By Joe Murphy
The Spanish Grand Prix wasn’t short of surprises and drama this past weekend, with Red Bull taking home a commanding points total. That wasn’t the only bit of news, however, as we will discuss now.
Mighty Max wins again, but does Checo have a grievance?
Despite not qualifying on Pole and going off track in the early stages, Max Verstappen eventually won this year’s Spanish Grand Prix, after being the fourth person to lead the race Sunday. He was fortunate to capaitalise on the misfortune of Charles Leclerc (we’ll get to that), just as the Ferrari man had done in Bahrain and Australia earlier on in the season. He was also the beneficiary of team strategy, however. It was, without doubt, a strong display from the reigning World Champion as he navigated his way to 25 points and the Championship lead. However, there were many fans of Sergio Perez who felt it could have been the Mexican standing on the top step. As he let his Dutch teammate by without any reluctance, Checo was left sounding audibly frustrated on team radio at the conclusion of the Grand Prix. He more than played his part in Red Bull’s return to the top of the Constructors Championship, but it was Max that stole the headlines. So early on in the season, Perez would have talked to Red Bull ‘higher-ups” last night. It will be interesting to see if this repeats itself should the Mexican find himself ahead in Monaco.
Mercedes are back…almost
On lap 2, Lewis Hamilton was calling for his team to retire his car and save his engine, following a racing incident with Kevin Magnussen on the opening lap that left the British driver a minute behind in 19th. 60 laps later, Lewis had mastered his way to P4 and looked set to finish there until a cooling issue eventually meant he had to drop a place in the penultimate lap. For George Russell, he had even led the race at one point, keeping both Red Bull’s behind him for multiple laps. Aided by the fact Verstappen’s DRS was temperamental at best, George showcased expert positioning to frustrate the faster cars behind him. His podium finish yet again highlights his personal consistency, but also signals a positive step forward for the team. Mercedes may not have been as dominant as we have seen in previous years, but they were certainly more competitive than we have seen in the earlier races of this season. If they are to have a hope of competing in both Championships, this is the kind of result that could spark a much needed resurgence of sorts.
Sainz recovery papers over the Ferrari cracks
It may not have been the elusive race win or even a podium for national hero Carlos Sainz, but P4 will still be seen as a positive result after a disastrous opening portion of the race. The tail wind at turn 3 caused multiple drivers to lose control, with the Ferrari man being one of them. Inspired by the adoring home crowd, the recovery drive from the Spaniard was a solid effort, and represents a salvation of points from what was a disappointing weekend for Ferrari. Charles Leclerc looked to have the win in the bag. No signs of an imminent Safety Car and with a 10 second lead, it was engine issues that ultimately forced his to retire. Charles lost the Championship lead this weekend for the first time this season. It will be extremely interesting to see how he responds in a matter of days time, at his home event. The man from Monaco will be hoping for better luck around the streets of Monte Carlo after a series of unfortunate events over recent years, even as recently as a couple of weeks ago.
Blimey Valtteri!
To see an Alfa Romeo in the podium places with only a handful of laps remaining, is astonishing. A strategical error from his team may have sent Valtteri Bottas back to eventually finish in 6th, but for an Alfa Romeo driver to ultimately be disappointed with such a result shows just how far the team have come this campaign. Despite a disrupted weekend which saw issues plague Bottas’ Friday sessions, he still came back with a superb effort. Whilst Guanyu Zhou can’t quite boast such a positive start, the Finn’s side of the garage surely couldn’t have hoped for more. Only a few months ago, they were the slowest or second-slowest car. Following the introduction of the new regulations and rejuvenation of the Ferrari engine, they have shot up the gird. Valtteri in particular. If he can keep up this pace and performance going forward, there is no reason why he cannot score a podium at some point later in the year, Moreover, his new team could pose a threat to Alpine and McLaren for 4th in the Constructors standings going forward. It is critical for them to get both cars scoring regular points, if this is to be a reality.
How did Alpine manage a double points finish?
Alpine seemed to be the masters of race strategy this weekend, as they turned their poor qualifying performance into a double points finish. Neither Estaban Ocon nor Fernando Alonso got to Q3, with the latter even exiting in Q1. However, they both got by teams such as Aston Martin, Alpha Tauri and Haas over the 66 laps to score some precious points. Some kind of decent pace is there, with the French driver suggesting some performance was left on the table on Saturday Afternoon. The midfield battle is closer than ever this season, so results like this will be vital in the French Constructor’s efforts to keep ahead of some of the aforementioned teams. It is still to be seen how Alpine fair in Monaco. One thing is for sure, qualifying will need to be sorted for the next race as overtaking on race day won’t nearly be as easy as it was in Spain.
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