The 1975 event marked the 21st Spanish Grand Prix and the fourth time the race was hosted at the Montjuïc circuit. Before the race weekend began, members of the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) expressed serious concerns regarding the safety of the track, specifically noting that the barriers were not properly bolted together. This led to a driver strike, with most major competitors refusing to participate in practice sessions. Jacky Ickx, who was not a member of the GPDA, was one of the few marquee drivers to take to the track.
In response to the strike, track staff and mechanics from several teams worked overnight to secure the barriers. Despite these efforts, drivers remained unconvinced. The race organizers eventually forced the drivers to end their strike by threatening legal action and suggesting that the Guardia Civil might seize the racing cars, which were being held at the Montjuïc Stadium paddock. Defending World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi remained in protest; he completed only the mandatory three laps at a slow pace during qualifying before withdrawing from the event entirely on race morning.
Niki Lauda secured pole position for Ferrari, sharing the front row with his teammate Clay Regazzoni. The qualifying session also marked the World Championship debut for drivers Tony Brise and Roelof Wunderink, as well as the debut of Hill as a constructor, which had previously entered Lola chassis.
The race, which was delayed from its scheduled 12:30 pm start, began with a significant collision at the first corner. Vittorio Brambilla’s March collided with Mario Andretti’s Parnelli, which then struck Niki Lauda’s Ferrari, pushing him into Regazzoni. Lauda was forced to retire immediately, while Regazzoni returned to the race after repairs. Other early retirements included Patrick Depailler due to suspension damage, while Wilson Fittipaldi and Arturo Merzario withdrew in protest of the track conditions.
James Hunt initially led the race following the first-lap incidents. On lap four, oil from Jody Scheckter’s blown engine caused Alan Jones and Mark Donohue to crash. Hunt also lost control on the oil and crashed three laps later. Mario Andretti took the lead but retired on lap 14 when his rear suspension failed. Following a series of pit stops and retirements, including Ronnie Peterson’s collision with François Migault while lapping him, Rolf Stommelen moved into the lead in his Embassy Hill GH1.
On lap 26, the rear wing of Rolf Stommelen’s car broke. The car struck the barrier, bounced back across the track, and flew over the opposing barrier into a spectator area. Carlos Pace also crashed while attempting to avoid the incident. The accident resulted in the deaths of four people: fireman Joaquín Benaches Morera, spectator Andrés Ruiz Villanova, and photo-journalists Mario de Roia and Antonio Font Bayarri. Stommelen survived the crash but suffered a broken leg, a broken wrist, and two cracked ribs.
The race continued for four additional laps. During this period, Jochen Mass overtook Jacky Ickx to take the lead. The race was officially halted on lap 29.
Jochen Mass was declared the winner, marking the only Formula One victory of his career and the last win for a German driver until 1992. He finished one second ahead of Jacky Ickx. Jean-Pierre Jarier crossed the line third but was relegated to fourth after receiving a sixty-second penalty for overtaking under a yellow flag. This promoted Carlos Reutemann to third place, one lap behind the leaders. Vittorio Brambilla finished fifth.
Lella Lombardi finished in sixth place, becoming the first woman to score points in the World Championship. Because the race was stopped before reaching 60% of its scheduled 75-lap distance (completing only 109 kilometers), the stewards awarded half points for the first time in championship history. Consequently, Lombardi was awarded 0.5 points.
The race also saw the first fastest lap recorded by the Parnelli constructor and served as the Grand Prix debut for future world champion Alan Jones. This was the final Formula One race held at the Montjuïc circuit.
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