The beginning of the second European leg of the championship, the Spanish Grand Prix takes place on the Circuit de Catalunya this weekend.
Though this monitor has been on the F1 calendar each single season because it first joined again in 1991, this can be one in every of its final grands prix.
Ferrari have received two races to date in 2024, together with the house spherical for one in every of their drivers, Charles Leclerc. However they adopted that with a irritating, point-less weekend consequence two weeks later, and arrive at Carlos Sainz Jnr’s dwelling monitor needing to bounce again.
In the meantime a lot consideration is being targeted on Williams, who’re rumoured to be contemplating an change of their driver line-up to accommodate Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli, adopted final week’s affirmation of a change within the tremendous licence guidelines which might permit him to race earlier than he turns 18 in two months’ time. However the group has not formally indicated any modifications for this weekend.
Can Ferrari bounce again at Sainz’s dwelling race?
Ferrari endured a Canadian Grand Prix to overlook, to say the least. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr had been knocked out in Q2 and did not see the chequered flag – Sainz by his personal hand, whereas Leclerc fell sufferer to technical hassle and a strategic gamble which backfired.
Sainz has loads of assist at his dwelling monitor, which includes a devoted grandstand in his honour, however is but to look on the rostrum right here. His finest ever end in Barcelona is fourth place in 2022, having began from third on the grid.
In addition to successful the Monaco Grand Prix, Ferrari had been solely eight seconds away from Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Imola. However given the shut competitors anticipated on the entrance of the sector, Ferrari need to assume they’ll have a troublesome combat with McLaren and Mercedes to problem Pink Bull for victory. The latter, nonetheless, are extensively anticipated to carry out higher as F1 returns to a extra typical everlasting circuit.
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Will Mercedes construct on Montreal promise?
After Mercedes’ third troublesome begin to a season in as a few years, Montreal seemed to be a turning level. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell confirmed promising tempo all through follow and the latter pipped Verstappen to pole place by the smallest margin doable.
Though they had been unable to transform that tempo into victory within the race itself, Russell did safe the group’s first grand prix podium of the season. With the group’s closely revised new entrance wing having a transparent impression on the boldness that each drivers have behind the wheel, Mercedes should now construct on this.
After Montreal, Toto Wolff mentioned that Mercedes had been excited for Barcelona so they might “actually perceive the place we’re, efficiency clever.” At a circuit that every one drivers know higher than another, this weekend might present what Hamilton can anticipate for the rest of his closing season with the Silver Arrows.
One of many final Barcelona races?
The Circuit de Catalunya could not take pleasure in the identical revered standing as many different circuits on the calendar, however is one in every of F1’s most enduring venues. It and Japan’s Suzuka are level-pegging on 34 races as F1’s tenth most-used monitor.
However whereas F1 has secured its future in Spain, it seems like Catalunya’s days are numbered. Earlier this yr, Method 1 introduced a 10-year deal for the Spanish Grand Prix to maneuver to a model new road circuit in Madrid, signalling the tip of a three-decade tenure for Barcelona in internet hosting the race.
Nevertheless, whereas Madrid’s first race will occur in 2026, the Circuit de Catalunya’s closing race is because of happen the identical yr. What will probably be referred to as, and whether or not any additional visits will observe, stays to be seen. Spain beforehand held two rounds of the world championship between 2008 and 2012, when F1 visited this monitor and an unloved road course in Valencia.
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Aston Martin on the ascendency?
In comparison with their exceptional success within the early a part of final season, it’s been a disappointing begin to 2024 for Aston Martin. Nevertheless, heading into driver Fernando Alonso’s dwelling race, there’s lastly some cause for optimism.
The Silverstone-based group loved their finest weekend of the season to date in Montreal final day trip, with Alonso main group mate Lance Stroll throughout the road to take sixth and seventh in addition to 14 factors – the group’s highest haul at a spherical in 2024 to date.
“I believe we will be extra optimistic heading into Barcelona,” mentioned Alonso after the Canadian Grand Prix. The numerous 1000’s of followers who will likely be cheering him on from the grandstands this weekend will hope that doesn’t show misplaced, although after their spectacular 2023 marketing campaign they not appear to be difficult the highest 4 groups.
Rising temperatures
This yr’s Spanish Grand Prix will happen three weeks later than the earlier version of the race. Groups can subsequently anticipate a higher probability of upper temperatures.
Pirelli will once more convey their hardest number of compounds, as the various medium-to-high velocity corners place extreme demand upon tyres. With hotter temperatures forecast, drivers can anticipate tyre administration to be tougher, and F1’s official tyre provider has even urged they could want to make use of three-stop methods in the course of the race.
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Can Perez return to Q3?
Final yr, Sergio Perez suffered a irritating run of 5 straight rounds between the Monaco and British Grands Prix the place he repeatedly failed to succeed in Q3 in probably the most dominant automobile Method 1 has ever seen.
Regardless of making a stronger begin to the 2024 season in a number of respects, Perez has failed to succeed in Q3 in every of the final three qualifying periods. Though he efficiently progressed out of Q1 right here final yr, that was so far as he obtained. In blended climate situations, he was eradicated from Q2 in eleventh place.
His dip in type has had tangible penalties for Pink Bull, who’ve been out-scored by at the least one rival in all the final three rounds. However the stakes aren’t excessive for Perez – Pink Bull handed him a two-year contract extension earlier than the final spherical.
Sargeant’s final stand?
Logan Sargeant’s place in F1 is doubtlessly in jeopardy, nonetheless, and his poor weekend in Montreal is not going to have helped issues. Though he reached Q2 with a good efficiency, he threw that every one away within the moist situations on Sunday by operating off monitor, then ending his race with a spin into the boundaries.
Now, there was a serious growth that would spell that the tip is nigh for F1’s solely American driver. The FIA has formally amended its Worldwide Sporting Code to permit it to grant an exemption and provides an excellent licence to an eligible 17-year-old driver at its discretion. Just one driver on the planet has the potential to learn from this – Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Might this be Sargeant’s closing weekend as a Williams driver and his final in Method 1? Time will quickly inform.
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