There is no rest for the F1 drivers and teams: the Circus moves to Barcelona, where this weekend the Spanish GP.
A bit of history
Il Circuit de Catalunya it is one of the flagships of Catalonia. The first grand prix at this track took place in 1991, where he won Nigel Mansell with her Williams-Renault.
Long 4657 meters, has 14 bends. From 1994 onwards, after the disappearance of Ayrton Senna e Roland ratzenberger since San Marino GP, the changes to the track were mainly concentrated in the escape routes. These have always been modified and expanded to improve the safety of the pilots.
The all-time track record was set by Lewis Hamilton in the 2021 qualifying in 1'16 "741. Tied for victories on this circuit are Lewis e Michael Schumacher at altitude 6, With the Ferrari who, as a constructor, has the most successes (8)
High load, closed curves and a lot of degradation
The Catalan layout, due to its conformations and its position near the sea, has always been used for winter and summer tests of F1. Featuring only one real straight, the downforce adopted by the teams is medium-high, given the many corners where aerodynamic efficiency and traction are . Despite having this type of trim, the tire degradation it has always been a key factor in winning the grand prix. 75% of the corners are at medium-high speed, so you need a very pointed front that doesn't understeer. If this problem occurs, the tires will tend to get too hot, leading the car to slip too much and lose traction, also leading to high wear. The riders, therefore, even at the expense of a loss in terms of lap time, will opt for a front more loaded and, consequently, more pointed.
But then, who starts as favourite?
A circuit where you need to get the tires up to temperature right away to have maximum traction, where having the perfect single-seater entering corners is essential. These premises are enough for us to say that, as from the beginning of the season, the favorite is undoubtedly the Red Bull. Unless there are external problems (PU or mechanical problems), the car made by Adrian Newey it seems unbeatable. Even with an Alonso so hungry for victory in his land, it really seems impossible to beat the two-time world champion Max Verstappen. A surprise could turn out to be Ferrari, which he will bring to Montmelò the first big pack of updates of the season, even if, in all likelihood, the head is already al 2024.
ARTICLE BY FRANCESCO ORLANDO
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