.png Felipe Massa
Fastest lap team Ferrari


The Spanish Grand Prix (Gran Premio de España) is a Formula One race currently held at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, as part of the annual Formula One championship season.


History

The first Spanish Grand Prix in 1913 was not actually run to the Grand Prix formula of the day, but to touring car rules, taking place on a 300-kilometre road circuit at Guadarrama, near Madrid, on the road to Valladolid.

Motor racing events had taken place in Spain prior to that - the most notable among them being the Catalan Cup of 1908 and 1909, on roads around Sitges, near Barcelona. Both of these events were won by Jules Goux, establishing a strong racing tradition in Catalonia, which has continued to this day. This enthusiasm for racing led to the plan to build a permanent track at Sitges - a 2km oval which became known as Sitges-Terramar, and was the site of the 1923 Spanish Grand Prix.

After this first race, the track fell into financial difficulties, and the main race in Spain moved to the Circuito Lasarte track on the northern coast (called the San Sebastian Grand Prix). Following the 1936 race, Spain descended into civil war and racing stopped. In 1946, racing returned to Spain in the form of the Penya Rhin Grand Prix at the Pedralbes Circuit in Barcelona.

Spain did not return to the international calendar until 1951, joining the list of races of the Formula One championship, on the Pedralbes Circuit. In 1955, a terrible accident at the 24 Hours of Le Mans resulted in regulations governing spectator safety, and the pedestrian-lined street track at Pedralbes was dropped from the racing calendar.

Comeback

In the 1960s, Spain made a bid to return to the world of international motor racing - the Royal Automobile Club of Spain commissioned a new circuit north of Madrid at Jarama, and Cataluña refurbished their circuit at Montjuïc circuit in Barcelona. A non-championship Grand Prix took place at Jarama in 1967, which was won by Jim Clark racing in a Lotus.

In 1968, Jarama hosted the Spanish Grand Prix, near the beginning of the F1 season. It was agreed, following this event, that the race would alternate between Jarama and Montjuich.

The 1975 Grand Prix at Montjuich was marked by tragedy. There had been concerns about track safety during practice races, and double-winner Emerson Fittipaldi retired in protest after a single lap. On the 26th lap of the race, Rolf Stommelen's car crashed when the rear wing broke off, killing four spectators. The race was stopped later and won by Jochen Mass, though only half the points were awarded.

The Spanish Grand Prix was confined to Jarama until 1981, after which it was dropped from the racing calendar. In 1985, the Mayor of Jerez commissioned a new racing circuit in his town to promote tourism and sherries. The track, the Circuito Permanente de Jerez, was finished in time for the 1986 championship, which saw a furious battle between Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell, with the two cars finishing side by side. The stewards awarded the win to Senna, by 0.014 seconds - one of F1's closest finishes.

The 1990 Spanish Grand Prix was the last in Jerez (although Jerez did stage the European Grand Prix in 1994 and 1997). During the practice, Martin Donnelly's car was destroyed in a high-speed collision, and Donnelly was severely injured.

Work on the Circuit de Catalunya was underway in Barcelona, and in 1991, the event moved to this new track, where it has remained since. The 1992 event was advertised as the Grand Prix of the Olympic Games.

Sponsors

Gran Premio Talbot de Espãna 1981
Gran Premio Tio Pepe de Espãna 1986-1992
Gran Premio Marlboro de Espãna 1993-2005
Gran Premio de Espãna Telefónica 2006-

Winners of the Spanish Grands Prix

Events which were not part of the Formula One World Championhip are indicated by a pink background.

A cream background indicates an event which was part of the pre-war European Championship.

Year Driver Constructor Location Report
2007 22px-Flag of Brazil.png Felipe Massa Ferrari Catalunya Report
2006 22px-Flag of Spain.png Fernando Alonso Renault Catalunya Report
2005 22px-Flag of Finland.png Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes Catalunya Report
2004 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Catalunya Report
2003 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Catalunya Report
2002 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Catalunya Report
2001 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Catalunya Report
2000 22px-Flag of Finland.png Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes Catalunya Report
1999 22px-Flag of Finland.png Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes Catalunya Report
1998 22px-Flag of Finland.png Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes Catalunya Report
1997 22px-Flag of the Canada.png Jacques Villeneuve Williams-Renault Catalunya Report
1996 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Catalunya Report
1995 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Benetton-Renault Catalunya Report
1994 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Damon Hill Williams-Renault Catalunya Report
1993 22px-Flag of France.png Alain Prost Williams-Renault Catalunya Report
1992 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Nigel Mansell Williams-Renault Catalunya Report
1991 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Nigel Mansell Williams-Renault Catalunya Report
1990 22px-Flag of France.png Alain Prost Ferrari Jerez Report
1989 22px-Flag of Brazil.png Ayrton Senna McLaren-Honda Jerez Report
1988 22px-Flag of France.png Alain Prost McLaren-Honda Jerez Report
1987 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Nigel Mansell Williams-Honda Jerez Report
1986 22px-Flag of Brazil.png Ayrton Senna Lotus-Renault Jerez Report
1985
-
1982
Not held
1981 22px-Flag of the Canada.png Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari Jarama Report
1980 22px-Flag of Australia.png Alan Jones Williams-Cosworth Jarama Report
1979 22px-Flag of France.png Patrick Depailler Ligier-Cosworth Jarama Report
1978 22px-Flag of the United States.png Mario Andretti Lotus-Cosworth Jarama Report
1977 22px-Flag of the United States.png Mario Andretti Lotus-Cosworth Jarama Report
1976 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png James Hunt McLaren-Cosworth Jarama Report
1975 22px-Flag of Germany.png Jochen Mass McLaren-Cosworth Montjuïc circuit Report
1974 22px-Flag of Austria.png Niki Lauda Ferrari Jarama Report
1973 22px-Flag of Brazil.png Émerson Fittipaldi Lotus-Cosworth Montjuïc circuit Report
1972 22px-Flag of Brazil.png Émerson Fittipaldi Lotus-Cosworth Jarama Report
1971 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Jackie Stewart Tyrrell-Cosworth Montjuïc circuit Report
1970 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Jackie Stewart March-Cosworth Jarama Report
1969 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Jackie Stewart Matra-Cosworth Montjuïc circuit Report
1968 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Graham Hill Lotus-Cosworth Jarama Report
1967 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Jim Clark Lotus-Cosworth Jarama Report
1966
-
1955
Not held
1954 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Mike Hawthorn Ferrari Pedralbes Report
1953 Not held
1952 Not held
1951 22px-Flag of Argentina.png Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo Pedralbes Report
1950
-
1936
Not held
1935 22px-Flag of Germany.png Rudolf Caracciola Mercedes-Benz Lasarte Report
1934 3dflagsdotcom italy2bs.gif Luigi Fagioli Mercedes-Benz Lasarte Report
1933 22px-Flag of Monaco.png Louis Chiron Alfa Romeo Lasarte Report
1932 Not held
1931 Not held
1930 3dflagsdotcom italy2bs.gif Achille Varzi Maserati Lasarte Report
1929 22px-Flag of Monaco.png Louis Chiron Bugatti Lasarte Report
1928 22px-Flag of Monaco.png Louis Chiron Bugatti Lasarte Report
1927 22px-Flag of France.png Robert Benoist Delage Lasarte Report
1926 3dflagsdotcom italy2bs.gif Bartolomeo Costantini Bugatti Lasarte Report
1925 Not held
1924 Not held
1923 22px-Flag of France.png Albert Divo Sunbeam Sitges-Terramar Report
1922
-
1914
Not held
1913 22px-Flag of Spain.png Carlos de Salamanca Rolls-Royce Guadarrama Report

External links


Races in the Formula One championship:
2007 championship Grand Prix events:

Australian | Malaysian | Bahrain | Spanish | Monaco | Canadian | U.S. | French | British
German | European| Hungarian | Turkish | Italian | Belgian | Japanese | Chinese | Brazilian

Past championship Grand Prix events:

Argentine | Austrian | Dutch | Indy 500 | Las Vegas | Luxembourg | Mexican | Morocco
Pacific | Pescara | Portuguese | San Marino | South African | Swedish | Swiss | USA East | USA West

Confirmed future Grand Prix events:

Abu Dhabi | Korean | European | Singapore