The Pedralbes Circuit was a street-racing circuit in the Pedralbes district of Barcelona. Used between 1946 and 1955, the circuit was one of the fastest and most popular street circuits of the early Grand Prix era.
Built on wide urban boulevards in western Barcelona, Pedralbes featured long straights and sweeping corners, giving it a reputation as a high-speed yet flowing track that drivers and spectators greatly enjoyed.
The circuit hosted the Spanish Grand Prix twice and several editions of the Penya Rhin Grand Prix, before safety concerns forced its closure in the mid-1950s.
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Pedralbes
| First Grand Prix | 1951 Spanish Grand Prix |
| Number of Laps | 70 |
| Circuit Length | 6.333 km |
| Race Distance | 442.120 km |
| Lap Record | 2:20.400 Alberto Ascari (1954) |
Circuit
When was Pedralbes built?
The Pedralbes Circuit first opened in 1946, shortly after the end of the Second World War.
It was laid out on the wide avenues of the Pedralbes neighbourhood, a relatively modern and spacious district in western Barcelona. The track’s large boulevards allowed designers to create a layout with broad corners and high average speeds, which was unusual for a street circuit.
The early layout measured 4.465 km and contained only four corners, emphasising speed rather than technical complexity.
The circuit soon became the home of the Penya Rhin Grand Prix, a major Spanish motor racing event organised by the Royal Automobile Club of Catalonia.
When was the first Spanish Grand Prix at Pedralbes?
Pedralbes hosted two Formula One World Championship races, the 1951 Spanish Grand Prix and the 1954 Spanish Grand Prix.
The 1951 race was particularly significant. It was won by Juan Manuel Fangio driving an Alfa Romeo 159, and the result secured Fangio’s first Formula One World Championship title.
The 1954 Spanish Grand Prix was won by Mike Hawthorn driving a Ferrari 625.
Like many road circuits of the time, Pedralbes lacked modern safety features. After the 1955 Le Mans disaster, international motorsport authorities introduced much stricter safety standards.
Street circuits with limited barriers and run-off areas were considered too dangerous, and the Pedralbes Circuit was permanently closed as a racing venue in 1955.
Spain’s Formula One races later moved to other circuits, including the Circuito del Jarama, the Circuito Permanente del Jarama, and eventually the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and later the Madring.
Pedralbes lap record
The fastest Formula One race lap recorded at Pedralbes was set during the 1954 Spanish Grand Prix by Alberto Ascari driving the Lancia D50 in a time of 2:20.400.
Although it existed for less than a decade, the Pedralbes Circuit holds an important place in early Formula One history as the venue where Fangio secured his first world title and as one of the fastest street circuits of the 1950s.