After an amazing weekend in Monaco, the F1 Family headed to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, for the Spanish Grand Prix, a well-known place, although from this year onward, F1 will use the layout used by MotoGP since 2021 removing the chicane in the last sector of the lap that Formula One had used every year since it was introduced in 2007 reverting the final corners for Formula One cars to a sweeping fast configuration that Formula One last used in 2006!

This was the home race for Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, and Carlos Sainz with Ferrari. Alonso was third in the Drivers’ Championship before the race, Sainz was sixth.

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was built in 1991 and began hosting the Spanish Grand Prix that same year. And it is considered a Driver’s Circuit, 4.6 km long and 14 turns.

Normally, Barcelona is the first European race, this time around it was the third, well, second as there was no Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix due to the flooding around the area. Also, this was the race where many new updated cars started showing off, most interesting was the Ferrari SF-23B with completely new side pods, among many other changes.

FRIDAY

Not surprisingly, all eyes were on the Spaniards Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso, whose presence brought many, many people chanting his name everywhere.

FP1

The first practice session started with all cars, except Hulkenberg’s going out on track as soon as the green light came on at the end of the pit lane. Most went for timed laps right after the respective installation lap. For the first part of FP1, many of them were also wearing aero rakes and flow-vis paint to further understand the air flowing around the car.

This session appeared more like Pre-Season testing than a regular one-hour Grand Prix practice. Unsurprisingly, both Red Bulls were up there on top of the charts most of the way.

After the first hour of practice had ended, it was Max Verstappen the fastest, followed by Checo Perez, albeit seven and a half tenths behind. Esteban Ocon wound up third, picking up exactly where he left off in Monaco.

FP2

It was dry and hot, but with a blue sky above, and exactly at 5:00 PM Local Time, the track was opened for Formula One’s second practice. The cars went out for some fast laps around the Spanish circuit, and the drivers wasted no time in getting up to speed earlier on.

FP2 is normally the session that sees the focus move from car setup to longer race simulation runs. Nevertheless, both Ferrari drivers were on soft tires and went faster than anyone early on, and until Verstappen, on mediums, went fastest.

By around halftime in the session, most drivers were on qualifying laps, Verstappen, as usual, was on top, but the big surprise was Niko Hulkenberg’s lap getting second place in the Haas! Ocon went third and the Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz rounded up the top five.

A few minutes later everyone had done their respective fast lap, and there were seventeen drivers within the same second, with Tsunoda’s AlphaTauri in 17th, 0.933 behind Verstappen’s 1:13.907. Every single one on the soft compound.

For the final fifteen minutes, teams had turned their attention to long runs, and although this was just a practice, it seems Verstappen’s pace doesn't quite have the margin he had earlier.

And with plenty of laps completed, and plenty of data gathered, the second practice was over. The final order was Verstappen, Alonso, Hulkenberg, Perez, Ocon, Leclerc, Sainz, Russell, Bottas, and Gasly, the top ten.

SATURDAY

It was very cloudy, with rain clouds looming around the circuit and it was cooler than the day before. According to the radar, it was going to rain at some point during the third practice. 

FP3

A significant cue formed at the end of the pit lane, waiting for the green light. Everybody was aware that the rain might come. Most of the field has gone straight out on the softs, keen to get some qualifying laps in early doors, Alpine and Ferrari are on mediums though. Everybody trying to gather as much information as possible to prepare for qualifying later on

Right at the start of FP3 lighting was visible not far away, and with less than four minutes of on-track time, a wet track was declared by Race Control, although it was dry.

A few minutes later, the four cars on the mediums have been in and swapped to a set of softs now and so all the runners are focusing on fast laps.

Then, Logan Sargeant went out at the final corner of the track. Thankfully the gravel did its job, so by the time he made it to the barriers he had scrubbed a lot of speed and it wasn't a huge hit. The first Red Flag of the weekend was shown.

By 12:43 local time, it started drizzling. The radar showed a large patch of rain in the area, so it was unknown how long it was going to last, nevertheless, the track was mostly dry, although it was very cloudy and a lot cooler than earlier.

No one came back out since the lights went green, everyone seemed content to sky gaze and try and work out what this weather was doing… Heavy rain was expected, and teams were just waiting before deciding on their run plans.

Lando Norris went out on intermediate tires to test out the wet track, he ran wide at turn 10 and returned to the pits. A few minutes later, both Ferrari cars came out, gathering more wet track information if needed for qualifying later. The first Sainz’s lap time was about 12 seconds off the fastest time set by Verstappen (1:13.664). Magnussen, Ocon, and Piastri went out on inters to try for themselves. 

Plenty more cars went out, and with so many cars running the racing line was drying up fast. But it remained slightly too dry for inters, not quite dry enough for slicks. By the last five minutes on the session, the track was dry enough for slicks, so everybody went into the pits to change their tires. Most everyone on softs doing their best to learn what they could about driving under these conditions.

Once the final hour of practice was over, Max Verstappen’s lap remained the fastest, followed by Perez, Hamilton, Sainz, and Alonso, the Top-Five.

QUALIFYING

The F2 race, prior to F1 Qualifying, started wet but had dried by the end of it, although the pit lane and outside of the race line were still a bit damped. In any case, rain was forecasted during the afternoon.

Q1

Green light at the end of the pit lane and it was a full cue. A few drops of rain started falling, and Tsunoda half-spun coming out of Turn 11.

Flying laps came almost immediately, but then, after Alonso went out, running wide through the gravel at Turn 14, then Bottas did the same thing as Tsunoda earlier, and Albon went off at Turn 5, bringing some gravel to the track when rejoining. Red flag! The stewards thought the track had to be cleaned.

Green light again, and unsurprisingly, Verstappen set the fastest time, but behind, Leclerc complained about his rear tires, remaining in 17th, then, when he came into the pits for a new set, he was called to the weight-bridge, losing further time. At the time, Perez was also in the drop zone.

It was new tires for Perez, Alonso, and Leclerc. Verstappen is out on used rubber though. Track evolution played a huge part for some of the drivers, but what a shocker, Leclerc couldn’t do any better than 19th. And out were: Bottas, Magnussen, Albon, Leclerc, and Sargeant. On the other end, it was Hamilton the fastest, from Norris, and Russell.

Q2

The second part of qualifying started with Sainz, Verstappen, and Perez coming out as soon as the green light came on. The trio doing their respective first fast laps of Q2.

And what an extraordinary and unexpected conclusion to Q2! Perez loses the rear-end of his RB19 at Turn 5, and inexplicably the two Mercedes cars made contact. Hamilton was closing in on Russell down the main straight, expecting to breeze past but Russell moved across, seemingly to go around a Ferrari on the righthand side. The two duly made contact, with Hamilton losing his front wing endplate!

Eliminated were Perez, Russell, Zhou, De Vries, and Tsunoda.

Q3

The Top 10 Shootout started with some unexpected names fighting for the best position possible for Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Verstappen on new tires did his first flying lap, a mighty 1:12.272.  His nearest competitor was Hamilton, 0.924 seconds behind.

Max Verstappen claimed Pole Position, his first in Spain. And after an unpredictable qualifying behind, it was Carlos Sainz second fastest, with Lando Norris claiming the third spot. Behind them, came Pierre Gasly, Lewis Hamilton, Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, and Oscar Piastri.

That was the first time Leclerc had exited in Q1 since Monaco 2019!

SUNDAY

The day started with the news that Charles Leclerc was to start from the pit lane as Ferrari decided to change practically the whole rear of the car. Another driver starting from the pit lane was Williams’ Logan Sargeant.

As for the day, it was sunny and warm, although dark clouds loomed around in the distance. But that did not stop the Formula 1 fans to come and support their two Spanish drivers, Fernando Alonso, and Carlos Sainz. Yet another F1 Grand Prix sold out. Attendance for the weekend was 284,066 fans strong.

INTERESTING FACT: Fernando Alonso’s last win in Formula 1 came at this very circuit back in 2013.

The green light was shown and the race was underway! It was a great start for Sainz, right in Verstappen's slipstream, and pulled alongside into Turn 1. But the Dutchman had the racing line and just about managed to stay in front. Behind, Hamilton also had a great start and was alongside Norris, who had a wiggle. It looked like they made contact! Behind them, Russell had to take the escape road through the first couple of corners to avoid contact, overtaking five cars along the way.

On Lap 2/66, Norris stopped for a new front wing and tires, but it was a slow stop. He came out with new mediums on but last.

On Lap 16/66, Hamilton was able to overtake Sainz for second. The Ferrari driver was called for a new set of mediums. Next lap, Leclerc was in the pits for a new set of softs, he came out 17th.

By Lap 23/66, just the top four who have yet to stop, leader Verstappen, Hamilton, Russell, and Perez. The Red Bull started on mediums, the Mercedes on softs. Two laps later, Hamilton went in for a new set of mediums, coming out about a second behind Sainz.

On Lap 27/66, Verstappen pits for a set of hards. He came out in front, with Perez now in second place, but on the next lap he also changed his tires in a very fast two-second stop, nevertheless, he came out in ninth. That same lap, Hamilton, with help from the DRS, passed Sainz going into Turn 1. A bit behind, Russell overtook Stroll for fourth place. By Lap 31/66, Hamilton had pulled a 3.5-second gap to Sainz, and Russell was catching the Spaniard. On Lap 35/66, Russell finally overtook Sainz. It was a Mercedes 2-3…

On Lap 46/66, Russell pitted for soft tires and was so far ahead that he came out in front of Sainz in fourth, but behind Perez in third.

On Lap 51/66, Hamilton pitted for new softs, and Red Bull realizing he wasn’t going to hold off Russell, pitted Perez, getting softs as well. Hamilton returned to the track second, Perez in fifth. Two laps later, Verstappen came in for a new set of softs, coming out in the lead. Further back, Perez had picked off Sainz for fourth but was about nine seconds behind Russell in third. Behind them, Alonso had watched Stroll, but assured his engineer that the team comes first and to please inform Stroll he wasn’t going to challenge him.

On Lap 62/66, Verstappen did the fastest lap of the race, meanwhile, Perez was trying to catch Russell, but time was not on his side. Four laps later, Verstappen crossed the line a whopping 22 seconds ahead of Hamilton in second. Behind them, Russell came in third, completing the podium. Perez finished fourth, Sainz fifth on home soil, Stroll was sixth, Alonso seventh, and Ocon eighth. Yuki Tsunoda crossed the line in ninth, but a 5-second penalty for taking out Zhou a few laps before, dropped him to twelve, which meant Zhou got a couple of points, and Gasly rounded up the top 10. 

• Lewis Hamilton was voted Driver of the Day by the f1.com fans.

• This was the third Grand Slam for Max Verstappen.

Grand Slam (Grand Chelem): It requires a driver to take pole position, lead every lap of the race, win the race, and set the fastest lap of the race.

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