One way Grand Prix a Barcelona. There is no one able to worry about the usual Max Verstappen, that brings home his fifth success of the season. Confirmations and disappointments in Catalan Sunday: Ferrari still can't get the gli to work updates; Mercedes exceeds expectations with the new W14 operational since Monaco.
Corda at the start in Spain
The very long run-up towards turn 1 does not intimidate the Yesterday's poleman Max Verstappen🇧🇷 Carlos Sainz tries outside but the world leader defends himself in the best way. Leclerc started from the pit lane with hard rubber to try to go long. The pace of his sf-23 was disastrous: the impossibility of getting the hard tires to work forced the Monegasque to pit to put on the soft on lap 17. Bad start for Norris, who after having rear-ended Hamilton drops to P7, to then return to the pits to replace the wing. It also shines Russell, which in a very short time passes from P12 to P6. Stroll is good too moving from sixth to third position.
Spain promotes Mercedes and rejects Ferrari
There is little to say about Ferrari. The upgrade pack didn't work for any compound. With a full tank the hard didn't work. Sainz, in the initial phase, he collected half a second per lap with red rubber, behind Verstappen in management with the yellow. The yellow didn't work either with the Madrid-born, who had to give way to both Mercedes. The soft fared no better. Leclerc sailed with the red in the rear without the slightest possibility of recovering. The anecdote in which Leclerc didn't want the hard drive was interesting, but it was fitted to him anyway. The redhead is in the open sea, and on the horizon the chances of a medium-term relaunch seem to be very slim.
Instead, Mercedes "excels", perhaps for the first real time since the beginning of this regulatory era. In an indicative circuit of the performances the new W14 performed well in all conditions. Right from the start, the silver arrows kept an excellent pace, managing to overtake Sainz's Ferrari and the Aston Martins. The green disappoints and not a little in Spain, even far from the red of Sainz. Difficult to explain the violining of Lawrence Stroll's team.
Grand Chelem Verstappen and the rest of the grid
Max Verstappen he is never satisfied. The Dutchman wins and yes brings home the first Grand Chelem of the season. Behind the number 1 are the Mercedes. Hamilton precedes Russell on a decidedly encouraging Sunday for the Brakley team. Behind the silver duo is Perez, after a comeback from P11. Sainz is behind the Mexican, standing behind Stroll and Alonso. Or with he puts himself in front of an excellent tsunoda, that he goes back up from P15 but is condemned by the defense which forces Zhou to use the escape route. Five seconds penalty for Yuki. The Japanese scales twelfth as follows: Zhou (ninth), Gasly and Leclerc advance, just outside the points zone.
Piastres is 13th with De Vries behind. Hulkenberg crashes in P15 despite the excellent qualification and the start in eighth position. Sixteenth there is Albon, with Norris behind. Magnussen is 18th e Bottas penultimate. Last Sargeant who had started from the pit lane together with Leclerc.
