Circuit de Catalunya responds to anthem criticisms

The Barcelona track appeared to cut the Spanish national anthem short before playing the Catalonian anthem. Catalonia has been in dispute with Spain over becoming its own country recently.

Barcelona is based in the Catalonian region of Spain, and the city saw violence recently between Spanish police and protestors, so tensions were already running high.

It is always a shame when politics overshadows sport, and the Circuit de Catalunya has received a letter from Manuel Avino, President of the Spanish motorsport federation regarding the incident.

The Barcelona circuit has issued a statement: Ever since 1991, the year in which the first Spanish Grand Prix was staged at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, both anthems have been played on the grid 14 minutes before the start of the race. The procedure to play these anthems has always been the same: first the Spanish anthem, and then the Catalan anthem.

During this opening ceremony, and ever since the first edition of the event, both flags are shown: the Spanish flag and the Catalan flag.

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya wants to express and state that it has always shown the utmost respect towards the Spanish and Catalan symbols.

Sunday's race was won by Lewis Hamilton, who was joined on the podium by team-mate Valterri Bottas and Max Verstappen.