Thomson Holidays Blog: Spanish Grand Prix

Fans of Formula 1 racing won't need any reminder from me that the Spanish Grand Prix kicks off today in Barcelona, at the Circuit de Catalunya.

However, if you don't know your Catalunya from your Coulthard, and if asked, you'd think Rubens Barrichello was a fancy sort of musical instrument, then we've got the essential low-down right here.

Images left and middle: source: BBC

Formula One (or F1) Grand Prix racing was named due to the rules – or the ‘formula’ – that all cars and participants must meet. F1 racing is, like football, culminated into seasons, and each season consists of a series of races. This is known as Grand Prix.

Grand Prix racing usually takes place on designated and purpose-built tracks – known as ‘circuits’ – but sometimes races are held on closed city streets. Circuits differ in design and difficulty, and are usually more exciting to watch the more difficult they are to complete. With cars racing at speeds in excess of 187mph (300 kmh), in order to maintain a degree of safety the formula introduced several restrictions that cars must meet, and the rules have evolved over the years as technology becomes more sophisticated and performance increases.

The traditional centre of F1 racing, Europe offers a number of exciting circuits, each demanding different technical ability and performance. Other circuits have since been introduced, including Bahrain, China, Malaysia and Turkey – so even if you couldn’t care less about F1 racing, you can still go along for the ride and enjoy the fantastic destinations on offer. A good place to start is Crystal Holidays' Grand Prix programme and Sport brochure.

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Take a look at our Thomson Cities guide for Barcelona or, for a (albeit F1-influenced) take on this fantastic city, check out formula1.com's Barcelona destination guide.