The Circuit Of Catalonia at Montmeló, not far from Barcelona, is the number one motor racing circuit in Spain and among the most iconic and important racing circuits in Europe. Constructed in 1991, events such as the DTM, Moto GP, Le Mans Series and F1 among many others, have all been hosted here.

The circuit can be found in the small town of Montmeló in Catalonia in the north east of Spain just outside Barcelona.. For that reason, it is often known as the ‘circuit of Montmeló’, the ‘Barcelona circuit’ or occasionally simply ‘Montmeló’.

Tourists and fans are drawn to this circuit because of both the Mediterranean sunshine, and its proximity to Barcelona, one of the most fascinating cities in Europe and the world. The clement climate makes Montmeló a valued base for Formula One teams, and they typically choose to have off-season tests there in the winter months.

Having said that, the frequency of such tests has contributed to the drivers becoming far more familiar with the track than with other circuits, leading to races that many view as being dull and predictable.

Overtaking at Montmeló can be tough at the best of times. Drivers are barely in a position to take advantage of the slipstreams of vehicles ahead of them because of the many curves, corners, and relative absence of straight.

This means that drivers are under severe pressure to achieve the best possible postion on the starting grid, because opportunities for overtaking during the race will be very few indeed. In recent times at Montmeló, the majority of the F1 Grand Prix winning cars have begun the race from pole position.

The Circuito De Cataluña can be a hazardous prospect for naive drivers, thanks to its brutal speed and challenging corners. In 2007, the decision was made to add a brand new chicane to make the circuit less dangerous. The new remodel has successfully slowed traffic in a previously very fast segment of the track.

Tourism at the Circuito de Cataluña – Montmeló

Montmelo has become a popular destination for tourists since establishing itself as a superb, world-class racing circuit. People who adore motor racing now come from all over the world to experience the thrills of live Grand Prix and other such events.

Recently a fashionable, new craze has emerged that involves ‘driving gifts”. These ‘driving experiences’ provide local residents and tourists alike the opportunity to get in the driver’s seat of an exclusive, high end sports car and then put their driving talents to the test on the circuit itself.

For motor sport fans nothing can come close to the thrill of speeding down the straight of an authentic Grand prix Circuit in a Ferrari, Lamborghini or Porsche, passing the very same straights, corners and chicanes as their racing heroes.

Montmeló holds these events numerous weekends every year, where in some cases as many as two hundred people get to enjoy the experience of a lifetime and get behind the wheel their dream car.

People with a bigger budget can take things one step further – for approximately 4000 dollars you can reserve a seat in an authentic Formula One car, as either co-pilot or the driver. What a pity it is that more people aren’t able to afford this, the most wonderful all Montmeló experiences.

The circuit at Montmeló certainly has a lot to offer; that said, it isn’t totally certain whether it will continue to enjoy its current reputation for long. Its status as a Grand Prix level circuit is threatened a rival Spanish city – Valencia. Some people now suspect that The Street Circuit Of Valencia, which currently hosts the European Grand Prix may soon usurp Montmeló as host for the Spanish event.

The Formula 1 calender would cease to involve Montmeló if that comes to pass. This would obviously be detrimental to the circuit and would weaken its impressive reputation as one of the best circuits on earth. And if that were to come to pass, it is unlikely that Montmeló’s future will be as magnificent as its past.

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