5 Talking Points Ahead Of The Spanish Grand Pix

Formula One returns to action this weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – a traditional European season opener.

Here are the talking points of the Spanish Grand Prix.

• Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz with the home advantage

Fernando Alonso is a national hero in Spain and has been for years, but Carlos Sainz has his massive level of support in Barcelona—and this could well grow even more this weekend. Even when he was driving for Renault and McLaren—cars that were nowhere near the podium contenders they are now—he had a packed grandstand backing him at his home race. And this year, he’s in a car capable of winning races.

This year, Charles Leclerc has taken the two wins and three pole positions for Ferrari, but Sainz has been on the podium in every race he has finished and secured his first-ever pole on three occasions. So it’s perfectly understandable that his home fans will be dreaming of his maiden victory coming at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya too!

The flip side is that there have been two races where Sainz hasn’t seen the chequered flag yet so a first win would be hugely popular among his fans—it could also prove crucial to any title hopes.

• Mercedes Upgrades Aimed At Improving Performance

Mercedes looks far more competitive than they have at any point this year, which is a relief for their fans. The team has made a few upgrades to the car, starting to pay off. But when their setup changes don’t work, the team has to go back to the original setup that worked well at the beginning of the year – even though it isn’t working anymore.

That makes Mercedes a compelling team to watch: They have a fast car somewhere, but they are still trying to figure out how to get it out consistently. But with 18 races still to go, a quick turnaround could put them back in the frame.

• More significant Upgrades For Teams?

This year will be no different. All of the teams are still learning about their new cars, given the change in regulations introduced this year, and improvements are expected to be particularly dramatic.

Barcelona has traditionally been a venue where significant upgrades are introduced. While that became less of a trend in recent years as some teams were able to bring a constant flow of new parts to races, the introduction of the budget cap is likely to see a return to that approach for many.

One of the reasons Spain saw such development was its proximity to the various teams’ headquarters, making it easier to commit to getting parts to the track on time.

They all know the track exceptionally well because they’ve tested there so many times. That gives them plenty of historical data and precise comparison between their launch-spec cars and the latest updates.

• A real test of the new regulations

That familiarity also hints at a characteristic that will help judge how successful the 2022 regulations have been.

The intention was to make it much easier for a car to follow another closely, reducing the impact of ‘dirty air’ – the disrupted airflow that comes off the leading car – when within a few car lengths. That, in turn, was designed to improve racing, as drivers could stay within striking distance without overheating their tires as quickly because they’d maintain good levels of downforce.

So far this season, we have seen lots of thrilling racing throughout the field, but Barcelona was historically a circuit where overtaking has been particularly difficult. All of the data teams have from testing give them a more precise set-up direction, ensuring they are more likely to be getting the maximum performance out of their respective cars.

Suppose a driver isn’t struggling so much as a result. In that case, they are less likely to make mistakes – and when you factor in the number of high-speed corners that require solid aerodynamic performance, in the past, a significant pace advantage was needed to make an overtaking attempt.

We might not see swathes of overtaking, but if the new rules are working as intended, then drivers will be racing more closely together, with more significant potential for them to find a way to make a move.

• RedBull vs. Ferrari Title Fight Continues

So far, the championship battle has seen some big swings in terms of competitiveness between Red Bull and Ferrari, and it almost went through another within the space of one weekend in Miami. On Saturday, Ferrari locked out the front row after Max Verstappen’s error on his final qualifying lap, but the defending champion was quickest in the first stint in the race.

It proved crucial, as the two teams were very closely matched after that, but Verstappen made the most of his advantage to win and ensure he has taken victory in every race – including the F1 Sprint at Imola – that he has finished this year.

However, Charles Leclerc has pushed Verstappen hard on three of those four occasions and won the other two Grands Prix himself, with Melbourne perhaps the most evident advantage yet. Red Bull hit back strongly, but Ferrari was quickly out of the box in Barcelona testing. The competitive order between the two seemed to fluctuate depending on each venue’s characteristics.

So far, this is a fight that has been anything but predictable.