Myth about F1 overtaking in Barcelona debunked – For fans of F1, Madrid winning the right to host the Spanish Grand Prix from nest year onwards may well bring a sigh of relief. Barcelona remains on the calendar for next year, but in the 34 runnings of the Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya the winner has come from the front row on shocking 31 occasions.
The track built as part of the 1992 Olympic bid by the city has been used for years as an extensive test venue for the teams before the recent switch of pre-season testing to there predictable weather in Bahrain. It is generally accepted that the circuit configuration is the best all round test of a Formula One car, despite its design being originally driven for International two wheel racing.
There’s a myth which has developed around F1 racing at the Circuit de Catalunya which suggests this is one of the most difficult circuits for the drivers to make overtake moves. Yet since the advent of the new ground effect car designs in 2022, the data does not support this theory.
Barcelona overtakes above average
In 2022 there were 784 overtakes across the season meaning an average circuit would see 35.6 passes completed on Sunday. The average in 2023 rose to 39 before falling to its lowest number in the current era, with just an average of 32,8 in 2024.
The F1 weekend in Barcelona for the past three years has compared favourably when compared to the average of overtakes across each of the three seasons under consideration. In 2022 the overtakes totalled 43 in the Grand Prix which rose to 49 the following year before settling at 48 last year.
With the Circuit de Catalunya enjoying a significant number of passing moves when compared with more than half the rest of the F1 venues, why has this track developed such a reputation for being difficult to overtake? The real answer is that such a large data set over a period of time where the cars and F1 regulations have been consistently changing, may skew the numbers and a look at the last three seasons is more indicative of what may happen this year in Barcelona.
Across that period, the race was won just once from pole position back in 2023, but that was the year where Red Bull won each Grand Prix with the exception of the Singapore Grand Prix. Has there been a genuine shift in the crucial nature of pole position in Spain and what are the factors which may contribute to making this race even more unpredictable?
Tyres in Barcelona a step softer than 2024
Since the advent of the tyre rules which mandate each driver must use at least two sets of tyres during a Grand Prix, the race in Barcelona has been predominantly a two stop race. This of course reduces the jeopardy for the team’s strategy dicisions, given the time to switch tyres for the race leader is easily determined by theme made by their closest competitor.
Ideally, the leader will have a reasonable gap to their closest rival and can easily shadow their pit stop move to eliminate any potential tyre offset being used. Yet for 2025 Pirelli have redesigned their tyre range, with each set of three being a step softer than in 2024.
Pirelli have again brought the hardest tyre range to Catalunya, but as stated this will be softer than the rubber the drivers’ used here last season. As the weekend has unfolded, it appears the teams believe the hardest of the three compounds is the least ideal of the tyres to be used on Sunday.
This indicates the drivers and teams will unusually here elect to stop their drivers’ twice in the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix and this always adds jeopardy. There is a risk something will go wrong in the pit stop and also increased potential that a safety car can interfere with the team’s strategy.
Leclerc plays a tyre masterstroke
After the qualifying session, where Charles Leclerc compromised his start position, by choosing to retain two sets of medium tyres for the Grand Prix, Pirelli’s head of motorsport, Mario Isola, explained the situation facing teams in Barcelona.
“Why I’m not speaking about the hard, because the hard is sliding a little bit, and so overheating in a similar way to the medium – and the level of grip is lower,” he told assembled media. ”The delta to the medium is estimated to be around 0.9 to one second per lap, and it is an indication that [caused] the majority of the teams decide to keep only one set of hard, one set of medium.”
The hard tyre is clearly being seen as a back up for the strategists and its use could come into play if on the hottest day of the weekend, the degradation of the soft and mediums is greater than anticipated. However, Isola does admit the one stop strategy is possible, though “not convenient” given the 15 second disadvantage the compound brings when measured over the 66 lap race distance.
“One stop is feasible in terms of wear, yes. In terms of performance, it is much slower than the two stop,” he said. “We are talking more than 15 seconds, so a lot of time because you need to manage the medium and the hard – and the pace in general – and it’s not convenient to plan a one stop strategy.”
Pirelli unsure of tyre duration
Given the tyre use the teams and drivers have elected to save for the Grand Prix, unless one of the back marker runs the hard tyre from the start of at an early pit stop and proves its value as a race tyre, the standard choice for the three stints will be soft-medium-soft.
Yet as Isola notes, front runner Charles Leclerc has saved two new sets of the medium tyre (as have Haas) which should the tyre degradation be high would the Ferrari driver an advantage in the closing stages of the race.
If the rest of the field are forced to fit the hard type for the final quarter of the Grand Prix, Leclerc could have almost a second a lap advantage over his closest rivals.
Isola is also certain, the choice of tyre at the start will be the softest compound. “I mentioned the soft as the first choice at the start of the race because it’s quicker, and if you want to keep your track position, the soft is the compound that you should choose at the start of the race.”
Starting from seventh, this could prove a useful advantage for Leclerc although it is always within the capabilities of the race leader to slow the pace during the first two stints, to ensure the final set of soft tyres are capable of making the final stint without too much compromise. Ironically a Leclerc win would be something even Max Verstappen would applaud given it would deny either McLaren driver the extra bonus of seven points for winning the race.
Briatore angered by Schumacher
Briatore snaps over Schumacher as Alpine’s summer lineup looks shaky – With the Formula 1 paddock gathering in Barcelona for another high-stakes Grand Prix weekend, Alpine’s team principal, Flavio Briatore, is at the centre of mounting speculation — not about his current drivers, but about a former driver: Mick Schumacher.
The son of the seven-time world champion is once again being linked with a sensational return to the grid, and the rumour mill is churning louder than ever this time around. However, if Briatore has any patience left for the topic, he certainly didn’t show it during a tense media appearance on Friday…. READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
