Ferrari star Sebastian Vettel says Formula One teams and drivers’ familiarity with this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix venue makes it “incredibly important” to master all the little details.
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya first hosted an F1 race in 1991 and has been a mainstay on the calendar ever since, kickstarting the European leg of the season with plenty of major upgrades usually introduced.
Featuring a wide variety of corners, a long pit straight and several gradient changes, the track has grown into the ultimate benchmark to assess an F1 car, as highlighted by the numerous pre-season and in-season tests taking place in Montmelo.
“Barcelona is a very good indication of where you are with the car,” Vettel said. “We can see a good reference where we stand, therefore it is incredibly important to get all the details right because you know that track so well. It is very important to get everything together to be able to perform high.”
The four-time world champion adds that tyre management is a crucial performance factor around the 2.8-mile circuit, with Pirelli making its orange-walled hard compound available for the first time this year.
“You have a lot of corners, high-speed corners, low-speed corners, quick changes of direction, slow chicanes, a lot of traction requires from the car, from the tyres. It is a big stress, therefore it is very important to look after tyres.”
Vettel will look to add to his sole 2011 Spanish Grand Prix win this weekend, with the Ferrari man currently fifth in the Drivers’ standings on 33 points, 67 behind championship leader Nico Rosberg.
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