Top Gear Fun

If you’re a Formula One fanatic, you won’t want to miss stopping by the renowned Circuit de Catalunya motor racing track in Montmeló just to the north of Barcelona, Spain. The circuit is popular throughout the world for its thrilling combinations of straights and tricky corners. Its opening coincided with the Olympic Games which were held in Barcelona in 1991. The exact same year the circuit was completed it hosted the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix. Visitors often mistake the Circuit de Catalunya with the Montjuïc Circuit, an earlier Spanish Grand Prix circuit situated within the city of Barcelona itself, but that track hasn’t played host to the Grand Prix in many years.

The Circuit de Catalunya not only hosts the Spanish Grand Prix, but also is used for Formula One testing and for other important races such as the Moto GP. What are some of the most memorable moments in the track’s proud history? Well, the very first year the track opened there was an exhilarating race between Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell. The two drivers raced neck and neck for second place, with Mansell in the end going on to win the entire race. In 1994, that iconic driver Michael Schumacher achieved a famous and very surprising victory after driving more than half of the race in fifth gear. In 2006, Fernando Alonso made Spanish Formula One history by being the first of his countrymen to win on his country’s home track.

If you know you’re going to be in the region, you can check the Circuit de Catalunya’s offical website to see a current calendar of events and also order tickets for Formula 1 or the other races which are hosted at the track. No races scheduled during your visit? Not to worry, there’s still plenty of fun to be had at the Circuit. There’s a lot more you can do than simply watch the races – the Circuit offers visitors many opportunities to explore the track, learn about racing, and even drive a car around the famous track itself.

The Circuit provides official, guided tours which show you around the venue to discover all the hidden goings on of an important event, such as the briefing room, the podium, the press rooms, the boxes, and the paddock. If you’re a racing fan, you’ll have a fantastic time discovering how everything operates. Passes must be bought (and are available at a pretty affordable price), so you might like to book online ahead of time. There’s also an open access zone where you can walk up the Avenue of Champions or check out the main grandstand. The circuit’s official store also has an abundance of cool mementos for you to remember your day out by or bring home to friends and loved ones.

You can also visit on ‘experience’ weekends, and test out your abilities on the track yourself, behind the wheel of a high-end car like a Ferrari or Lamborghini. These ‘driving experience’ bookings are for sale to both individuals and groups – but you’ll need to ensure you reserve ahead of time to avoid disappointment! Again, you can find a schedule of coming activities on the circuit’s web page. There’s no doubt about it, for lovers of sports cars and racing, there’s no better way to experience the exhilaration of a real Grand Prix venue!

What else can you get up to in the vicinity? Montmeló itself is a somewhat little town with under 9,000 inhabitants. It is home to a an attractive church and has several hotels where you can stay if you prefer not to return to Barcelona straight away. This can be an excellent choice if you intend to spend a few days getting to know the circuit and attending races. The town’s identity does center mostly around the race track – in fact; the name “Montmeló” is almost interchangeable with that of the Spanish Grand Prix for many locals.

With countless fun and interesting things to do in Barcelona, it can at times be tricky trying to plan a brief visit. For a motor racing fan though, very few destinations will be as exhilarating or provide as many memorable moments as the Circuit de Catalonia. You can get to the Circuit from Barcelona by train or bus, or if you’re hiring a car, you can get there in around 30 minutes.

For more information about upcoming events at the circuit check out the official website here. You can also find an excellent guide to the city of Barcelona and surrrounding areas here.

Tags: autos, barcelona, cars, f1, Formula One, motorsport, spain, travel

This entry was posted by Maria Cabrera on Monday, January 23rd, 2012 at 11:31 pm and is filed under Cars. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.