F1 Spanish GP circuit at Barcelona to see modifications with removal of chicane in final sector

As reported ahead of the 2022 F1 Spanish GP by Spanish publication SoyMotor, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is set to undergo significant changes for the 2023 season. Plans to homologate the third sector without the chicane are currently underway to create two different layouts that will suit the requirements of the sport and improve opportunities for closer and faster racing.

The managing director of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, José Luis Santamaría, spoke about the ongoing work concerning the track and the plans for its future. He said:

“We have been working to homologate the old layout without the chicane as Grade 1. We already have the solution for this route, which is to increase safety with TecPro barriers. Taking advantage of Formula 1, we are going to homologate that track and it will be up to the promoters of the races if they want to use one track or another. The idea is that, with these new security measures, the circuit can be Grade 1 with both variants.”

The F1 cars are set to hit the track in Barcelona on May 20th, with Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen currently fighting for the championship. The configuration for the upcoming event, however, will remain the same as in previous years.

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Ferrari reportedly set to bring first big upgrades for F1 Spanish Grand Prix

Ahead of the sixth round of the 2022 F1 championship, Ferrari is reportedly bringing in its first set of significant upgrades to step up in the battle against Red Bull.

As reported by The Race, the Scuderia team boss Mattia Binotto said:

“In the next races it will be at least our turn to try to develop as much as we can the car by introducing upgrades. I think it’s not a surprise that we may have a package in Barcelona which will be important for us. As usual I hope that the package we are introducing is working as expected in order to try to catch up the current gap we’ve got compared to the Red Bull.”

The Italian exec went on to add, saying:

“Red Bull has been very good in that respect, they were very good on the medium tyres to be as fast as us in the very slow speed corners. The reason why is that it’s something that we need to assess and understand. And, in fact, I believe it’s that they have got upgrades in the last races that have made their car simply faster.”

2022 F1 championship leader Charles Leclerc also commented on Red Bull's swiftly improving performance over the last few races and his expectations from the upcoming upgrades. The Monegasque said:

“Of course, they’ve been improving. I think we all expected them to be improving. They are a very strong team and we are aware of this. So it’s not a surprise. But I am also confident about my team, and I’m sure that will bring upgrades that will bring us back to the top. I hope so. But we are working well and we’ve been working very well in the past few years to come back on top. So, I hope that those upgrades will help us to challenge them again.”

The gap between the top two F1 teams in the constructors' standings is a mere six points, which means that the Spanish GP has the potential to significantly shake up the championship battle.