Spain was almost without a Grand Prix when Alonso left Formula 1, attendances fell and the organizers had no money to hold the podium, but at first the local authorities helped, and then due to Covid-19 Formula 1 had no choice – and the Spanish Grand Prix remained.
This year the stands will be packed again – Alonso is in great form and invariably finishes in the top three, Carlos Sainz hasn’t been performing very well so far, but they will come to cheer on Ferrari, and Verstappen too – last year there in Barcelona there were (according to official data) almost ten thousand Dutch fans.
Usually the stage in Barcelona turns out not to be the most spectacular, but it allows the teams to work with novelties on a known stationary track, solving the problems noted at the beginning of the season, to be able to solve them next year not to repeat. To round out the cars, the Spanish stage is the most important in the first third of the season.
This season, for the second time since 2014, Barcelona did not organize winter tests. The second time after 2021 they lasted only three days, but if the season then started in a pandemic, the schedule was now explained by the desire to save money during a period of high costs, when it is necessary to buy parts for new cars. produce and pay for the services of suppliers.
Previously the teams asked Bernie Ecclestone for early payments in the winter, and he went through due to future payments, now the approach has become more formal. But what was saved then had to be paid later.
For the fourth time in Formula 1 history, a season has started with six consecutive victories for the same team. Before that, McLaren had such series (11 wins in a row in 1988) and Mercedes twice (eight wins in 2019 and six in 2014).
The impressive speed and reliability of the RB 19, plus the incredible stability of Max Verstappen against the background of the problems of Mercedes and Ferrari, now inferior to Aston Martin, simply do not leave rivals a chance.
There are simply no rivals for Red Bull. And it’s just a matter of sheer speed – apart from Verstappen – Hamilton, Alonso and Sainz also completed the distance of the last six Grand Prix – 351 laps – but in the individual standings they were far behind. Preventing Red Bull from winning another race can only be problems with reliability or a combination of circumstances.
However, everything is relative. On the one hand, Aston Martin’s success is due to the failure of Mercedes and Ferrari, on the other hand, Alonso is now simply magnificent. In this form he would strengthen any team.
Everything came together. An interesting project in which they bet on him, also in the future + a generous salary with bonuses that Fernando likes to work out + a fast car = + 100% motivation.
While it is difficult to compare cars from different years, Fernando’s influence is clearly visible in Alpine’s results after his departure. They don’t understand where everything has gone, Aston Martin is reaping the benefits. Alonso is an ambiguous figure, but the return was successful!
I wonder how things are going in Spain. Aston Martin says they can’t jump over their heads, but there’s no doubt they’ve been preparing for this stage for a long time.
Rain is predicted on the day of the race, but this year’s predictions come true with a 50% chance – it rains or not. We’ll know soon!
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
