Formula 1 heads to Spain this weekend to race at Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, a track that is acutely familiar to drivers as it is the home of winter testing. This Grand Prix holds the distinction of being won by 10 drivers in the last 12 seasons and tends to be where teams bring their first car upgrades of the season.
The consensus seems to be that Honda’s Baku upgrade provided a worthy bump in race pace as both drivers praised the update and produced race pace on par with Ferrari. To build on that and fix some of the balance issues the chassis has exhibited Red Bull will be bringing new front and rear wings aimed at finally bringing the chassis into the sweet spot along with the engine. Red Bull will be a podium contender here. On the Toro Rosso side, they seem to have had a decent chassis all along and with recent performances by its drivers and the same Honda engine upgrade, they are contenders for best of the rest.
Elsewhere on the grid, we have to assume Mercedes are the favorites because even on weekends when Ferrari has had a faster car they’ve failed to execute. Still, Ferrari will be looking to rekindle some of the magic it showed here during winter testing. From there we can expect a battle between a Renault and a Racing Point. Count on an Alfa Romeo being in that mix and looking to spoil someone’s race wherever possible. Haas and McLaren could be locked in a battle of their own if the American squad’s “significant” upgrade does not solve its tire warm-up woes and boost them back to the impressive pace they showed in winter testing. Williams will round out the order despite what the team is calling an “exciting” upgrade.
US TV SCHEDULE:
Practice 1 – Friday, May 10, 4:55 AM – ESPN2
Practice 2 – Friday, May 10, 8:55 AM –
ESPNU
Practice 3 – Saturday, May 11, 5:55 AM – ESPN2
Qualifying – Saturday, May 11, 8:55 AM – ESPN2
Pit Lane Live – Sunday, May 12, 7:30 AM – ESPN3
On The Grid – Sunday, May 12, 8:30 AM – ESPN2
Race – Sunday, May 12, 9:05 AM – ESPN2
Race (re-air) – Sunday, May 12, 6:00 PM,
ESPNEWS
Race (re-air) – Sunday, May 12, 10:00 PM, ESPN2
CIRCUIT INFORMATION
Lap data
Lap length: 4.655km (2.892 miles)
Race laps: 66
Race distance: 307.104km (190.826 miles)
Pole position: Left-hand side of the track
Lap record*: 1’18.441 by Daniel Ricciardo, 2018
Maximum speed: 318kph (197.596 mph)
DRS
zone/s (race): Pit straight and straight after Campsa
Car performance
Full throttle: 67%
Longest flat-out section: 1310m
Downforce level: High
Fuel use per lap: 1.7kg
Time penalty per lap of fuel: 0.051s
Strategy
Quickest complete pit stop in 2013: 18.471s by Ferrari
2019 tyres: Hard (C1), Medium (C2), Soft (C3) (2018: Medium, Soft, Supersoft)
*Fastest lap set during a Grand Prix
Data sources:
FIA
, Williams, Mercedes
2018 RESULTS:
Laps: 66
Pole: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:16.173
Fast race lap: Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1:18.441
Podium
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
3. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
CURRENT STANDINGS:
Drivers
1. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 87
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 86
3. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 52
4. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 51
5. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 47
6. Sergio Perez, Racing Point, 13
7. Pierre Gasly, Red Bull, 13
8. Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing, 13
9. Lando Norris, McLaren, 12
10. Kevin Magnussen, Haas, 8
Constructors
1. Mercedes, 173
2. Ferrari, 99
3. Red Bull, 64
4. McLaren, 18
5. Racing Point, 17
6. Alfa Romeo Racing, 13
7. Renault, 12
8. Haas, 8
9. Toro Rosso, 4
10. Williams, 0
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