Bienvenido a España. F1 is back in Barcelona, Spain, for the final round of the first European triple-header. In Barcelona, each driver will eagerly race for the championship.
Get to know the circuit
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya debuted in 1991. With a circuit length of 4.657km, the drivers will race over 66 laps for the win. This racetrack offers two high-speed straights, one of which is a kilometer long, 14 challenging turns, and two DRS zones.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen currently holds the record for the fastest lap at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (1:16.330).
What happened last year?
The 2024 Spanish Grand Prix kicked off with an intense wheel-to-wheel battles between Verstappen, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Mercedes’ George Russell.
The Mercedes driver took the early lead with the first overtake, but by lap 3, Verstappen made a confident move to take the position. Thirteen laps later, Russell pitted and rejoined ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz despite a slower pitstop.
On lap 19, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, used DRS to breeze past Sainz. Five laps later, Norris then leading, pitted and dropped to sixth, but quickly began a stunning comeback on fresh mediums. By lap 32, he overtook Hamilton.
Three laps later, he engaged in a fierce side-by-side duel with Russell. Russell initially held him off, Norris snatched his spot and set his sights on Verstappen.
In the end, the Dutchman held strong to take the win.
What to expect from this weekend?
The past Grands Prix were certainly interesting as the chaos never seemed to end. Many drivers faced penalties and ended up climbing up the standings of penalty points rather the drivers’ standings.
McLaren performed outstandingly on track, proofing that they are one of the greatest teams of the campaign (319 points). Oscar Piastri has been untouchable at the top of the drivers’ standings for weeks now. The papaya driver leads with 161 points. His teammate Lando Norris, who won the Monaco GP last weekend, is just 3 points adrift. The papaya battle is heating up. Will Piastri remain the leader in the competition or can Norris reclaim his spot?
Only 25 points are separating the current World Champion from the leading driver this campaign. Red Bull’s Verstappen is chasing for points, just 22 points behind Norris.
Charles Leclerc had good practice sessions as he unleashed Ferrari’s pace on the streets of Monte Carlo. The battle between the local favourite and Norris was fierce but eventually McLaren’s dominance could top the game. Can Ferrari learn from their mistakes and make a strong comeback, as they are currently fourth in the constructors’ championship (142 points)?
Oliver Bearman, Haas, has faced many penalties the past sessions. The rookie is accumulating penalty points at an alarming rate. In the campaign he managed to gain 6 points in the standings so far but at the same time accumulated 4 penalty points.
Racing Bull’s rookie Liam Lawson is in danger as he accumulated a total of 6 penalty points so far. With each mistake the drivers’ seat in F1 is more in danger – he is hanging at the pinnacle of motorsports. Can Kiwi drive to survive?
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin, has been the longest in Formula 1 but until now the Spaniard hasn’t shown his experience on track. Instead, he had been clearly disappointed with his performance the last sessions, crashing out via his team’s radio. Will he finish in the top ten at the Grand Prix and score his first points in his home country?
Without a doubt it is clear that the Grand Prix in Barcelona will mix it up. This weekend the motorsport world can expect an exciting race on the Spanish grounds. The atmosphere will be energetic, the grandstands packed with passionate fans, and a battle on the track as fierce as ever.
