Spanish GP: Why the layout of the Barcelona-Catalonia circuit will tell us if Red Bull has been overtaken by its F1 rivals | F1 News

A spectacular Grand Prix last time out in Montreal saw a veritable three-way fight for victory, with McLaren and Ferrari also taking a victory each in May.

Max Verstappen’s dominance at the start of the season appears to have disappeared and the championship leader has been under serious pressure in recent events.

The last two races in Monaco and Canada took place on unusual circuits, so the big question is whether the close competition we’ve had will continue this weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix, which marks the start of ‘a hat-trick.

Sky Sports F1 examines why we’ll learn a lot about the true pecking order in Spain and which team is most likely to challenge Red Bull.

A tour with everything

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has long been used as a testing site for F1 because it has many corners.

A mix of high, medium and low speed corners, plus a long main straight, allows teams to see how strong their car is and in which types of corners they lack performance.

We sometimes see a Noah’s Ark grid, where teammates line up next to each other as a clear pecking order is dictated during qualifying.

The dry conditions and the teams’ prior knowledge of the track make it easier to optimize the car’s settings and get the most out of the tires. So there is no hiding at the Spanish Grand Prix.

“It’s a very different track to the ones we’ve had recently,” said the former F1 strategist. Sky Sports F1It’s Bernie Collins.

“We will have a better read on the improvements made by McLaren and Ferrari. Has Red Bull really fallen in the rankings?”

“We will answer some questions arising from this race. Some people will say that this track will favor Red Bull, but we don’t know how these improvements from McLaren and Ferrari worked, or if Mercedes truly got the better of the gremlins that are behind them. have been troubled in recent years.

Fast in Spain, fast all season

Since 2017, the winning car of the Spanish Grand Prix has won the constructors’ championship that year.

Although Ferrari is 49 points behind Red Bull in the constructors’ standings, with McLaren a further 49 points behind, that gap can quickly close, particularly if Sergio Perez continues to struggle.

For Ferrari and McLaren to have a serious chance of winning a title this year, they need to show rapid pace this weekend.

Both teams are expected to make improvements at Barcelona, ​​with Red Bull keeping mum on their development plans.

“It’s all about iterations and of course you have to look very carefully where you make your improvements during the year,” said team principal Christian Horner.

“We’re getting closer to the peak of the curve, so it’s a law of diminishing returns, but there will be subtle improvements over the summer months.”

Driven by Sky Sports F1 As for whether we’ll see new parts on the RB20 in Spain, Horner added: “It’s possible.”

High tire degradation and multiple pit stops

Long, fast corners lead to rapid tire wear, which is why Pirelli brought its three hardest tire compounds to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

However, this is usually a two- or three-leg race, leaving plenty of strategic options. This has led to teams splitting their strategy in the past and there is always intrigue throughout the Grand Prix as plans change, depending on the race situation.

“Last year the final chicane was removed, which led to more overtaking in the race,” Collins explained.

“We last saw the three hardest tire compounds, the C1, C2 and C3, in Japan and Bahrain, so teams have less data on the C1 compared to all other compounds this season.

“In 2023 all three compounds were used throughout the Spanish Grand Prix, but in 2022 the hard tire was too slow.

“Heavy tire degradation results in a powerful undercut, but this is not a race for track position and many have made the mistake of gaining track position by stopping too early or not converting in an extra pit lap early on. This race is more like Bahrain in that optimal pit laps will lead to a better finishing position.

Spanish GP schedule live from Sky Sports F1

Thursday June 20
1:30 p.m.: Drivers’ Press Conference

Friday June 21
7:45 a.m.: F1 Academy training sessions
8:50 a.m.: F3 training
10 a.m.: F2 training
12:00 p.m.: First practice for the Spanish GP (session starts at 12:30 p.m.)
1:55 p.m.: F3 qualifying
2:50 p.m.: F2 qualifying
3:35 p.m.: Second practice for the Spanish GP (the session starts at 4 p.m.)
5:25 p.m.: F1 Academy qualifying
6:15 p.m.: The F1 Show

Saturday June 22
9:35 a.m.: F3 Sprint
11:15 a.m.: Third tests of the Spanish-Romagna GP (session starts at 11:30 a.m.)
1:10 p.m.: F2 Sprint
2:10 p.m.: preparation for qualifying for the Spanish GP
3:00 p.m.: Qualifications for the Spanish GP
5 p.m.: Race 1 of the F1 Academy

Sunday June 23
7:45 a.m.: Race 2 of the F1 Academy
9 a.m.: F3 featured race
10:30 a.m.: F2 featured race
12:30 p.m.: Grand Prix Sunday: preparation for the Spanish GP
2 p.m.: The SPANISH GRAND PRIX
4:00 p.m.: Checkered flag: reaction from the Spanish GP

Formula 1 returns to Europe as the championship moves to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix and the start of a tripleheader. Watch every session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month subscription – No contracts, cancel anytime