Formula 1 heads to Spain this weekend to race at Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, a track that is acutely familiar to most drivers as it is typically the home of winter testing, although for the first time since 2014 it was not used this year. 2021 sees the event return to its normal time on the calendar where last year it was run in the heat of August which had an impact on tire performance. Pirelli has nominated its three hardest tire compounds but insist that, due to the high energy transfer here, that racing should be more exciting than in Portugal.
Cautious optimism will be the name of the game at Red Bull this weekend. While mistakes and bad luck have kept them from their ideal result, Spain should represent a circuit that is less power-dependent and allow them to see where the team stacks up from a truly balanced performance perspective between the power unit and chassis. Having one car on the podium is all but guaranteed, having both there should be a possibility here in Spain. On the AlphaTauri side we can expect one car to finish in the points with the other close behind.
Elsewhere on the grid, to the chagrin of many F1 fans, Mercedes has reclaimed its role as the clear favorites even though there was some doubt earlier in the season. Following the lead cars, McLaren is putting its stamp on best-of-the-rest particularly with strong drives from Norris. Following McLaren we should look for a what could be a great battle between an Alpine and a Ferrari. Following that battle we can expect to see an Aston Martin having to try harder than Lawrence Stroll would like to work its way into the points. After that we will find Alfa Romeo and Williams will be mixing it up. Finally, the woefully underdeveloped cars and rookie driver lineup at Haas will round out the order.
US TV SCHEDULE
Practice 1 – Friday, May 7 – 5.25AM – ESPN2
Practice 2 – Friday, May 7 – 8.55AM –
ESPNU
Practice 3 – Saturday, May 8 – 5.55AM – ESPN2
Qualifying – Saturday, May 9 – 8.55AM – ESPN2
Grand Prix Sunday (pre-race show) – Sunday, May 9 – 7.30AM
Spanish Grand Prix – Sunday, May 9 – 8.55AM –
ESPN
Checkered Flag (post-race show) – Sunday, May 9 – 11AM – ESPN3
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*: 1’15.406 by Valtteri Bottas, 2019
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
2020 tyres: Hard (C1), Medium (C2), Soft (C3) (2019: Hard (C1), Medium (C2), Soft (C3))
*Fastest lap set during a Grand Prix
Data sources:
FIA
, Williams, Mercedes
2020 RESULTS
Race Info.
Pole: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:15.584
Laps: 66
Fast race lap: Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 1:18.183
Podium
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
CURRENT STANDINGS:
Drivers
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 69
2. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 61
3. Lando Norris, McLaren, 37
4. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 32
5. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 28
6. Sergio Perez, Red Bull, 22
7. Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren, 16
8. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, 14
9. Esteban Ocon, Alpine, 8
10. Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri, 7
11. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin, 5
12. Fernando Alonso, Alpine, 5
13. Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri, 2
14. Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo, 0
15. Callum Ilott, Alfa Romeo, 0
15. Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo, 0
16. Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin, 0
17. George Russell, Williams, 0
18. Mick Schumacher, Haas, 0
19. Nikita Mazepin, Haas, 0
20. Nicholas Latifi, Williams, 0
Constructors
1. Mercedes, 101
2. Red Bull, 83
3. McLaren, 53
4. Ferrari, 42
5. Alpine, 13
6. AlphaTauri, 9
7. Aston Martin, 5
8. Alfa Romeo, 0
9. Williams, 0
10. Haas, 0
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