Circuit de Catalunya

Since opening in 1991, Circuit de Catalunya is perhaps Spain's finest racing course. This was a track I was just never really good at in games. I fully respect Circuit de Catalunya. This course will challenge you on a variety of levels. You are never too far from the lovely city of Barcelona (or Barca) when talking about Catalunya. In fact, Circuit de Catalunya is located north of Barcelona in the city of Montmeló, Barcelona, Spain. Today's Catalunya is 2.875 miles in length with 16 turns. The only change is a modified configuration suited for F1 cars between Turns 12 and 16. Whether it's Formula One, MotoGP, DTM, or any other series that races at this track, victory will be tough to come by in an exciting and challenging track like Circuit de Catalunya. This track will celebrate 20 years of existence in 2011. Those 20 years have seen some amazing racing action on this intense course.

--- Circuit de Catalunya ---

Here is a look at Circuit de Catalunya, which is also called Circuit de Barcelona:

^ from: www.allf1.info - Circuit de Catalunya, including the modified F1 configuration.

Circuit de Catalunya is challenging no matter what kinds of cars or motorcycles are racing it. It has both tricky elevation changes and decisive corners. Only the most talented can race this track; only the truly adept can win. This track is tough to make passes on. It is a real mental challenge that will push you to the limit.

I don't even know where to begin describing how challenging this course is. The entire track offers you hardly any chance to stretch your legs a bit. Turn 1 (Elf) is easy to overshoot, and you need a good line to make that brief uphill trudge through Turn 2 (Renault) on into Turn 3. Turns 5 (Seat) ant especially Turn 10 (La Caixa) are absolutely crucial corners to get right. Catalunya really keeps you on your toes for all 2.8 miles of racing.

Care to see Catalunya in action? You can! Here is a video showcasing an F1 lap around Catalunya:


And this video on a motorcycle using the regular configuration:

Lap Times.

The all-time lap record around Catalunya [as of this blog post's date] is 1:21.670 by Kimi Raikkonen in 2008. A year later, however, Jensen Button of Brawn GP clocked in a lap time of about 1:19.127. The pole lap for the MotoGP race around Catalunya was 1:42.046 set by Jorge Lorenzo. So that's an idea of lap times around Catalunya.





To learn more about Catalunya, visit Circuit de Catalunya's website (Spanish link, but English also available). Want more Catalunya? Here's how to get social with Catalunya:

* Become a Fan (Like) of Circuit de Catalunya on Facebook!
* Check out Catalunya on YouTube
* Follow Circuit de Catalunya on Twitter!

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