After an unpredictable weekend in Portugal, Formula One swiftly moves to Spain for the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Catalunya.
Lewis Hamilton enters this race looking for his fifth consecutive Spanish Grand Prix win and sixth overall around this track in Catalonia, yet will face tough opposition from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
2021 also marks the first time that F1 arrives in Spain without having conducted pre-season testing around Circuit de Catalunya, so expect an intriguing weekend as the true pecking order begins to emerge.
Now here is everything that you need to know ahead of the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix.
Track Guide
Circuit name: Circuit de Catalunya
Laps: 66
Race Distance: 307.104km
Tyre Selection: C1, C2, C3
Schedule
| Date | Session | Time (BST) |
| Friday 7 May | FP1 | 10:30am |
| Friday 7 May | FP2 | 2:00pm |
| Saturday 8 May | FP3 | 11:00am |
| Saturday 8 May | Qualifying | 2:00pm |
| Sunday 9 May | Race | 2:00pm |
Five Key Pointers
- With teams having not conducted pre-season testing at Circuit de Catalunya for the first time in many years, Friday Practice should be interesting with some teams likely to trial upgrades.
- Having dominated the last four Spanish Grands Prix, Mercedes will be confident of a strong performance with temperatures forecast to be fairly cool at circa 22 degrees.
- Williams will be looking to rediscover their long-run pace after a disastrous Portuguese Grand Prix despite George Russell starting the race 11th on grid.
- After a surprise Q3 appearance in Portugal, Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel will be a driver to watch as he looks to prove that his qualifying performance wasn’t just a blip.
- There is a small chance of rain affecting the race which could mix the field up on strategy but heavier rainfall isn’t expected until hours after the checkered flag.
Last Time Out
Last season saw the Spanish Grand Prix moved from its traditional May slot to mid-August due to the Coronavirus pandemic, as Hamilton claimed his record-breaking 156th podium with a dominant victory from Verstappen by over 24 seconds.
Lewis Hamilton Dominates 2020 Spanish Grand Prix
Race Recaps
If missed any of the three previous rounds of the 2021 season, please click on the links below to catch up on the missed action.
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