Formula 1 has contested the Spanish Grand Prix since 1951 and visited the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya since 1991, so F1 Oversteer looks at what teams tend to do well.
Six squads have taken to the top step of a Spanish GP podium since the first time F1 took up the naming rights. Various categories had staged races using the moniker since 1913 and F1 also held non-championship editions of the Spanish GP at Jarama in 1967 and again in 1980.
Alfa Romeo even enjoyed their only Spanish Grand Prix victory at the first edition on the F1 calendar in 1951. Juan Manuel Fangio dominated around Pedralbes to win by 54 seconds to Jose Froilan Gonzalez. Mike Hawthorn won the second Spanish GP racing for Ferrari in 1954.
Alfa Roma won the first F1 Spanish GP with Juan Manuel Fangio in 1951
Ferrari had taken pole position for the first Formula 1 Spanish GP in 1951 with Alberto Ascari behind the wheel. But the Italian ultimately ended the race two laps behind Fangio in fourth place. Nino Farina ensured two Alfa Romeo were on the podium behind Gonzalez of Ferrari.
READ MORE: Five unforgettable Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona including Senna vs Mansell
Lotus, meanwhile, became the first Formula 1 team to win a championship round at Jarama with Graham Hill come the 1968 edition. Jim Clark had also given Lotus the win at Jarama in 1967 but the round was a non-championship race as Formula 1 moved to test the track out.
Another Briton in Jackie Stewart also took the first win at Montjuic with Matra after F1 took the race to the hill in Barcelona for the 1969 Spanish GP. But Brazilian legend Ayrton Senna later saw Lotus become the first Formula 1 team to win the Spanish GP at Jerez come 1986.
Yet it was back to British success in Spain as Formula 1 took to the Spanish GP to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya come 1991. Nigel Mansell made Williams the first Formula 1 team to win around the track in Montmelo after he and Senna produced their instantly iconic battle.
Ferrari are the most successful F1 team at the Spanish GP
The Spanish Grand Prix has seen six Formula 1 teams enjoy multiple victories since the 1951 running of the race. Ferrari are also, by far, the most successful Formula 1 team the Spanish GP has ever seen since the race became a part of the world championship in its second year.
Ferrari are the most successful F1 team at the Spanish GP in Barcelona
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has also proven to be a happy hunting ground for Ferrari since Formula 1 moved the Spanish GP in 1991. It has seen the Scuderia take a record eight wins to date. But Ferrari’s place as F1’s most successful team is less dominant in Barcelona.
Ferrari and Mercedes are the most successful engine manufacturers at the Spanish GP
Given Ferrari are the most successful Formula 1 team at the Spanish GP of all time and the Scuderia produce their own engines, the Italian outfit also sit at the top for wins by a power unit provider. But Mercedes engines have also powered 12 Spanish Grand Prix winners ever.
Mercedes, however, achieved five of those whilst in partnership with Ilmor before the team dominated Formula 1 from the start of the turbo-hybrid era in 2014. Similarly, Ford achieved 11 Spanish GP wins with its engines from 1968 to 1979 whilst collaborating with Cosworth.
More recent years have even seen Red Bull win two Spanish Grand Prix with Honda power units carrying different engine rooms. Honda engines won three Spanish GPs in the 1980s with the Japanese brand’s name, rather than badged as Red Bull Powertrains in the 2020s.
Mercedes are the most successful engine manufacturer at the Spanish GP in Barcelona
Thanks to their partnership with McLaren during the 1990s and 2000s, Mercedes are above Ferrari as the most successful engine manufacturer at the Spanish Grand Prix since F1 took the race to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – and especially during the turbo-hybrid era.
The post What F1 teams do well at Spanish GP with Ferrari and Mercedes successful in Barcelona appeared first on F1 Oversteer.