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From: Chartres, with a cathedral of XII Century in the middle of the wheat fields FRANCE, la Belle et ses Iles
Catalunya Grand Prix
Following a turbulent Monaco Grand Prix, here comes the 7th Grand Prix: the Catalunya Grand Prix—not the Spanish Grand Prix, which will take place at Madrid.
Right from the start, the stewards ruled in Gasly’s favor regarding third place, much to the chagrin of RB and McLaren, of course! Alpine was the only team to file a protest: what would have happened if everyone had done so? RB and McLaren are already contesting Gasly’s third-place finish, and RB is also contesting the fact that its ICE is the most powerful for the ADUO.
The Track
It is very familiar to the teams and drivers, which explains the presence of many young drivers in FP1. We return to long straights—the second-longest in the championship—on a track that Alain Prost helped design and which serves as a benchmark for testing an F1 car because it features every type of corner found in the championship. This circuit will reveal the true quality of the F1 cars at this stage of the championship.
This comprehensive circuit combines high-, medium-, and low-speed corners. The first two sectors are fast, followed by a slow final section where the rear tires start to overheat due to traction. Managing the rear tire temperatures is the key to an excellent lap time. You need to preserve enough tread life to exit the final corner as quickly as possible and launch into the one-kilometer straight at full speed.
T1-T2 – A fast section followed by an equally fast change of direction to navigate the bumpy chicane, where the car can become unstable. The first corner is one of the few where overtaking is possible under braking.
The forces at work, the stakes
Back on a more traditional circuit, a few things might change; Mercedes will undeniably be the team to beat with six consecutive wins, and Kimi has five. The latter will be closely watched by a Russy who must be starting to have doubts and who didn’t expect such high potential to materialize so quickly: a 68-point gap already! He responded well in FP1 and 2, but Q will be a whole different story.
Mercedes will want to prove its overall superiority once again, with the most consistent power unit even if the internal combustion engine isn’t the most powerful according to the FIA.
Féfé is bringing a lot of new features here, including a very aggressive new front wing in conjunction with his third floor of the season; the small fin behind the exhaust has been reworked.
McLaren is hoping to put an end to its downward spiral following Nono’s DNFs. In FP, Nono managed to show some promise, but once again, I don’t know what they were testing or how much fuel they were running—Q will be the true test.
McLaren and Red Bull will obviously be on the lookout for a potentially strong result; McLaren hopes to put an end to its downward spiral following Nono’s DNFs. In FP, Nono managed to hold his own, but once again, I don’t know what they were testing or how much fuel they had—Q will be the true judge!
Behind them, Alpine will certainly lead the pack, provided the team manages to stay ahead of the increasingly competitive Racing Bulls.
Tyres
Pirelli is bringing its mid-range tires: C2, C3, and C4. The front-left tire will be put through the wringer, and engineers will have their work cut out for them managing tire degradation, cooling the powertrains, and managing thermal stress on the brakes.
The unique manufacturer in F1 is to encourage more multi-stop strategies and make the use of the hard tire more relevant during the race.
At 4.657 kilometers long, the Catalan circuit is considered one of the most comprehensive tracks in the championship. Its long straights are combined with fourteen turns, including several rapid sequences that place heavy demands on the tires.
Lateral stresses are particularly high on the left-side tires, which are subjected to heavy loads in the circuit’s nine right-hand turns. The most demanding corners remain the fast Turn 3 as well as the final two turns, which were redesigned in 2023 to provide a smoother exit onto the pit straight.
Tyre degradation is expected to be primarily thermal, with a significant impact on the front tires. Wear remains high due to a particularly abrasive surface, the age of which is beginning to show. Track temperatures could also be higher than in previous years due to the change in the event’s date.
As is the case every year, Barcelona serves as an excellent technical barometer. Teams traditionally bring a significant number of updates to the track, some of which are even visible on the rims—a component that has become crucial in managing heat exchange between the tires, the track surface, and the braking system. Engineers will have a valuable reference point thanks to the data collected during January testing at this same circuit.
Just a reminder that in this tire strategy, the undercut is incredibly effective!
After the Grand Prix, Pirelli will extend its stay in Catalonia with two days of testing dedicated to developing the 2027 slick tires. On June 16 and 17, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Cadillac will participate in this important test session aimed at preparing for the future of the sport.
Weather
The weather will be summery and muy caliente in Montmeló, with temperatures rising from Friday to Sunday, likely peaking at 34°C in the air and 55°C on the track, with winds of 10 km/h and gusts up to 35 km/h. It'll be tough on the mechanics, but also on the drivers—sometimes the water hoses come loose, aïe aïe aïe caramba !
From: Chartres, with a cathedral of XII Century in the middle of the wheat fields FRANCE, la Belle et ses Iles
Q
After a difficult practice session, Hamilton surged ahead when Leclerc crashed into the wall in Q3—yet again. He was so close to P1, but he’s on the right side of the track here in Barcelona. Russy takes pole, but by just 0.064 seconds ahead of Hamilton! The former teammates will be on the front row at the start tomorrow. Anto will start from P3, ahead of Nono on the second row, followed by Verstappen and Hadjar on the third row.
Piastri is less than a tenth behind Nono but will start seventh on the grid, ahead of Lawson, Hülk, and thus Leclerc.
From the start of the weekend, we saw Russy outperforming the newcomer Anto, and for the first time this season, Anto isn’t on the front row. Once again, strategy will play a huge role here on a track where tire degradation will be massive and the undercut just as massive! The best is yet to come tomorrow on an overheated track where the tires will be like chewing gum—blistering, flat spots, and more...
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