Josep Lluís Santamaría: “The circuit required deep makeup”
MADRID, 12 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish Formula 1 (Ferrari) driver Carlos Sainz confessed this Thursday that racing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in the Spanish Grand Prix “with the opportunity to be on the podium is a unique feeling”, in a week that will be “intense, but fun.”
“Racing at home is an intense week, but also fun. I’m going to enjoy it like never before, with the first opportunity to get on the podium, it’s a unique feeling, I really want it. It will be a unique and very fun Grand Prix”, said Sainz about the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, at the presentation of the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix.
The event, held at the Carlos Sainz Karting Madrid, was also attended by the Director General of Sports of the Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD), the Director General of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Josep Lluís Santamaría, and the President of the Royal Spanish Federation. of Motoring, Manuel Aviñó.
The driver of the Italian team, who in Miami achieved his third podium so far this season, insisted that he is working so that his first victory comes “as soon as possible”. “A victory would be unique, it would be the first and at home. I work for it, I am the one who wants that victory the most,” he stressed.
Sainz, who will once again have his own animation grandstand on the circuit, celebrated that it was full and the fans returned to the stands. “I remember going to the Grand Prix in 2005 and 2006 and seeing the grandstands full to the brim, when Fernando won the World Championships, it was packed. This year is going to be the first time in many years that it’s full, and it’s going to be incredible,” he said.
In this 32nd edition of the GP, which will be held from May 20 to 22, the circuit management is committed to digitization and sustainability, after a process of “deep makeup”. “We have adapted the circuit, we have worked in the paddock so that everyone is comfortable. Next week we will obtain the Corporate Social Responsibility certification, aligned with the UN SDGs. We are working for a better circuit and a better world”, explained Santamaría ,
Santamaría celebrated the reception that the Spanish GP has received in 2022, after two atypical years due to the coronavirus pandemic, with a 2020 behind closed doors and the 2021 edition with only 1,000 fans in the stands. “When we designed the ephemeral stands we were conservative, but the rate of sales that we started in November was excellent. We immediately reached the ‘sold out’, which had not been produced for a long time, although with less capacity than in other seasons,” he said .
ALBERT SOLER: “THIS GP WILL BE A PARTY THAT POSITIONS US AS A COUNTRY”
Among all the available stands, the Circuit will once again have the Carlos Sainz Stand, located in the Stadium area, as well as other points where fans can enjoy a unique gastronomic experience. “The show is always on the track, but we must also give them comfort. We are going to open five gastronomy points, starting with sandwiches, soft drinks and potatoes. There will also be musical entertainers and a special area for the little ones,” he said. Santa Maria.
One of the novelties of this season will be the Village Barcelona&Circuit, an initiative of the circuit itself and the Barcelona City Council that will take place from May 13 to 21 at the Barceloneta wharf in Port Vell, with free admission. Attendees will be able to enjoy multiple proposals that link the city with an event of such magnitude. In addition, the three best drivers will premiere on Sunday 22 the new podium.
For his part, the president of the Royal Spanish Automobile Federation, Manuel Aviñó, stressed that Spain is “an enviable showcase on a world level, synonymous with organisation”. “It is one of the best tools to make visible everything we do in Spain.
We have an enviable country in international sports with Formula 1 as the climax,” he said.
“Sainz and Alonso are everything, the reference of many people, they represent a lot for Spanish motorsport. They arrive in an enviable state of form, hopefully it will be the Carlos Grand Prix and they will overcome the invisible barrier of the first victory”, Aviñó wished, that highlighted the “impeccable” management of the Circuit, as a “great organizational example”.
Finally, Albert Soler praised the “great effort” carried out by the organization of the event. “It is full to the brim, people wanted to be there. It is the fruit and work of many people, with the support of the Federation. It will be a party that positions us as a country and a mainstay in the world of sports,” he concluded.