PREVIEW: Barcelona is the venue for Round 6 and final weekend of the triple header

After a dramatic few days in Monte Carlo, the paddock makes its way to the familiar venue of Barcelona for Round 6 of the 2025 FIA Formula 2 campaign.

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is the host for the final race weekend of the triple-header, and the teams and drivers will be looking to end it on a high.

So, before we hit the track in Spain, here’s everything you need to know.

WHAT TO EXPECT

After the unique four days of running in Monaco, Formula 2 is back to three days of on-track action in Barcelona, starting on Friday for Free Practice.

The drivers are set to leave the pit lane at 11:05 local time for the 45-minute run out, before going back out on track for Qualifying later in the day at 15:55.

That 30-minute Pole Position shootout will set the grid for both races, the first being the Saturday Sprint, where lights out is scheduled for 14:15 local time.

It is a much earlier start for Sunday’s Feature Race, where the 37-lap action is set to get underway at 10:00 local time. Who will score big in the final weekend of the triple header?

STAT PACK

• Following Round 5 in Monte Carlo, Luke Browning leads the Drivers’ Championship, which means we have had seven different leaders at the top of the Standings since the start of the season.

• Hitech TGR and Campos Racing are the only team to have both drivers inside the top 10 of the Drivers' Standings.

• On Formula 2’s last three visits to Barcelona, a rookie has taken Pole Position – Jack Doohan in 2022, Oliver Bearman in 2023 and Paul Aron in 2024.

• Only twice in Formula 2’s seven visits to Barcelona has the Feature Race been won by the pole-sitter – Charles Leclerc in 2017 and Oliver Bearman in 2023.

• Leonardo Fornaroli is the only driver to have finished in the points at each race contested so far this season.

• Luke Browning’s five podiums in 2025 are the most of any driver on the grid.

FROM THE GRID – Josep María Martí, Campos Racing

“Since the change in layout, it’s a quicker track than it used to be, so it’s changed quite a bit. We have a lot more high-speed corners such as T13 and T14, which for the driver, especially in Qualifying is super nice. T13 is flat and is about sending it as hard as you can, hoping for the best, so it’s a very interesting track section.

“It’s a track known to be the global host of testing and pre-season, so it’s one we all know very well. A lot of low-speed corners, a lot of combined corners, with T4, T10, T12 and overall, a very interesting circuit that tackles the capabilities of the car in any situation.

“Turn 1 is probably the best opportunity to overtake, but you can always find another place to do a divebomb, especially on Lap 1. Turn 5 is a very good spot for an overtake and T10 as well, so those are for me the three main overtaking points.

“It’s a place where Qualifying is very important. As a Spanish driver it’s a very special weekend for me, it’s where I have the most fans, and people come to see us Spanish drivers. I’m very excited for the weekend, to see all the fans in the crowd and hopefully deliver a good result.”

TECHNICAL PREVIEW

Pierre-Alain Michot, FIA Formula 2 Technical Director

“Barcelona is a track that will be very familiar to the drivers and teams as not only will they have tested and raced here many times in Formula 2, but also in other junior categories.

“Due to that, the drivers will have a strong understanding of how to be successful in Barcelona, especially with the help of their teams who will have a lot of data to rely on.

“The first thing that will be considered is the downforce levels. While there is one long main straight, and several high-speed corners, the circuit is made up of combined corners and swift changes of direction, which means the teams will be choosing between medium-to-high downforce levels.

“This will also help protect them from sliding around in the corners, which will keep their tyres in good shape around a circuit known for its heavy degradation. In Qualifying especially, the drivers will want to make sure their tyres are in good condition for the high-speed corners that close out the lap.”

PIRELLI PREVIEW

As was the case already last year, the compounds chosen for this weekend in Montmelò are the Hard and Soft, thus jumping one compound. The Spanish track is very hard on tyres, which are subjected to very high lateral loads because of the many high speed corners. On paper, the quickest strategy for the Feature Race involves starting on the Hard before switching to the Soft. Anyone doing the opposite will be looking to exploit the additional grip of the softer compound in the early stages to make up some places. In 2024, these two strategies were almost evenly split with ten drivers starting on the Hard and twelve on the Soft. Once the Hard tyre performance had peaked, the pit stops began for those on the softer compound. These drivers struggled towards the end of the stint with high wear on the front axle, compounded by traffic on track, which made them vulnerable to being overtaken. The Sprint was tackled on the Hard and drivers had to watch out for degradation, especially on the front axle, so as not to struggle in the closing stages.