Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix: Race Preview

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was first used by Formula 1 in 1991, with the circuit renowned for its high-speed long-radius corners, acting as a stern examination of a car’s aerodynamic ability and stable balance. That is most prominent through the lengthy 180-degree turn 3, the high-speed uphill turn 9, and the 90-degree final corner, all of which require full commitment from the driver. The fast nature of the circuit also places sustained high energy loads through the tires, meaning teams and drivers also have to be mindful of degradation levels, particularly in the event of hot weather.

With the Spanish Grand Prix relocating to the new Madring, which will host its inaugural race in September, Barcelona takes on the new name of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix for 2026.

For the first time in 2026 TGR Haas F1 Team is returning to familiar ground, after the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosted the official shakedown in late January, where Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman gained their first representative taste of the VF-26. TGR Haas F1 Team enters the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in seventh position in the Constructors’ Championship, having scored 21 points.

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal:

“For the second European race, we return to Barcelona, where we started this year in January with our first pre-season test of the new regulations. Naturally, our understanding of the car since then has been exponential. Barcelona offers a very different challenge to the previous two circuits though, which were both non-permanent street courses. We scored points in both of those races, however we know we have to make a step now. We need to take all the learnings from those two events and adjust accordingly to the very different demands of Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Even though we operated well in Monaco, we felt we underachieved there, so we’re keen to get back out this weekend.”

Ollie Bearman:

“A nice thing about racing is that there’s very quickly another opportunity to score points and put the previous weekend behind you, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for this weekend in Barcelona. It’s a track that all drivers are very familiar with, and I’m hoping that this will be the first time we can really see the performance that the upgrade we brought to Canada has delivered. There’s a mixture of low and high speed corners, plenty of opportunities for overtaking, and I believe this is where we can put ourselves into the top 10.”

Esteban Ocon:

“It’s good to be back racing so soon after finishing in the points in Monaco. Barcelona is a track that we know very well and have been coming to for many years. It feels like I’ve driven thousands of laps here in my life! I remember the first time I drove a single-seater was in Spain, and one of my first victories was here in Formula Renault. We’ve also done plenty of testing here as well. Monaco wasn’t easy for us as a team, so we’re looking forward to a more straightforward weekend without issues and hopefully score some more points.”