What To Watch For in the Spanish GP

Charles Leclerc grabbed pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix at the last minute but did so convincingly. Max Verstappen could not cash in on his last attempt due to a problem with his DRS but still managed to hold on to the first row of the grid.

With the main race kicking off tomorrow, here are some things to watch out for:

Title Rivals Into Turn 1

The front row of the grid at the Spanish Grand Prix looks like it will be just as exciting as last year, with one of the two title protagonists being the same as 12 months ago.

Max Verstappen managed to overtake Lewis Hamilton into Turn 1 and take the lead, setting up a thrilling race. This year, he needs to do the same to Charles Leclerc, who starts in pole position for a fourth time in 2019.

Leclerc failed to convert his latest pole into victory in Miami when the Red Bull proved quicker in the opening stint. But with a bit of uncertainty over how race pace will pan out but on a track that is tough for overtaking, the fight into Turn 1 could be crucial once again.

The driver that leads out of the first few corners is likely to have a good advantage – even if cars can follow much more closely this year, it could be an aggressive battle.

Red Bull vs. Ferrari Strategy Battle

Strategy plays a big part in Formula One racing. This year, the two teams have tried two different strategies, and we’ll see where it leads in Sunday’s race. Last year, Hamilton used a two-stop strategy to pass Verstappen, who had taken the lead at the start of the race.

This year, Ferrari is slightly concerned about their race pace, mainly the tire wear they are experiencing compared to Red Bull. Ferrari carried out some long runs in Friday’s practice session—unlike any other team on the grid—and it appears that it may have paid off, with Leclerc saying, “it feels like we found something.”

Whether it is enough for Ferrari to fight Red Bull on the same strategy remains to be seen; however, last year showed us that there are strategic options available that can be successful by making more pit stops, even if that results from having higher levels of tire degradation.

Mercedes On The Uprising

We’ve been referencing Mercedes’ pace all season because there’s always been the potential for the defending constructors’ champions to make a clear step forward – and that seems to have arrived in Barcelona.

It’s not that the competitive order has changed massively – in fact, the gap to pole position is only 0.1s less than it was at the opening race in Bahrain – but George Russell’s fourth place in qualifying is the team’s best result for the season so far. They are most competitive in terms of lap time too.

More than that, though, the car looks more settled, and the team’s bouncing problem is less severe: they seem to be going in the right direction. So far this season, we’ve been used to seeing Mercedes maximize race results from lowly qualifying spots: Russell has recorded several top-five finishes this year.

With a spot on the second row and a stronger package, we’ll see just how much progress has been made in race pace and if Mercedes can put pressure on Ferrari and Red Bull over a longer distance.

Alonso with a mountain to climb

The home fans have been regularly coming to Barcelona to support Carlos Sainz in recent years, with Fernando Alonso taking two years out and the double world champion’s return in 2021 in front of an almost empty circuit due to COVID-19 restrictions.

This year, they have turned out in force, with 110,000 expected on race day – but Alonso will have to produce something extraordinary if he is the Spaniard to give them something to cheer.

The Alpine driver thought he was tight for time to start his final lap in Q1, so he began directly behind Lando Norris, only to find he had plenty of time in hand, but his run was ruined, and he qualified 17th.

Esteban Ocon was out of position in Miami, and the Frenchman duly climbed into the points. Still, the bad news for Alonso is that Alpine doesn’t look as competitive this weekend, with his teammate only 12th. We’ve seen plenty of first-lap magic from Alonso before, including in Spain, so don’t rule him out.