On the media day of the Spanish Grand Prix, Lando Norris drew attention with his unique outfit and striking sunglasses. A day later, his claim that McLaren has finally closed the gap with Red Bull might just be accurate. The British driver clocked the fastest time in the first practice, narrowly beating his friend and rival, Max Verstappen.
Changes in the Spanish Grand Prix
The Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona was once synonymous with the grand upgrade show. For years, it was the first European race and, due to its layout, the ideal place to equip cars with new parts after the initial overseas races. However, times have changed. Barcelona now takes place a month later than before and no longer marks the start of the ‘European season’.
Is Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona Still a Benchmark?
According to SkySports’ analyst and former F1 driver Karun Chandhok, the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona is no longer the benchmark for the rest of the year as it once was. “The old conclusion was: if you’re fast in Barcelona, you’re fast everywhere. But the calendar has changed and there are not as many conventional circuits as before: the number of street circuits has significantly increased. Therefore, the ‘form’ of the cars is now much harder to read,” believes Chandhok.
Spanish GP: A Time for Upgrades
Despite this, the Spanish GP is the time for six out of the ten teams to install substantial upgrades on their cars. Red Bull has a new rear wing, Ferrari has a new floor and diffuser among other things. Red Bull’s sister team, Visa RB, hopes to initiate the hunt for Aston Martin, fifth in the constructors’ championship, with the biggest update in years.
Busy Start to the Race with Aerodynamic Data Collection
As expected, the track is bustling from the first minute, with flow vis and aero racks visible on cars to collect aerodynamic data. Oliver Bearman, Ferrari’s reserve driver, stands out in VT1. He gets the opportunity at Haas, an engine customer of the Italian racing team, to cover miles for another hour and a half after Imola. It is anticipated that the Brit will take over Nico Hülkenberg’s spot at Haas next year, who is moving to Sauber-Audi.
Complaints Over the Radio in the First Half Hour
In the first half hour, Max Verstappen, on the hardest tire, records the fastest time of the field. However, there are several complaints over the radio. Charles Leclerc is frustrated with the poor driving behavior of Ferrari’s SF-24, Sergio Pérez wonders if there is a problem with one of his pedals in Red Bull’s RB20, and Lando Norris is disappointed with the instability of McLaren’s MCL38. Valtteri Bottas unexpectedly loses a piece of his rear wing during the race.
Red Flag and Qualification Simulation
A red flag, due to a large piece of Fernando Alonso’s front wing landing on the track, causes a short delay of four minutes. Norris, in the first qualification simulation on the softest tire, has already improved Verstappen’s best time, albeit by a minimal difference (0.024 sec). Carlos Sainz clocks the third time, more than three-tenths behind Norris, and with the slower medium tire under the SF-24. No major conclusions can be drawn from the first training session in Barcelona. However, it seems that Red Bull’s dominance, as Verstappen announced on Thursday, is over for good. His friend Norris is ready for the next challenge.
Results
[Data table]
