Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Archives

F1/Round 6: Results and Highlights of 2022 Spanish Grand Prix

The high temperatures caused much concern as race preparations started, the heat growing quickly and even the drivers needing to stay hydrated. Pirelli engineers were warning of tyre degradation and teams were figuring out how their drivers should manage the tyres and how many stops would work. All the drivers chose to start on softs, except Mercedes-AMG’s Lewis Hamilton who had medium compound tyres on his car.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc got off to a good clean start from his pole position, outrunning Red Bulls’ Max Verstappen to the first turn. However, Leclerc’s team mate, Carlos Sainz did not get a good start and the fumble allowed the other Red Bull, Sergio Perez to slip into third place.

Hamilton must have been counting on the tyres to help him get off the line fast and as he raced up to Sainz, the Spaniard suddenly pulled ahead and the Mercedes-AMG driver had to manoeuvre away. Problem was, Haas F1’s Kevin Magnussen was nearby and brushed into Hamilton’s car before heading into the gravel. But he managed to get back onto the track although Hamilton had a puncture and had to quickly get back to the pits. And that excitement was in just the second lap.

Hamilton’s car was then fitted with soft tyres and when he rejoined he was way down the field. There would be a lot of work ahead, and uncertainty as to how the Stewards would judge the incident with Magnussen. But his team mate, George Russell was doing great, having taken second by lap 10. He had gotten past Sainz who spun into the gravel, and was followed by Verstappen too. So the young British driver had two angry bulls coming after him as he chased after Leclerc who was 10 seconds ahead.

Verstappen passed Perez to go after Russell but on lap 14, Russell and Verstappen came into the pits and took on medium tyres. Both teams have skilled pit crews and got quick stops, with Russell able to get off faster. However, Verstappen had a frustrating problem which was that the DRS flap on his car could not open properly.

Lap 19 saw Perez coming in for mediums and when he rejoined, he was in fourth. With fresher tyres though, he would have more confidence to push harder if necessary but Verstappen was 7 seconds ahead at that time.

16 seconds behind Perez was Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas in fifth. He was not yet hassled by BWT Alpine’s Esteban Ocon who was busy trying to stay ahead of Sainz. Hamilton was way back in 16th, struggling to get through traffic. Even to get past Alfa Romeo’s Zhou GuanYu proved difficult as the Chinese driver managed to stay out of reach.

Leclerc was about 8 seconds ahead of Russell when he came in on lap 22 for his first stop. It took just 2.2 seconds from top to go again and when he rejoined, he still had a 5-second gap from the Mercedes-AMG driver. Russell was doing his best to keep his second place with Verstappen trying everything to get past. On lap 26, seeing how his angry team mate was struggling to overtake the Mercedes-AMG, Perez radioed to the team to ask Verstappen to back off and let him go after Russell instead.

And on the next lap, disaster struck the leader who was 12 seconds ahead… Leclerc’s car visibly slowed down and seemed to have lost power. He managed to get back to the pits but did not come out again, and his leading position was taken over by Russell. It was Leclerc’s first retirement of the season.

Since Perez wanted a go at Russell, Verstappen decided to go into the pits, switching from the mediums to softs. The Mexican Red Bull was eager to do battle with the British driver who was less than a second away.

With temperatures hitting almost 40 degrees C., many cars were coming in for tyre changes. With half the race completed, the Stewards informed Pierre Gasly’s Scuderia Alphatauri team that he was given a time penalty for an earlier collision with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. On the same lap, Zhou had to retire again, the second time in a row.

Russell put up a good fight but on lap 33, Perez outsmarted him and took over the lead. Now the Mercedes-AMG driver had to watch for Verstappen who was closing in from 6 seconds away. By then, Hamilton had moved up to sixth but some 44 seconds behind Verstappen.

Russell came in on lap 37 for new tyres and rejoined in third. Right after, Perez also came in which let Verstappen take over the lead. Russell was comfortably ahead of Bottas so he could concentrate on regaining his position. For the Dutchman though, the lead was unlikely to last till the end as his soft tyres were already 13 laps old.

On lap 43, drivers who were comfortably in points-collecting positions were Oc0n, McLaren’s Lando Norris, and BWT Alpine’s Fernando Alonso. Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel was also in the top 10 but when he dropped out for tyres, he rejoined down in 14th and that allowed Scuderia Alphatauri’s Yuki Tsunoda to move into 10th and get at least 1 point (if he could stay there till the end).

On lap 45, Verstappen finally came in to get the mediums; after 2.4 seconds of standing still, he rejoined and got in just ahead of Russell so it was 1-2 for the Red Bulls. Russell was 10 seconds behind, reasonably safe from Bottas who was 14 seconds away. He would get on the podium but which step would depend on whether the Red Bulls would get their bad luck again. Verstappen certainly wanted to win as it would then move him into the championship lead.

The gap between the two Red Bulls was less than 2 seconds when team orders came over the radios and Perez was told to move aside and let Verstappen take the lead since has quicker. He mumbled something about it being ‘unfair’ but obeyed the orders nonetheless, as he is expected to.

Russell decided to come in again and get new rubber, which allowed Bottas to move into third position. When the Brit rejoined, he was in fourth and just 3 seconds behind the Alfa Romeo. He had to watch out for Sainz, though, who was not far behind. It took 1 lap for Russell to regain his third position and as he was doing it, Perez also shot into the pits to get new tyres as a precaution in case he had to work harder in the closing stages.

Sainz and Hamilton began duelling on lap 60 and the Mercedes-AMG driver closed in on the main straight, then swept around on the outside to get past into fourth position… quite an impressive recovery from the back. Unlike Red Bull, the Mercedes-AMG team was unlikely to ask Russell to move aside and would instead just be praying that their two cars would make it through the remaining laps and collect a nice set of points.

With 2 laps remaining, Verstappen looked set to take the chequered flag, followed by his dutiful team mate across the line. Russell was also on the way to finish third but then Hamilton’s car had overheating problems and Sainz swept past on the second last lap.

And so it was a 1-2 for Red Bull but not 3-4 for Mercedes-AMG as Sainz took Hamilton’s place. Fortunately, the race ended as Bottas was coming up behind Hamilton.

F1/Round 6: Preview & Provisional Starting Grid of 2022 Spanish Grand Prix

Race starts at 3 pm in Spain/9 pm in Malaysia

After the inaugural Miami Grand Prix across the Atlantic Ocean, the Formula 1 teams are back at a more familiar battleground this weekend. It’s the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya where the Spanish Grand Prix, Round 6 of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship, will be held. This 4.7-km track has been on the F1 calendar since 1991 although there has been a Spanish GP since 1951.

Like all other tracks since the first 2022 round, there will be a new set of challenges as the racing cars are of an all-new generation. Although there is data from a 3-day pre-season test at this same track in February, it is limited in value. During those test sessions, the teams concentrated on testing compounds in the middle of the range, rather than the hard tyres. Secondly, weather conditions were much cooler and things are expected to be different this weekend. Finally, the new cars were in their most basic launch specification; since then, they have moved on considerably and have upgrades. So there are unknowns that will have to be quickly analysed during practices.

The track itself is unchanged compared to last year, when Turn 10 was modified, slightly increasing the overall length of the circuit. It has a broad mix of corner types, so it puts every aspect of the car to the test. Overtaking is a challenge at this track and the pit straight is the only long one and is entered via a high-speed corner. This will be tough for cars to follow due to the dirty air, while the end of the straight isn’t a particularly heavy braking zone either. The modifications to Turn 10 means the corner is now taken at a faster speed and requires less braking.

The drivers use their brakes on only half of the 16 turns so the brake system is called into action for a total of under 13.5 seconds per lap, according to Brembo. All 5 of the hardest braking episodes in the Spanish GP are on the first 10 turns where maximum deceleration has an average value of 4.2g.

*Cornering speeds and gears used by the Mercedes-AMG drivers at the Catalunya circuit this year.*

Turn 5 is one of the track’s more unique corners, because drivers approach the corner differently depending on the session. The camber of the road drops at the apex, which unloads the inside-front tyre and increases the risk of lockups. Drivers will take a riskier, tighter line in Qualifying as it shortens the distance, but on a race stint, lock-ups can cause vibrations and damage the tyre, which could prompt an additional pit stop. So, they take a wider line to keep the load off the inside-front and reduce the potential of a lock-up.

Every element must be optimized on the F1 cars to avoid behavior that reduces overall performance. Usually, the focus is on the wings and the bodyshell, but other components also have a negative effect. One of these anomalies has been resolved by Brembo by introducing anti-drag to the brake calipers. This is a system that uses a torsional spring that reduces residual torque, ie the unwanted friction between the disc and the pad, even under extreme conditions. When the brake is not used, the lever keeps the two parts apart.

Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton have had the most wins in the Spanish GP, with 6 to each driver. Among the present teams, Ferrari has had the most victories with 12 to its name, followed by McLaren (8), and Williams and Mercedes-AMG with 7 each.

F1/Round 4: Preview & Starting Grid for 2021 Spanish Grand Prix

Race starts at 3 pm in Spain/9 pm in Malaysia

Although last weekend’s race was held in Portugal, which is just next door to Spain, the journey from the circuit in Portimao to the Catalunya Circuit in Barcelona for this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix still covered 1,300 kms. While the event in Spain was revised to August last year (due to cancellations and postponements in the early part of the year), the Spanish Grand Prix is back in its usual period on the calendar for the third round of the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship.

No information on track conditions
For the first time since 2014, the F1 teams did not have a pre-season test session at this circuit so the teams don’t have as much information as in previous years. According to Pirelli, the tyre-suppliers for F1, weather conditions are likely to be considerably cooler than last year, but the high-energy demands of the track remain. This is especially so for the very long Turn 3 right-hander, which puts considerable forces through the front-left tyre in particular. Turn 9 is also challenging for the tyres and as a result, the hardest compounds are still considered the most appropriate choice.

Track layout modified
The track layout has changed this year, with a modified profile to Turn 10 to improve safety. The result is a left-hander that is slightly wider than the previous version, which has allowed for a bigger run-off area and will shorten the braking zone, with a higher entry speed to the corner. The lap is also now 20 metres longer.

“Car balance in Spain can often be influenced by the wind, as it sometimes changes direction during the day. There is usually a tailwind on the main straight in the morning, producing a headwind into the high-speed corners. This provides good car stability. But the wind tends to rotate to the opposite direction later in the day, which gives drivers a tailwind into the fast corners and makes the balance trickier,” said Toto Wolff, the Mercedes-AMG team boss.

The well-known demands of the track make a one-stopper very challenging – although the likelihood of cooler weather should help this year. In 2020, the race was won by Mercedes-AMG driver Lewis Hamilton with a soft-medium-medium two-stopper, although Sergio Perez finished fifth after stopping only once from soft to medium, while Valtteri Bottas was on the podium using a three-stop strategy.

The Catalunya circuit is a track where it’s quite difficult to overtake for most of the lap, although the long downhill straight can give a power and DRS advantage to help line up a passing move. All this makes qualifying position and race strategy particularly important to gain track position. With a number of support races as well, the surface should evolve reasonably quickly with more rubber laid down, compared to some other F1 rounds this year where Formula 1 has been the only track action.

“It’s always tricky in Barcelona with the grip and tyre usage, so there’s lots for us to learn and understand. I think the new Turn 10 was interesting and, on our side, we have room for improvement there,” said Alpine F1 Team’s Esteban Ocon.

Championship is wide open
After three rounds, the championship remains wide open although Lewis Hamilton managed to increase the gap from Max Verstappen after winning last weekend. The pair have alternated first and second places since the championship started, with Verstappen fiercely determined to beat reigning champion Hamilton this year.

In the Constructors Championship, the two Mercedes-AMG drivers have been picking up lot of points to pass the 100 mark. This puts the team 18 points ahead of Red Bull Racing, with McLaren 30 points further back. So far, Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN, Haas F1 and Williams Racing have yet to score a single point.

F1/Round 3: Highlights & Provisional Results For 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix

F1 (Round 6): Results And Highlights Of 2020 Spanish Grand Prix

♦ With temperatures already at 30 degrees C. when the race started, managing the tyres was a major part of the race strategy for the Mercedes-AMG drivers. It was evident from the beginning laps as they moderated lap times.

♦ Unlike his advantageous situation at Silverstone in the previous round, Max Verstappen found his tyres (especially the rear ones) to be less than satisfactory at Catalunya.

♦ After 22 laps, the drivers were struggling with the tyres and heading for the pits to get fresh sets. 3 of them held out till over 30 laps.

*Empty stands, as it has been in the other five rounds this year.*

♦ At the halfway mark, while Hamilton kept a 5.5-second gap from Verstappen, the action was closer in the midfield between drivers like Alexander Albon, Pierre Gasly, Charles Leclerc and Land Norris.

♦ The engine of Leclerc’s Ferrari cut suddenly on lap 40, causing a spin and stall. He managed to get it restarted and limped to the pits, his race over.

♦ It may have been blistering hot but as 20 laps remained, the possibility of rain grew stronger. That was something unexpected since it had not rained at a Spanish GP in 21 years.

♦ With 13 laps left to go, the Ferrari team decided – and Vettel agreed – that he would not change tyres and aim to finish on the very old set he had. But he found it hard to hold off other cars and slipped from fifth to seventh.

♦ With 4 laps remaining, Hamilton had a comfortable 17-second gap from Verstappen, who had to watch out for Valtteri Bottas making a bid to end with a Mercedes-AMG 1-2.

♦ With one lap remaining, Bottas changed his tyres with the aim of going for the fastest lap and managed to pick up an extra point.

F1 (Round 6): Preview & Starting Grid for 2020 Spanish Grand Prix

Race starts at 3:10 pm in Spain/9:10 pm in Malaysia

The compressed revised schedule of 2020 Formula 1 World Championship continues this weekend with the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The circuit is a familiar one to the F1 teams as it is where they go for pre-season testing. Located in the Barcelona area, the circuit has been in operation since 1991.

The 4.655-km circuit has 16 turns and though many drivers have driven around it a lot, it is still challenging with its broad mix of corner types. There are swift changes in direction and a long start-finish straight that tests both the car’s strength and weaknesses. Each year, teams search for the best set-up to enable their drivers to extract the maximum from the machines.

To get that right set-up can be elusive; there are strong winds blowing at the circuit and they change not just in direction but also speed. So aerodynamics are very important although they are important everywhere else too.

Hotter than usual
For this weekend, there is concern about high temperatures. This has not been a major issue in the past as the Spanish Grand Prix usually runs in May when it is still cool. However, it is now mid-August and the engineers are preparing the cars to cope with temperatures of around 30 degrees C.

Pirelli is bringing its most durable compounds to cope with the heat and high loads of fast corners such as Turn 3. The C1 is nominated as the hard tyre with C2 and C3 and medium and soft tyres, respectively.

The hot conditions can be a problem for the Mercedes-AMG cars, as evident at Silverstone last weekend. It’s possible that similarly high temperatures could give Red Bull Racing a chance to claim a second victory of the season after Max Verstappen’s success.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been to Spain when it’s been this hot. The weather is beautiful, but it’s tricky for the car and very tough on the tyres as well. We didn’t see any blistering, the tyres felt OK and the long runs didn’t look too bad, but we also didn’t see any blistering last Friday, so we’ll have to remain careful,” said Lewis Hamilton, who will start from pole position at tomorrow’s race.

The Ferrari drivers also find conditions challenging but have been doing well in practices. “I am confident we can extract the maximum out of the car in quali and if I manage to get the balance where I want it to be, we can have a pretty good result. With regards to the heat, out on track is not that hard because at least there’s some air, but when you are in the garage… it’s like being in a sauna!” said Charles Leclerc.

Max Verstappen is now second
After winning last weekend, Verstappen is now second in the Driver’s Championship, 30 points behind leader Hamilton. Valtteri Bottas is, however, not far behind with a gap of just 4 points.

The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS team has a good lead with 180 points after 5 rounds, 67 points ahead of Red Bull Racing and 125 points ahead of Ferrari. The Italian team has had the most wins here, having won 12 times, of which 5 were won by Michael Schumacher who has also won the event the most times.

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