After a short interlude in Canada, Formula 1 is returning to Europe. The premier class is travelling to Spain for the tenth race of the season. Does a traditional race track mean a traditional balance of power again? Max Verstappen and Red Bull will certainly hope so. The competition has turned into real rivals in recent races. Will Mercedes be at the front again in Spain?
Focus #1: Formula 1 top: Will Red Bull return to its former strength?
The last few races were rather difficult for Red Bull. In Miami and Monaco, the Bulls had to let Ferrari and McLaren take the lead in the battle for victory. In Canada, Max Verstappen won because the car was clearly the fastest, but the Red Bull did not. McLaren and Mercedes were happily in the mix at the front.
By the way: All of the competitors celebrated their victories on street circuits: Miami, Monaco and Melbourne. This weekend, the premier class returns to a classic race track, the Circuit de Catalunya.
This could play into the hands of the RB20 and Max Verstappen. “Barcelona is normally a very good track for us, of course I hope that the car will work well again there,” said Max Verstappen on Servus TV. However, the dreaded curbs and kerbs could also cause the Red Bull some problems in Barcelona.
Focus #2: Sergio Perez: Rehabilitation in Barcelona?
Regardless of the track, Red Bull has had one main handicap in recent races – and that handicap is Sergio Perez. In the last three races, the Mexican has collected four points and retired twice. In the drivers’ standings, he has slipped to fifth place.
He is now 87 points behind his teammate Max Verstappen. Perez’s lack of performance is a particular problem for Red Bull. With McLaren and Ferrari gaining strength, the battle for the constructors’ championship is wide open. Red Bull is still 51 points behind Ferrari, while McLaren is now less than 100 points behind.
Perez needs to find his form again. He does have a new contract, but otherwise he could cost Red Bull the constructors’ crown. With a resurgent Red Bull in Barcelona, he would have the perfect opportunity to do so.
Focus #3: Mercedes: Finally at the top?
The big surprise in Canada was Mercedes. With the help of the new front wing, the Silver Arrows seem to have reached the top of Formula 1. In Montreal, George Russell secured pole. In the race, despite mistakes, he still managed to finish third. Lewis Hamilton drove from eighth place to fourth, including the fastest lap.
Now the Mercedes W15 is facing a tough test. All aspects of the car are challenged in Barcelona. Last week, Mercedes tested with Mick Schumacher in the 2022 W13. “We are making steps forward. I would hope that we can be at the front again,” said Toto Wolff.
The question that arises is: Can the Mercedes pace in Canada be transferred to other tracks? That will be shown in Barcelona. What gives hope is that in the past two years, Mercedes has always been relatively strong in Spain, even with less competitive cars. In 2023, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell took second and third place.
Focus #4: Ferrari back in the top fight?
In the battle for the World Championship, the Scuderia lost valuable points to Red Bull. Max Verstappen also pulled away from the Monegasque in the drivers’ standings. If Mercedes now becomes a permanent competitor, the Scuderia will have one more opponent.
In Spain, however, the Reds want to build on their Monaco performance. “I think Canada was a slip-up. Just a special race,” said Carlos Sainz.
Focus #5: Sauber crisis in the back field
Alpine was a small positive surprise in Canada. The French scored twice. Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon secured three points for the constructors’ championship with P9 and P10. This puts Alpine within two points of Haas. Despite a small internal squabble towards the end of the race.
Alexander Albon was well on his way to scoring points for Williams, but was beaten by Carlos Sainz in Canada. Haas narrowly missed out on the points with eleventh and twelfth place. And Sauber? Sauber is still at the bottom of the field with zero points. There were no points in sight in Canada either.
The future Audi factory team urgently needs a performance boost before the rest of the field at the back pulls away. The last few races offer no reason for hope. The high downforce package in Monaco didn’t work. In Canada, Valtteri Bottas finished 13th, while Zhou Guanyu finished 15th and was therefore nominally last. Perhaps the traditional race track in Spain offers a glimmer of hope.