Anil Parma (@AnilP228) decided to head to pre-season testing in Barcelona to see for himself the next generation of Formula One Cars, at a circuit he’d never previously visited. But he discovered so much more than shark fins, stub noses and delicious tapas.

I started watching Formula 1 in 1998 and I remember my first race very clearly. It was the Spanish Grand Prix and quite frankly it was pretty dull; Mika Hakkinen dominated from start to finish and only three cars finished on the lead lap, with the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher taking third place, 47s behind Mika’s McLaren. Every year since then, the same thing gets repeated in F1 circles; the Spanish Grand Prix is boring. It’s dull, predictable and rarely puts on a good show.

Is the circuit that bad?

This year I made the decision to go to F1 testing in Barcelona. There were two reasons for this; first off I was fed up of British weather and fancied a break abroad, but secondly I wanted to see how exciting the latest generation of Formula 1 cars were. I was however sceptical of the circuit; I’ve watched F1 races at Spa and Silverstone and I wasn’t sure what to expect from a circuit that hasn’t provided many memorable races. Thankfully, my initial fears were wrong. So completely wrong. Circuit de Catalunya is an incredible circuit and one of the most underrated on the current Formula 1 calendar. Why doesn’t it get more love?

If you haven’t been to Circuit de Catalunya before, you probably aren’t aware of just how beautiful the landscape of the surrounding area is. Unlike my local circuit Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix, Circuit de Catalunya is incredibly scenic, with a gorgeous backdrop full of mountains and beautiful sunshine. The circuit itself has a tonne of elevation change too and whilst we’re not talking Eau Rouge levels of climbs and drops, it’s safe to say that the TV doesn’t do it justice.

Then there are the corners. Whereas modern circuits have a surplus of tight corners and lack fast sweepers, this circuit is the opposite. Turns one, two and three are wonderful curves and it’s fantastic to watch the world’s fastest cars at the limit. Turn 3 is now flat out and it’s jaw dropping to watch the cars throughout the corner, with the drivers fighting g-forces of over 5g. The run down to turn eight is also a brilliant spot to watch the cars, as is the ever impressive turn nine, a long right handed sweeper that the cars now take flat out. Even the mickey-mouse chicane in the final sector doesn’t ruin the overall enjoyment that can be found when watching F1 cars tackle the circuit.

It’s well known that the circuit doesn’t produce good racing however and outside of a wet race in 1996, F1 has been reliant on refuelling and degrading tyres to spice up the racing. The main issue here isn’t the circuits’ fault though; it lies with aerodynamics.

If you watch F1 races at the circuit from the mid-90’s onwards, there’s a common trend. The cars, which are heavily reliant on over-car, front wing generated aerodynamics, simply can’t get close to each other through the breath-taking sweepers found in the first and second sector. As a result, there’s no real racing to be found and track position matters most. It’s ironic that the same aerodynamics that make the cars spectacular over one lap come at a detriment to the racing on a Sunday.

Circuit de Catalunya is a remnant of old school track design along with circuits like Spa, Silverstone and Suzuka. These circuits have some exceptional corners and a wonderful flow to them, with each corner linking nicely to the next. Generally speaking, these tracks provide great racing in every category as long as the aerodynamics allow for it.

Over time, circuit design has changed to work around the aero. No longer do we get long, spectacular sweepers and instead there is a focus on tight corners and hairpins, where the dirty air effect is minimal. With the exception of the wonderful Istanbul circuit in Turkey, most modern F1 circuits are designed in a completely different way to the Barcelona circuit to minimise the dirty air effect.

There is perhaps no better example of this than the latest addition to the Formula 1 calendar, the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez in Mexico City. The crowd certainly create an amazing atmosphere however the race track leaves a lot to be desired, with virtually every corner having been amended from the original layout, making the corners much slower and much less spectacular.

There is also something to be said about the Buddh International Circuit in India, which hosted three rather dull races between 2011 and 2013. Look at the circuit layout and compare it to the layout of the Kyalami circuit in South Africa. Notice something? The Buddh International layout is quite literally a modern day equivalent, with the flowing medium speed corners replaced completely, just as they were with the Mexico City circuit mentioned above.

As I watched Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes take on the daunting turn three at the Barcelona Circuit, my jaw literally dropped. Here was, quite possibly, the world’s fastest car, being pushed to its physical limit by one of the best pilot’s in the world. The same circuit that had bored me to sleep in prior year’s made my jaw drop and reignited my love of the sport in a way I didn’t know was possible. It was never the circuit’s fault, because the circuit is great, as proven by GP2 and Moto GP. The fault in boring races was, as often is, aerodynamics, the same aerodynamics that are allowing this generation of F1 cars to take corners faster than they ever have. It’s the greatest irony.

F1 circuit design has undoubtedly been changed forever by aerodynamics and the dreaded dirty air effect, as well as the relentless quest for improved safety, but don’t let that get in the way of enjoying the classic circuits. With its fast sweepers, surprising elevation change and the wonderfully atmospheric stadium section, Circuit de Catalunya is truly brilliant and I wholeheartedly recommend visiting the circuit if you can.

You won’t regret it.

Article by Anil Parmar (@AnilP228)