The 7 key factors for the race

This time, Alpine is setting the tone in the chasing field. Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon brought the French into Q3 with both cars for the first time this year. Behind him is a struggling Oscar Piastri, followed by Fernando Alonso and Red Bull’s shaky candidate Sergio Perez. It will be difficult for Nico Hülkenberg to score points from 13th place on the grid. The Racing Bulls and Williams have even worse prospects, with all of them in the last two rows.

S for Start

Who doesn’t remember the Star Wars in 2016, when Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg had their first real clash in Barcelona? The 613 meters from pole position to the first corner are among the most critical on the entire Formula 1 calendar. Track position is traditionally everything on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and the slipstream after the start is the opportunity to make up a position. Anyone who doesn’t take a chance here could regret it for the remaining 300 kilometers of the Grand Prix.

Lando Norris knows the disadvantage and is nevertheless determined to make the most of his pole position. “This is perhaps one of those places where you don’t want to be on pole. But this is an opportunity for us to win the race,” said the Briton. Verstappen, meanwhile, does not believe that being in ambush in the first few meters gives him an advantage: “You always want to start first. It’s easier to defend yourself. And the top speeds are similar here, there is no DRS at the moment. In the end, it all depends on how well you get away.”

S for strategy

As usual, the high tire wear in Barcelona will play a decisive role on Sunday. Last year, Verstappen won with a two-stop strategy. This time, Pirelli has selected the compounds C3 (soft), C2 (medium) and C1 (hard) for the race weekend in Spain. The Italians expect at least a two-stop strategy and have calculated two stints on soft and one on medium as the fastest variant. Even the three-stopper is said to be an option. In the first stint, the leaders will most likely use the soft compound as a unified whole in order to use the traction advantage at the start.

Furthermore, the significantly cooler temperatures compared to Friday will have an impact on the race pace. When the teams completed their long runs in the first two training sessions, the asphalt temperature was almost 50 degrees Celsius. On Saturday, the outside temperatures dropped and the track surface was only measured at around 36 degrees Celsius. It is expected to be cooler again on Sunday.

S for Sunday weather

It can be not only cool but also wet on race day. With maximum temperatures of 23 degrees Celsius, there is a 34 percent chance of rain in the morning hours. This will remain constant during the course of the afternoon with humidity of over 70 percent. The last time there was a rainy race in Barcelona was in 1996. In a Grand Prix for the history books, Michael Schumacher drove in his first of 72 victories for Ferrari.

S for problem children

Lando Norris is in top form, but Oscar Piastri stumbled badly at the weekend in Barcelona. In Q3, he threw away his decisive attempt at turn 12 by going off into the gravel. It will be difficult for McLaren’s youngster to catch up with his teammate on Sunday. This is even more true for Sergio Perez, who was again far behind Verstappen in qualifying and is even further back due to his grid penalty. The Mexican was already completely off track in Montreal and the pressure to perform is increasing. McLaren and Ferrari are now threatening to pose a real threat to Red Bull’s ambitions for the Constructors’ World Championship with their driver pairings.

S for Sunday rituals

In 2012, Pastor Maldonado celebrated a sensational victory with Williams in Barcelona – after that, the British team’s pits caught fire. On Saturday, a fire in the hospitality area threw McLaren’s processes into disarray and Lando Norris drove to pole position. Given these parallels, superstition is not far-fetched. The difference, however, is obvious. At Williams, the work was done when disaster struck the team. McLaren will have to deal with the aftermath of the fire on Sunday.

After the incident, the hospitality area will be uninhabitable for the rest of the weekend and the drivers will not be able to prepare for the Grand Prix in their rooms as usual. “Having a few minutes to yourself is something you’ll definitely take if you have the chance,” said Norris, who normally gets into the groove with music in his room. In qualifying, it worked without the ritual. On Sunday, he will have to prepare again in Zak Brown’s office. “It might affect me a little more that I can’t find the peace and quiet that I like. But it’s not the end of the world. I’m not going to complain.”

S for winner

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has been a permanent fixture on the Formula 1 calendar since 1991. There are three active drivers among the 16 winners. With six victories, Hamilton is the record winner on the circuit not far from the Catalan capital, along with Michael Schumacher. The Mercedes driver’s last success was three years ago. Verstappen has three victories and shares third place in the list of the best with Mika Häkkinen. The Dutchman celebrated a historic victory in his first race for Red Bull in 2016 and also won the last two editions of the Spanish GP.

Local hero Fernando Alonso can also look back on a memorable victory in Barcelona. He celebrated the last of his two victories there in 2013 for Ferrari. It was his last in Formula 1 to date and was an incredible eleven years ago. It will hardly be possible for him to win a third time with the Aston Martin. Lando Norris, on the other hand, has the best chance of entering his name on the winners’ list for the first time. With the victory in Miami, the Briton has broken the deadlock and from pole position, anything is possible for him.