![]() Sunday's strategies are largely formulated by the performance of the tyres in Friday practice, and in Spain there was a 2.7s gap in performance between a new set of softs and a new set of mediums. The irony was that the two-stop, sprint-style tempo of the race was set purely because Pirelli's medium compound had performed so poorly over the weekend. But the fact he was still able - and still needed - to push after 64 laps helps underline the intensity of the race as well as heralding a triumph for this year's Pirelli tyres, which are designed to be raced harder for longer. Hamilton's fastest race lap was a 1:23.593, actually slightly off the five second comparison with 2015, but understandably so considering it was after 28 laps on the same set of soft compound tyres. "I was very much on the edge and it is hard to really explain but I was pushing until I could not push anymore. "It was the intensity of the fight - how much I was on the edge," Hamilton said when asked to explain his heavy breathing. But it was the sheer speed and ferocity of Sunday's race that really stood out from the weekend, and that was best portrayed by a series breathless radio messages from the eventual winner. On Saturday afternoon that box was successfully ticked when Lewis Hamilton took pole position with a (scrappy) lap that was 5.532s quicker than former teammate Nico Rosberg's pole time two years prior. Much of the focus over pre-season testing was on single lap pace and whether it would fulfil the FIA's target of making this year's cars five seconds faster than they were at this same track in 2015. What's more it is the sport's pre-season test venue of choice, which means car setups are honed and drivers have few excuses. It rewards and tests engine power, but the emphasis is on aerodynamic performance - making it a track where an F1 car has a significant advantage over any other formula. It wasn't a classic, but it could have gone either way and - by non-refuelling race standards - the pace was extremely fast.įor over a decade now the Circuit de Catalunya has been F1's unofficial barometer of car performance. That's what the 2017 regulations had promised and that's what Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix delivered.įor 66 laps, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel were engaged in a private battle for the lead that hinged on pit stop strategy but was ultimately decided by an overtaking move on track. (13 April, 1986) Photo: Williams Mansell and Senna fighting for the lead at first Spanish GP in Catalunya (29 September, 1991) Photo: McLaren Michael Schumacher won his first race for Ferrari in dominant fashion by outclassing everyone at wet Circuit the Catalunya (2 June, 1996) Photo: Ferrari Pastor Maldonado won his first and only Formula 1 race in Barcelona 2012.Flat-out racing. ![]() (2 June, 1981) Photo: Ferrari Ayrton Senna (Lotus) was just 0.014 s quicker than Nigel Mansell over race distance in first Spanish GP in Jerez 1986. SPANISH GP HISTORY IN PICTURES Juan Manuel Fangio in Alfa Romeo 159 was the winner of the first Spanish GP which was held on Pedralbes circuit (28 October,1951) Photo: f1history Jack Brabham leads Jackie Stewart in first Spanish GP held on fast, but dangerous Monjuic circuit (4 May, 1969) Photo: reddit Niki Lauda leads James Hunt in first Spanish GP on Jarama circuit – Hunt won the race in front of his title rival Lauda (2 May, 1976) Photo: ESPN Gilles Villeneuve brilliantly held four quicker drivers to win Spanish GP 1981. You can switch to your timezone ( ) below. NOTE: Lap records, circuit lenght, number of laps and race distance refer to latest track configuration, other stats refer to all Spanish GPs 2022 SPANISH GP TIMETABLE 1st free practiceĪll times are track times for that location. Note: New 2021 track version has different Turn 10 which is 20 m meters longer STATS (after 2021) c
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