However, F1 has done its best to talk up a circuit designed by Dromo, which oversaw the redevelopment of Zandvoort as well repaving Silverstone.
“It’s in between what you’d consider a normal street track layout and more towards a permanent circuit style layout,” said Craig Wilson, F1’s Head of Vehicle Performance.
“A lot of the places will have a temporary circuit-type installation, but then there’s other sections which may look or feel a bit different depending on the final implementation decisions to suit the IFEMA site.”
Wilson told the F1 website one of the most distinctive features of the track will be a sharp downhill drop between Turns 7 and 9 – will we see some Long Beach-esque moments reminiscent of the world championship’s yesteryear?
Wilson also says Turn 10 has scope “to be banked” – Dromo implemented similar circuit design technique for two turns at Zandvoort, something its CEO Jarno Zaffelli described as needing being “about big b******s” to take on.
Jarno Zafelli’s Dromo will oversee the circuit’s design
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Will F1 keep racing at Barcelona?
Despite the fact that until ‘the rise of Fernando Alonso‘ Spain had very little in the way of F1 culture – albeit still having a fervent interest in motorcycle racing – it has hosted two F1 races on a number of occasions.
In 1997, as well as the Spanish GP at Circuit de Catalunya, the F1 season rounded off with the now-infamous European GP at Jerez in which Michael Schumacher attempted to take out Jacques Villeneuve in their title-decider.