The Repsol Honda team rider describes the layout on which the Catalunyan Grand Prix is going to be staged this weekend corner by corner.
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- The finish line straight ends downhill and top speeds are usually quite high.
- There’s some hard braking at the end, and it’s normally a good place to overtake.
- Bend from right to left, very important, which leads on to the Big Bend.
- Is a very long, never-ending bend. There’s normally some very nice skidding and you can even see the tyres smoking.
- Repsol bend. A very important bend where I think the lap time can be very influenced. This bend leads on to the part I personally like the most.
- A downhill bend, changing gears and always swerving to the left.
- Uphill Chicane. A very aggressive change of direction; you have to change gears before reaching the next bend.
- This is a blind bend. You can’t see next part until you’re practically out of it, which is why it’s very important to handle the throttle well.
- Back straight. You have to brake hard at the end of it, it’s where many races are decided when there’s a pack.
- We reach a second-gear bend, and when leaving it you have to be careful on the throttle in order not to wear the tyres out too much.
- We reach the area where we normally see more spectators: it’s the Stadium area. A very round bend, not too fast, and where you take it easy on the throttle before reaching the last two bends.
- Last bends. They’re the fastest bends of the circuit, also very important to run a good lap time, and particularly to get off to a good start for the next lap.
