The Spanish Grand Prix will be setting its silver jubilee in the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona this weekend. Hence, we’ve taken the liberty to honour the commemoration by selecting the top 5 memorable moments ever to occur on the Barcelona track.
5. THE INAUGURAL RACE (1991)
The inaugural race at Circuit de Catalunya occurred at the end of the 1991 season as Race 14, and saw one of Formula 1’s most iconic moments occur. McLaren’s Gerhard Berger was pole-sitter followed by William’s Nigel Mansell and team-mate Ayrton Senna.
The race track was damp and slippery due to the abysmal weather but Mansell managed to pass Benetton’s Michael Schumacher before locking eyes on Senna. He finally sped past Senna but the intensity leveled up when the cars were side-by-side, just two inches apart as sparks flew from both cars at 300kph.
The Briton then slid into second place under braking in Turn 1 before taking over the lead from Berger on lap 21. Berger eventually bagged a DNF due to an electrical problem, thus giving a free way to Mansell to dominate the win ahead of Ferrari’s Alain Prost and Williams’ teammate Riccardo Partrese. Jean Alesi of Ferrari took on fourth place whereas Senna was fifth.
4. WILLIAMS AND SCHUMACHER SPILL EMOTION (1994)
Two races after the fatal accidents of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna in the Italian Grand Prix held in San Marino, it was another nightmare for spectators as Michael Schumacher sparked up concerns in Spain.
The German took on pole position and led the race while Jordan-Hart’s Rubens Barrichello and Ferrari’s Gerhard Berger collided at the first corner. Schumacher started suffering from gearbox problems and he was stuck in fifth gear for most of the race. Despite that, he had managed to make a pit stop and get away from it in the same gear.
His problems allowed Williams’ Damon Hill to win the constructor’s first race of the season and the first since lead driver Ayrton Senna’s death. Adrian Newey held back tears as his FW16 became a race winner.
Schumacher had to change his driving style to find new trajectories and corner apexes, thus he finished a strong second. Post-race, the engineers and those on the pit wall did not hide their emotions and was seen burying their heads in their hands, overwhelmed by the tempestuous race. The spectators heaved a sigh and also cheered for him.
3. MIKA HAKKINEN GRIEVES IN FINAL LAP
Driving for McLaren, Hakkinen started second on the grid, behind Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher. The Finn tailed the German in the first few laps of the race and managed to surpass his opponent in the second round of pit stops. Hakkinen increased his lead to over 40 seconds between lap 50 to 65 and was set to claim his first win of the year.
In the penultimate lap, Hakkinen sensed that something was wrong with his engine. He reduced his speed to negotiate Turn 3 and allowed Williams’ Juan Pablo Montoya to unlap himself. Leaving Turn 5, Hakkinen’s hydraulics and clutch had all blown and he abandoned his car at Turn 6, letting Schumacher grab hold of the win while instantly killing his hopes.
2. FERNANDO ALONSO’S FIRST VICTORY ON HOME SOIL (2006)
25 year-old Fernando Alonso scored his first ever home victory while driving for Renault in 2006. Despite winning the championships in 2005, he was denied a win in his home Grand Prix and handed it to Kimi Raikkonen of McLaren. A year later, the Spaniard triumphed and won the championship again. Alonso took his first pole-to-flag victory in Spain that season. Citizens were in awe and celebrated the win in utter revel.
1. PASTOR MALDONADO CLINCHES VICTORY (2006)
Yes, that’s right. The ‘Crashtor’ did have some glorious days. Before he suffered a series of unglamorous crashes in the seasons after, he did manage to thrive by securing podium finishes, besides even spraying the champagne once.
Signed in with Williams at that time, he took second place in the qualifying sessions. However, after the session Lewis Hamilton was excluded from the results of the qualifying session due to insufficient fuel aboard his McLaren. Therefore, Maldonado inherited the pole position following the Briton’s disqualification. The Venezuelan passed the chequered flag with a time of 1:39:09.145, followed by Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen.
After his heroics on the Barcelona track, a pit fire broke out in the Williams garage. The race crews quickly scurried to bring the blaze under control. 31 people were taken to the medical centre while seven were admitted to the hospital. Maldonado’s 12 year-old cousin was injured and unable to escape from the garage before Maldonado displayed impeccable heroism to rescue his cousin. He was ultimately saluted for his undeniable bravery on the day. .
Photo credits: www.gptour.com
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