The Barcelona-Catalunya grand prix is shaping as much as be a real tyre battle. Lengthy-run simulations on the finish of Friday’s second free observe session revealed one factor above all else: exceptionally excessive tyre degradation throughout your complete Formulation 1 discipline.
In some circumstances, drivers misplaced as a lot as 5 seconds of tempo inside simply ten laps – even on the supposedly sturdy C3 compound, which serves because the medium tyre this weekend.
This excessive degradation might fully reshape the Formulation 1 pecking order on race day.
Charles Leclerc topped the long-run charts for Ferrari on the finish of the session. The Scuderia not solely introduced eight upgrades to the SF-26 in Spain, but additionally seems to have arrived with a automotive that historically struggles to deliver its tyres as much as temperature, but suffers much less degradation consequently – a possible trump card in Barcelona.
After accounting for variations in stint lengths and tyre compounds, Leclerc was 0.16 seconds per lap quicker than Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. In contrast, teammates Lewis Hamilton (+0.83) and George Russell (+1.4) encountered important difficulties with their long-run tempo.
Is Ferrari actually the favorite in Barcelona?
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
These outcomes come as one thing of a shock. Lately, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has typically been thought of a difficult venue for Ferrari, whereas Mercedes and McLaren have historically carried out extra strongly there.
Reigning world champions McLaren have been, on common, 0.39 seconds per lap slower through the lengthy runs and likewise struggled with extreme tyre degradation. Nonetheless, the staff seemed a lot stronger over a single lap, as did Mercedes.
Consequently, it stays tough to establish a transparent favorite for the rest of the weekend. The groups now have time to analyse the information and modify their setups to deal with the excessive degradation ranges, that means the aggressive order might nonetheless shift significantly.
Pink Bull solely the fourth-fastest staff?
Isack Hadjar, Pink Bull Racing
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photographs through Getty Photographs
Pink Bull is equally tough to evaluate. Max Verstappen managed solely sixth place within the qualifying simulations, whereas the staff’s long-run tempo (+0.45) was broadly similar to McLaren’s, leaving them noticeably behind Ferrari and Mercedes.
Pink Bull proved notably aggressive within the high-speed first sector however misplaced time via the corners. Ferrari, in the meantime, struggled on the straights but gained important time within the second sector. Mercedes and McLaren appeared constantly robust throughout all three sectors.
Midfield: Lastly extra factors for Audi?
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Group
Picture by: Alastair Staley / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Within the midfield battle, Racing Bulls and Audi impressed as soon as once more, persevering with the robust type they displayed in Monaco. Arvid Lindblad completed seventh within the second observe session, whereas Gabriel Bortoleto adopted carefully behind in eighth for Audi. The German staff additionally seemed stable through the long-run simulations.
With a median deficit of 1.02 seconds per lap to the outright tempo, Nico Hulkenberg recorded the strongest long-run efficiency among the many midfield drivers – and by a snug margin. The subsequent-best midfield runner was Haas driver Oliver Bearman, who was already dropping almost two seconds per lap.
Williams endured a tougher day. The staff final scored factors in Barcelona ten years in the past, and this 12 months’s tempo seems unlikely to alter that pattern. Their long-run deficit stood at 2.75 seconds per lap. Solely Cadillac (+3.13) and Aston Martin (+4.56) have been slower.
Tyre Battle: Pirelli expects “No less than two atops”
Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Lando Norris, McLaren
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photographs through Getty Photographs
Tyres stay the dominant story of the weekend. Degradation ranges have been monumental on Friday, and even in qualifying trim the efficiency hole between the three compounds appeared comparatively small. The anticipated positive factors from switching from the medium to the mushy tyre largely did not materialise.
For the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, Pirelli has intentionally chosen a softer tyre vary, bringing the C2, C3 and C4 compounds as an alternative of the standard C1 to C3 choice. Even so, a two-stop technique was already the quickest choice final 12 months, and underneath the present circumstances it seems all however unavoidable.
“We wished to encourage extra pit stops, a minimum of a couple of,” Pirelli Motorsport Director Dario Marrafuschi defined to Sky. “We anticipated two stops, however underneath these circumstances tyre degradation is turning into very extreme.”
“The rear tyres are overheating considerably, making life extraordinarily tough for the drivers. On Sunday, a minimum of two pit stops will in all probability be essential – all the pieces past that may rely on the circumstances.”
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