Photo: Toni Sala – 24 Horas de Motociclismo de Montjuïc, 1966. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Source – Wikimedia Commons Toni Sala – 24 Horas de Motociclismo de Montjuïc, 1966. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The street track in Barcelona, Montjuic circuit does not exist anymore…
It was one of the most circuits in F1 in the early of ’70s, F1 was there but then decided not to go back after 1975 race.
However, it was a place where beauty and risk met in equal measure, for a few short years, it hosted races that mixed excitement, fear and a kind of old-world charm that can never be recreated again!
A Circuit Built on a Hill of Contrasts
Montjuic was unlike any other track, you can take an example of Azerbaijan today, not a permanent circuit, set of public roads that wound through parks, gardens and monuments.
It was smaller if you look at it, around 3.80km, but full of fast downhill sections and narrow corners that left no room for mistakes.
The surface was rough and unpredictable, mix of asphalt, cobblestones and even tramlines.
Cars bounced and skidded over the bumps, and drivers had to stay focused every second, the track went up and down constantly, forcing cars to shift balance through elevation changes.
Fans called it the Spanish Monaco, but it had more chances to overtake and even more danger waiting at every corners.
However, drivers loved it for the challenge, even when they knew how risky it was!
From Tradition to Formula 1
Racing in this circuit began long before F1 existed, the Penya Rhin GP took palce here as early as 1933, turning the hill into a popular motorsport venue.
After decades of silence, the circuit came to life again when F1 decided to share the Spanish GP between Jarama and Montjuic in the late 1960s.
From 1969 to 1975, the Barcelona hills became a temporary home for F1, spectators crowded balconies, rooftpos and park paths to see the world’s fastest cars fly past statues and fountains.
Montjuic circuit was called a driver’s circuit, demanded courage, some sections needed high downforce, others demanded straight-line speed.
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The Breaking Point
The year when F1 decided not to go again here, it was 1975, F1 had changed, the cars were much faster, but the circuit was still the same old road with fences and old barriers that barely met basic safety standards.
Drivers in 1975, immediately noticed the problems, some barriers were loose, and parts of the track were unfinished.
For F1, the circuit was unsafe, it became one of the first big moments where circuit united to stand up for safety, after rushed repairs, the race went ahead, but it would be the last ever held at Montjuic circuit.
The events of that day showed that F1 could not continue on tracks that put lives at such high risk.
It became a turning point for how the sport viewed safety and Montjuic’s name was written into history as the circuit that forced change.
The race stopped after few laps, it was the first time ever for a woman to score points in F1, Lella Lombardi who finished 6th.
What Remains Today
The circuit does not exist anymore, engine sound is long gone from Montjuic circuit, today the same roads are part of a peaceful park filled with museums and gardens.
But the old track has not been forgotten, you can still drive or walk along most of its route, in 2004, the Barcelona City Council marked the original circuit with signs to keep its history live.
In 2007, Montjuic came back to life for one day when vintage F1 cars returned for the Martini Legends event, celebrating 75 years since the first race in this circuit.
For those who were there, hearing the roar of old engines echoing off the hills was pure nostalgia.
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Montjuic Lost Circuit
Montjuic was a place where racing felt raw and real, where courage meant more than tech, it was dangerous, yes but it also carried a magic that modern track rarely match.
Its end was sad, but it also marked progress, F1 learned from it, new safety standards were born because of what happened at Montjuic track.
And though the race cars will never return, the spirit of Montjuic still lives on, bravery of the drivers who once raced there, and in the quiet Barcelona roads that remember them.
