Siesta, fiesta, repeat.

That’s our motto this week, and what better way to get over the busiest, most bustling grand prix of the year – at least until Las Vegas - than with a few days in the Spanish sun? Not that we’ll be slowing down anytime soon. We spent the 683km journey from Monaco to Barcelona pouring over the data, whilst the team back at the McLaren Technology Centre got comfy in the simulator.

As always, we’ve grabbed the thoughts of Lando, Oscar and Team Principal Andrea Stella to give you the lowdown on this year’s Spanish Grand Prix. In addition, we have packed out our preview with the session times, some key stats and a guide to the track and the local area.

Critical info

Round	8
Where	Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
When	2 - 4 June
Lights out	15:00 local / 14:00 MTC
Follow	The website and the McLaren App for LIVE commentary and team radio

“It was great to leave Monaco with some valuable points for the team. I really enjoyed the race despite the tricky conditions, and I was quite pleased with our pace in the end. There were plenty of positives for us to build on as we head straight to Barcelona.

“I'm looking forward to racing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya again. I've finished in the points there before so I'm hoping I can end the double-header on a high. There are some changes to the track this year that should make the racing better, so I'm excited to see what that's like and what we can achieve.”

“I'm happy to have completed my debut Monaco Grand Prix with a top 10 finish. It was a great way to start the double-header and I finished the weekend with a lot of important learning.

“Barcelona is a great track, so I'm excited to return. I've raced there in the past and secured a sprint win during my time in F3, but it will be interesting to experience the modified track for the first time. It should make for good racing and hopefully, both of us can finish in the points again.”

Sunny Spain

After several street circuits in the opening rounds of the season, drivers will be able to properly open up their cars and put them to the test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

There’s a good reason why Barcelona has often been used as a testing track. It’s a real all-rounder and over the years, it has provided a thorough examination of F1 machinery due to its variety.

That is particularly evident in its many turns. Among the circuit’s 15 corners are a mixture of high-speed and low-speed turns that trek uphill and back downhill. Each poses a different type of challenge, from the change of direction at Turns 1 and 2, the heavy throttle Turn 3 or the long, spacious left-hander at Turn 10, which was remodelled in 2021.

There has also been another modification ahead of this year’s race, as the final chicane - which was added in 2007 - has been removed in an attempt to speed up the track. The aerodynamic characteristics of the circuit and the modern cars means overtaking isn't the easiest, but without Turns 14 and 15 to slow them down, drivers should be able to build up more speed ahead of the lengthy 1050m straight.

Given its heavy use in races and at tests over the last decade, drivers should know the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya like the back of their hands, but it can still catch them off guard. And with several gravel traps dotted around the circuit primed to punish any error, mistakes can be costly.

Last time out

We scored double points in Monaco with Lando and Oscar both moving up a position to finish ninth and 10th, respectively. There had been little room for manoeuvrability around the tight streets of Monte Carlo until rain started to fall and added an element of unpredictability into proceedings. This allowed both drivers to get ahead Yuki Tsunoda and into the points, adding three more to our tally. We currently sit in sixth with 17 points.

Setting the scene

As summer approaches, you may be tempted to get a holiday in early, and a week in Barcelona to tie in with the Spanish Grand Prix sounds pretty dreamy to us. As well as hosting one of our favourite European rounds of the season, the city boasts plenty to see and do, including the Basílica de la Sagrada Familia and the Monument a Colom.

Or maybe you just want to casually stroll around the Gothic Quarter, stopping off to eat tapas and paella in the sun, with a nice cool glass of sangria.

“Leaving a challenging Monaco with two cars in the points is a very positive outcome for the team. Our pace was good on the Intermediates, and it was very promising to see Lando and Oscar overtake in such difficult conditions.

“We now head into the final race of this double-header in Barcelona. This year the circuit comes with a few changes, including the removal of the chicane, taking it back to the original layout. These changes should give us a faster, more exciting race with great overtaking opportunities, and hopefully some more championship points.”

Set your alarms 

Free Practice 1	07:30 ET / 12:30 BST / 21:30 AET
Free Practice 2	11:00 ET / 16:00 BST / 01:00 AET
Free Practice 3	06:30 ET / 11:30 BST / 20:30 AET
Qualifying	10:00 ET / 15:00 BST / 00:00 AET
Race	09:00 ET / 14:00 BST / 23:00 AET

Stat pack

• Construction of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya coincided with the 1992 Olympics and the circuit acted as the start and finish line for the road team time trial cycling event

• Since 1950, six different venues in Spain have hosted a grand prix

• McLaren have won the Spanish Grand Prix eight times

• Four of those wins came at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

• Jochen Mass was the first McLaren driver to win in Spain

• Between 1998 and 2000, Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard took three 1-2s in a row

• Our most recent Spanish Grand Prix win came courtesy of  Kimi Räikkönen in 2005

• James Hunt, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna also all won for McLaren in Spain

• Lando has scored points in three of his four F1 races in Spain 

• Oscar won the 2020 Formula 3 Sprint Race in Spain

 

The fit: Royally Retro

Our Triple Crown livery is only sticking around for one more race, but the Triple Crown collection is going nowhere. It’s a classy collection that you can wear year-round, but you'll need to make sure you don't miss out before it sells out. 

The majestic drop celebrates the most prestigious achievement in all of motorsport, taking inspiration from the three biggest races: The Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As the only team to achieve the Triple Crown in the last 100 years, the range grants you access to an exclusive club.

Plus one

“Cause I've got a golden ticket. I’ve got a golden chance.”

We’re opening up the doors of the McLaren Technology Centre to show some lucky McLaren Plus members around. As part of an unforgettable behind-the-scenes experience, you’ll get to walk the famous MTC Boulevard, gaze into our shiny trophy cabinet and get up close and personal with our most famous machinery. 

You can enter the competition here.