Parque Montjuïc, Spain

Type: Street/Park Circuit
Length: 2.356 Miles
Used: 1933 - 1977
Photographs Taken: 26th September, 2002

Utilising the public roads of a park around the site of Barcelona's Olympic stadium, the circuit was first used for the Penya Rhin Grand Prix from 1933 to 1936. During practice for the 1934 race, Peter de Paolo suffered a career-ending crash in his Maserati which resulted in a fractured skull. In 1951 the circuit was revived for motorcycle races on a circuit which was extended to 6.033km in order to meet the minimum requirements for circuit length as specified in the motorcycle sporting regulations at the time. The following year, races were again held, but on a shorter 4.205 km variant. The circuit returned to its original configuration after the 1952 event and would remain in this form for the remainder of it's period of operation. In 1965, the start/finish line for car races was moved to the top of the hill near the stadium, although motorcycles continued to use the original start line at Recta de la Fuertes. The following year the circuit hosted the Barcelona Grand Prix for Formula 2 single seaters and would eventually go on to host the Spanish Grand Prix over alternating years from 1969 to 1975. During the 1969 Grand Prix, Graham Hill crashed heavily when the rear wings failed on his Lotus. A few laps later, his team-mate Jochen Rindt joined him with an identical failure in the same part of the circuit. Six years later Rolf Stommelen suffered a rear wing failure whilst leading, resulting in him crashing over the barriers and killing five spectators. The race was eventually red-flagged and Grand Prix racing was not to return again, although the 24 Hours of Montjuïc for motorcycles was raced until 1986. In 1985 the German rider Nikolaus Ruck perished in an accident at the 24 Hours and the event was for all purposes condemned forever. However, in 1986 the XXXII edition was organized once again - but it was interrupted at 08h10 when a collision between the popular local rider Domingo Parés and Toni Boronat killed the first and seriously injured the second. During the final few years of operation, plans were made to extend the circuit in an attempt to attract Formula 1 for the "Olympic Grand Prix", however the proposal was not developed any further with the construction of the circuit at Jerez de la Frontera.


|| Contents | Start/Finish | El Angulo | Rosaleda | Font Del Gat | Teatro Griego | Vias | Guardia Urbana | Recta de las Fuentes | La Pergola | Pueblo Espanol | Sant Jordi | Final Right || Home ||

Final Right Corner Sant Jordi Pueblo Espanol La Pergola Recta de la Fuentes Guardia Urbana Vias Teatro Griego and Agricultural Hall Font Del Gat Rosaleda Hairpin El Angulo Hairpin Start/Finish and Rasante
Click on corner names above to view photographs.

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Photographs kindly supplied by Chris Hall. Additional information by Sal Chiappetta.