Previously, the Barcelona race kicked off the European leg of the calendar. This has changed in recent years and is now happening at races like Imola. Before the Spanish Grand Prix, there was a sequence of four races in the championship in which there were three different winners. This is a rarity in the era of ground effect and, more importantly, it should give an idea of how close Formula 1’s top three teams are in terms of speed.
Without clarity on the contract with the Barcelona circuit, we could be dealing with one of the last Spanish Grands Prix at the Barcelona-Catalonia Circuit.
Forecast for the Spanish Grand Prix:
Sergio Perez is not in the top 5
Sergio Perez has signed a contract saying he will stay at Red Bull until 2026, but his performances mean things are not that simple. The problem with the driver was that most of the time he was around 0.3 seconds slower than Max Verstappen.
When Red Bull dominates, it’s not really a problem because he can get behind Max. The problem comes when opponents catch up. Currently, McLaren and Ferrari are only a few tenths behind the reigning champions. Hence the Perez problem. With Mercedes also closing in, Sergio will struggle to close the gap. At the Spanish Grand Prix, it is unlikely that he will manage to make the top 5.
Daniel Ricciardo will beat Yuki Tsunoda again
Daniel Ricciardo refuted his criticism during the Canadian Grand Prix, but Jacques Villeneuve still pointed out that the Australian only had two good races out of nine. The Spanish Grand Prix is crucial in this regard, as it is Ricciardo’s opportunity to show that he. can hit consistently on points and defeat Yuki Tsunoda, as he did in Canada. The Barcelona circuit is one of the most predictable, and here it is probably easier to prepare the cars for races. This was one of Ricciardo’s problems, and if it is resolved, the Australian will have a good race and beat his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
Mercedes will still be fourth, but closer to the top three
There were signs of positivity for Mercedes in Canada as the team took pole position and was in contention for victory. This weekend the focus will be on the high speed sections, and at the start of the year this was not a strong point of the Mercedes car.
We could see improvements in the overall competitiveness of the German team and Mercedes drivers could challenge Sergio Pérez, Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz. However, victory seems impossible at the moment.
There will be no big gaps between the top three teams
Many have expressed the opinion that Red Bull will regain a comfortable lead in Barcelona as Formula 1 returns to ‘normal tracks’. It wouldn’t be surprising if the team finished on top again.
It also wouldn’t be surprising if Max Verstappen didn’t win that easily. Expect the top three teams to still be at a distance from each other at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen wins the Spanish Grand Prix
Max Verstappen has won two of the last four races and has faced serious challenges this season. In doing so, the Dutch driver showed why many consider him the best in Formula 1. He makes no mistakes and his racing skills as well as his speed in qualifying are excellent. This is why Max Verstappen is the clear favorite to win the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend.
Vyacheslav Gorbachev, Athletistic
Source: Sport
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.
