Built ahead of Barcelona's 1992 Olympic Games, the circuit hosted its first Spanish Grand Prix in 1991. The final sector changed repeatedly: a chicane was added in 2007, altered in 2021 and bypassed by Formula 1 from 2023 to restore the faster finish.
Michael Schumacher's masterful wet-weather drive in 1996 delivered his first Ferrari win. In 2016 Max Verstappen won on his Red Bull debut, becoming Formula 1's youngest Grand Prix winner.
Across 4.657 km, its 14 corners create a distinct rhythm between braking, precision and acceleration. As a permanent racing circuit, it asks drivers and teams to adapt setup, tyre management and race strategy to the venue's particular constraints, while its clockwise direction shapes the sequence of its most demanding sectors.
