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Whereas the Jerez circuit was blighted by being too far from centres of population to attract crowds, the Catalunya circuit (aka Montmelo) was built just 12 miles from Barcelona. It was actually the fourth circuit in, or near, Barcelona, which has some claim to being Spain's capital of motor racing.
In the furore following Martin Donnolly's near-fatal accident at Jerez in 1990, Catalunya, built on land owned by the Real Automobil Club de Catalunya, put in a successful bid to take over the Spanish GP.
Opened in 1991, the 2.950 circuit was quick and had both a wide range of corners and excellent facilities and viewing points. A temporary chicane was built at 'Nissan' (a very shallow curve) in 1994, but for 1995, 'Nissan' was straightened reducing the length of a lap to 2.937 miles.
In recent years the track been further revised, in 2003 a new stretch of track was laid at La Caixa, while in late 2004 the entire circuit was re-surfaced.
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