With its blend of high-speed straights and challenging corners, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has witnessed moments of triumph and heartbreak throughout its storied history. Whilst this year’s race might not go into history as the most thrilling Grand Prix yet, there was plenty of action to please any fan. It’s also satisfying to see the removal of that hideous final chican was worth it, as both drivers and fans praised the faster and flowing final turns onto the pit straight.
From surprising performances to unexpected setbacks, this weekend had it all. So, join us as we dive into the exhilarating action and reveal who emerged victorious and who found themselves fighting to stay afloat.
Top of the class:
Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton – Qualifying: 5th | Race: 2nd
George Russell – Qualifying: 12th | Race: 3rd
It has to be said that Mercedes had the best weekend of the entire grid. Toto Wolf, the big boss, reckons that the stable weather conditions played a part in them nailing the car setup. But let’s not forget that scrapping that “innovative no sidepods” nonsense and going for a more traditional approach probably did wonders as well, even if not explicitely expressed by the team.
First, we have to sing praise for George Russell, as he cut his way through the pack like a hot knife through butter. He started behind Perez in qualifying but ended up on the podium while the Mexican couldn’t.
And as for Lewis Hamilton, our Champ’s back! Whilst he didn’t exactly give Max Verstappen a run for his money, at least the Dutchman knew he had someone behind this time around, rather than leaving everyone behind in the dust never to be seen again.
Look, I’m not saying Mercedes is gonna be a massive threat to Red Bull’s World Driver’s Championship and World Constructor’s Championship ambitions, but they’ve got their act together, haven’t they? If Mercedes keeps this up, we might just see some exciting battles up at the front, similar to what we’ve been enjoying in the midfield. It also sets them up nicely for their 2024 car development, especially with Red Bull still having to work around their Budget Cap penalty.
Zhou Guanyu – Qualifying: 13th | Race: 9th
Zhou Guanyu secured his second points finish of the season, bringing Alfa Romeo level on points with Haas in the battle for 7th place in the Constructors’ Championship.
To be fair, he actually crossed the finish line in 10th position, but thanks to Tsunoda’s penalty, he moved up a spot. Still, it needs to be said that Zhou drove excellently to earn those points, especially considering he had some more prominent competitors starting just ahead or behind him. Everyone expected those big guns to make their way into the points, leaving little room for Zhou to squeeze in alongside. But he showed great skill and determination, making his presence felt on that scoreboard. Impressive stuff!
Then for a honourable mention…
The honourable mention of the day goes to Alpine. Securing an 8th and 10th position, they’ve pulled off three consecutive double point finishes and are solidifying their grip on 5th place in the constructor’s championship. Let’s not forget that Pierre qualified an impressive fourth on sheer merit, although a couple of pesky penalties for impeding in qualifying hampered his results on Sunday. With such promising performances, Alpine can dare to dream of even grander results on the horizon.
Struggle bus:
Lando Norris – Qualifying: 3rd | Race: 17th
Qualifying third on Saturday was glorious. But alas, the joy was short-lived, for he soon found himself driving the struggle bus. In the first 30 seconds of the race, he found himself tangled up in an unfortunate tango with Lewis Hamilton at the first corner. An unfortunate case of wrong place, wrong time. The result? A pitstop to replace his nose and a whole lot of lost ground. From that point on, Lando was nowhere to be seen, except for a few opportunistic overtakes on the stragglers, which was a true shame.
In the post-race interviews, Norris himself admitted that getting points would have been a tough ask even without the unfortunate contact. But you know what? We would have loved to see him try! Better luck next time.
Fernando Alonso – Qualifying: 9th | Race: 7th
Seventh place isn’t exactly a disaster, but let’s be honest, with five podium finishes in the last six races, Fernando has set the bar quite high for himself. A tiny oopsie in qualifying left him with a damaged floor and his worst start of the year. Ah, the dreaded curse of underperforming in front of the home crowd strikes again!
To make matters worse, during the race, the car didn’t seem particularly quick. So, as much as we wished for a heroic recovery to the podium, it just wasn’t meant to be in front of his adoring home crowd.
To add insult to injury, his off weekend resulted in Aston Martin losing their second place in the Constructors’ standings to Merccedes. But let’s keep things in perspective, shall we? Considering where Aston Martin was in 2022 and 2021, and their overall stellar performances this season, there’s no need for them to hang their heads in shame. There’s still plenty of time to bounce back and reclaim that position. Although, it’s worth noting that upcoming race tracks in Canada, Austria, and Great Britain might not exactly play to Aston Martin’s strengths.
Then for dishonourable mentions…
The first dishonourable mention goes to Ferrari, who have found themselves residing in the bottom half of this list for quite a few races now. It begs the question: are they underperforming, or are our expectations perhaps just a little bit too high? Maybe this is the best they can muster this year.
Nevertheless, it’s disheartening to see Leclerc qualifying in P19 and Sainz managing only a half-decent qualifying, only to later admit that the weaknesses of the car truly came to life whilst racing at a circuit like this. It’s a painful sight for anyone who has even a smidgen of affection for the prancing horses – which, let’s be honest, is pretty much everyone. As Vettel always said, everyone is a Ferrari-fan.
The second dishonourable mention of the day goes to Haas. We’ve come to expect Haas to put up a halfway decent show in qualifying, only to showcase a lackluster performance in terms of race pace on Sundays. However, this weekend took the cake in terms of sheer disappointment. The way they were burning through those tyres was nothing short of underwhelming, with both Hulkenberg and Magnussen requiring three stops to make it to the end.
As the dust settles on the Spanish Grand Prix, the F1 circus prepares to pack its bags and head across the Atlantic to the vibrant city of Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix. Mark your calendars for the 18th of June, when the lights will go out at 7 PM UK time.
