The Circuit de Catalunya on the outskirts of Barcelona, home to this weekend's fifth round of the 2017 Formula One Championship season, is well known to all the drivers and teams contesting the series, following two pre-season tests back in March where they managed to get an early glimpse of the performance of this year's contenders.
The race is a staple on the calendar, and not just for Formula One, as many other motorsport series' race here as well, including MotoGP, GP3 and now F2.
The layout combines long sweeping corners with twisty technical sections, a key reason why Formula One chooses this circuit to give its cars a thorough workout before the season starts as it really tests the cars and drivers to the limit.
WilliamsF1 has managed to secure six wins at the Spanish Grand Prix over the course of their history, including a memorable victory in 2012 with Pastor Maldonado behind the wheel.
While he doesn't think a win is on the cards this weekend, Felipe Massa would love to emulate Maldonando's victory for the team, however at this stage he is just hoping that lady luck smiles on them this time out...
“Barcelona is a track that most of the drivers know pretty well,” he explained. “It's a little bit like a home Grand Prix for everybody because we're always testing there! You need good downforce for the high-speed sections, and you also need very good traction in the last sector. We had a good pre-season test there this year, but this is where it counts. I really hope we can have a good weekend without any unlucky incidents like we had in Sochi.”
