A June to experience awaits us in one breath. Three weeks in a row of F1. The first appointment is the GP of Spain, on the circuit of Catalonia.
It takes place in Spain, Lewis and Michael circuit
The circuit of Barcelona-Catalonia it is a permanent track located in the region of the same name in Spain. Long 4657 meters, Presents 14 curves and was inaugurated in 1991. There are two DRS zones: one on the main straight and the other between 9 and 10.
The track's roll of honor sees two drivers tied for victories: Lewis Hamilton e Michael Schumacher. At the team level, however, the Ferrari is ahead of a first place on the Mercedes. For pole positions, Schumacher still ahead of Hamilton (7 to 6) and Ferrari ahead of Mercedes. The Catalan GP has also been a temple of incredible battles in past years, with particular episodes that have gone down in history, such as the victory by James Hunt in 1976 with an illegal engine.
The absolute and official track records both belong to Max Verstappen. The first in 1'12 "272, the second in 1'16 "330. Both scored in the 2023.
In Spain you need perfect balancing and managing wear
The Barcelona circuit is characterized by several important detachments. The hardest ones are that of curve 1 (from 330 km/h to 120 km/h) and that of curve 10. It is therefore fundamental data management; of the braking system.
In general, you race on a track made up of curves medium-high speed. Therefore a correct one will be very important balancing of the car, to be able to tackle the leaning curves that characterize most of the track.
The structure that will be used by the entirety should be from medium-high load. The only long straight is the finish line, and the teams always prefer it exploit the downforce when cornering. It is therefore decided to sacrifice top speed.
Also watch out for tire degradation which could derive fromrough asphalt.
Red Bull is looking for confirmation, Ferrari and McLaren like mosquitoes
It's time for predictions, and given the latest races it has become very difficult understand the forces at work. Even the recovery of Mercedes it will have to be understood on a technical circuit like the Spanish one. Of course, the number one favorite always remains Verstappen. He is the strongest at the moment, and even if the car doesn't seem the best he expresses its full potential. Instead, the validity of the developments will need to be understood McLaren e Ferrari, who can play with the Red Bull # 1.
ARTICLE BY FRANCESCO ORLANDO
