Spain · Europe

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

Spain's technical all-rounder near Barcelona — a mix of long sweepers, a tight infield and a proper braking zone at La Caixa, run in reliable Mediterranean weather that makes it a year-round test and testing venue.

Length: 4.657 km; 2.894 miles
Direction: Clockwise; 14 corners
Noise limit: Typically; check with operator
Elevation: 120 m; above sea level

Rain forecast & radar

forecast: next 24h · radar: past 2h (observed)

Forecast rain map — play the loop to see where the model expects rain over the next 24 hours around the circuit.

Observed rain radar — which way the rain has actually been moving. A dry paddock doesn't mean a dry apex.

Track map

Grand Prix (no chicane) · Clockwise · 14 corners

01Elf
03Renault
04Repsol
05Seat
07Chicane (Turns 7–8)
09Campsa
10La Caixa
12Banc Sabadell
13New Holland (Turns 13–14)

Outline traced from surveyed map data (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL). Corner markers are indicative — not a substitute for the circuit's own briefing map.

The current configuration used by F1 and MotoGP since 2023, with the flowing final sector restored and the chicane removed.

Lap records

Grand Prix (no chicane)

Fastest laps

Outright record1:11.383
Lando Norris
McLaren MCL38 · 2024 · Qualifying, Spanish Grand Prix
Formula 1 (race lap)1:16.330
Max Verstappen
Red Bull RB19 · 2023
LMP2 (ELMS)1:31.451
Vladislav Lomko
Oreca 07 · 2023
World Superbike1:39.489
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu
BMW M1000RR · 2024

Reference laps

Porsche 911 GT3 RS (992)
Published test, 2024
1:55.90

Published test laps by professional drivers in dry conditions — a yardstick, not a target.

Spanish Grand Prix winners

2024Max VerstappenRed Bull
2023Max VerstappenRed Bull
2022Max VerstappenRed Bull
2021Lewis HamiltonMercedes
2020Lewis HamiltonMercedes
2019Lewis HamiltonMercedes
2018Lewis HamiltonMercedes
2017Lewis HamiltonMercedes
2016Max VerstappenRed Bull
2015Nico RosbergMercedes

Races up to 2022 were run with the final chicane in place, so those laps are not comparable with the current configuration. Compiled by hand from published results (Formula 1, European Le Mans Series, WorldSBK). Records change and layouts are revised — confirm anything you plan to rely on with the circuit or organising body.

What's on

Track days

Autumn to spring
Winter testing and track day weeks — a favourite off-season venue
Various European operators
Year-round
Sessioned car and bike track days
Circuit / local operators

Race meetings

Early summer
Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix
Formula 1
Spring
MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix
Dorna
Season-long
GT World Challenge Europe and TCR Europe rounds
SRO / TCR
Season-long
Spanish national championship meetings
RFEdA

Curated by hand and shown as typical timing rather than confirmed dates. Always check the operator's or organising club's own calendar before booking travel.

Key info

Noise limit: Typically 95 dB(A) drive-by; check the specific event, as limits vary between car, bike and open-pitlane days
Elevation notes: Modest but constant elevation change rather than one big feature — a climb from Seat up through the chicane, then a drop back down through Campsa towards La Caixa. Enough to load brakes and shift aero balance through the lap without ever feeling like a hillclimb.

Known tricky sections

Campsa (Turn 9)
A blind, high-speed right-hander taken close to flat out. The exit isn't visible on entry — commit on the reference, not on what you can see.
La Caixa (Turn 10)
Heavy braking at the end of the long back straight into a slow left. The main overtaking zone and a common lock-up spot after carrying speed from Campsa.
Shifting wind and aero balance
Barcelona's coastal wind and afternoon heat are known for turning morning understeer into afternoon oversteer — the same line can feel like a different corner session to session.
Rear tyre wear
Two long, sustained sweepers (Renault and Campsa) back to back load the rear tyres harder than most circuits — pace yourself on longer track day sessions.

Nearby amenities

Fuel
Montmeló & Granollers forecourts
Five to ten minutes from the circuit; 98 RON widely available.
Food
Circuit paddock catering
Available on event days; Montmeló village and Granollers offer much better options ten minutes away.
Accommodation
Granollers & Barcelona
Granollers is the practical, cheaper base ten minutes away; central Barcelona is 25–30 minutes for far more choice.

Travelling from the UK

Nearest airports

Barcelona–El Prat (BCN) ~25–30 min — one of the easiest European circuits to reach by air. Girona (GRO) ~50 min.

Typical routes

Fly-and-drive is the norm: Barcelona airport is 25–30 minutes from the circuit with wide rental availability.
Portsmouth–Santander or Plymouth–Santander (Brittany Ferries), then roughly 6–7h east along the coast.
By road via France through the La Jonquera border it's around 1,500 km from Calais, usually split over two days.

Documentation & border notes

UK-registered cars need a UK identifier — a UK sticker, or a number plate carrying the UK identifier. GB stickers are no longer valid.
Check your road insurance covers EU driving and carry proof; a green card is not currently required for EU countries.
Track driving is excluded from virtually every road policy — arrange separate on-track cover before you travel.
Carry your V5C (or VE103 for a hire/lease car), photocard licence and passport.
Spain requires a warning triangle (two is safer), hi-vis vest and headlamp deflectors for RHD cars.
A low-emission zone (Rondes de Barcelona) covers much of Barcelona itself — check your vehicle before routing through the city, though the circuit itself sits outside it.
Most Spanish motorways are toll roads; card payment is widely accepted, but a télépéage-style tag saves time if towing.