Montjuïc

Interesting facts

The circuit grew out of a 1932 street race through the wooded slopes of Montjuïc hill; the eastern loop of the 1933 event became the permanent Montjuïc circuit, home of the Penya Rhin Grand Prix - the site is now part of the Anella Olímpica, home to several 1992 Olympic venues. The same hill had hosted the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, so the track wound past monumental exhibition buildings such as the Palau Nacional and the 'Spanish village' of Poble Espanyol. At the 1969 Spanish Grand Prix both works Lotuses lost their suspension-mounted high wings: Graham Hill on lap 8, then Jochen Rindt on lap 19 - at the very same spot, where Rindt's airborne car slammed into the wreck of Hill's still-standing machine, costing a marshal an eye. The outcry was so immediate that the sport's governing body banned high wings altogether right after first practice for the following round at Monaco, permitting only small aerofoils fixed rigidly to the bodywork from then on. In 1975 the Grand Prix Drivers' Association went on strike, furious that the guardrails had been bolted together carelessly, some bolts left only finger-tight; organisers threatened legal action, forcing the teams to back down. On lap 26 Rolf Stommelen's rear wing failed and his car flew over the barrier, killing four people; Formula 1 never returned to Montjuic after that. The same race produced a lasting first: Lella Lombardi's half point for sixth place made her the only woman ever to score a Formula 1 World Championship point. You'll find it in Barcelona, Spain. On the calendar since 1969, this circuit has hosted 4 races, the latest in 1975. Jackie Stewart took the inaugural win here in 1969. Jochen Mass won here most recently, in 1975. The most successful driver at this circuit is Jackie Stewart, with 2 wins.

Circuit history