Spanish GP Thread Sponsored by Fernando's Alonso's Facepaint Supplier - Contains spoilers of Practice/Qualifying and Race

[Fernando]

First topic message reminder :

Round five of the 2013 FIA Formula One World Championship sees the teams journey to the Circuit de Catalunya for the Spanish Grand Prix. After beginning the year with four long haul races, the European season starts here – with a return to the circuit that hosted two-thirds of this year’s pre-season testing.

The track itself is famed for offering a broad examination of Formula One machinery with its mix of medium and high-speed corners, a low-speed complex and a long straight. As a venue it hasn’t, however, proved to be particularly conducive to overtaking: the corner combinations tending to make following and attacking very difficult – even with DRS.

Barcelona in May is a very different proposition to Barcelona in February. Temperatures are on average some 15°C higher, and this changes the challenge completely. What doesn’t change is the abrasive nature of the asphalt.

Given the evidence of the first four races in 2013, Pirelli have decided to move away from the Hard/Soft allocation favoured in Spain for the past two years, and instead will bring the Hard and Medium compounds. The Hard, however, is not the tyre that saw use in Malaysia and Bahrain. Pirelli have tweaked their offering, making it closer to that used in 2012.

Coming to Spain, Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing lead their respective championships – but this does little to disguise the fact that it has been another weird and wonderful beginning to the year, with more questions asked than answered in March and April. The Circuit de Catalunya is regarded as the first ‘normal’ track of the season, and has frequently provided a solid indication of overall car performance – on 16 occasions from 22 runnings the team winning in Barcelona has collected the Constructors’ Championship trophy at the end of the year.


Facts
The Circuit de Catalunya became the home of the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix in 1991, taking over from Jerez de la Frontera (1986-90). The race has also been held at the Jarama circuit in Madrid (1967-8, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976-80), Montjuïc (1969, 1971, 1973, 1975) and Pedralbes (1951, 1954). Only five circuits on the current F1 calendar have a longer continuous run (Interlagos, Silverstone, the Hungaroring, Monza and Monaco).
The Circuit de Catalunya is one of three Spanish Grand Prix venues located in the vicinity of Barcelona. The others – Pedralbes and Montjuïc – were within the boundaries of the modern city. This track, despite frequently being referred to simply as ‘Barcelona’, is not.
Pastor Maldonado’s Spanish Grand Prix victory last year saw a number of ‘firsts’ recorded. It was his first start from pole position, his first victory, and the first win for a Venezuelan in Formula One.
Maldonado is the only driver to win a grand prix at the Circuit de Catalunya and for that to be his solitary victory of the season.
Maldonado’s win, however, should not be regarded as surprising. Taking pole position (after Lewis Hamilton was excluded from the qualifying result) made him a favourite. Starting from pole at this circuit has historically been the key to victory: 18 times from the 22 races, the driver starting P1 has won the race. Of the four drivers to buck the trend, Mika Häkkinen, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel were all front-row starters.
leaving Michael Schumacher the distinction of being the only driver to win the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya having started without a clear track in front of him. In 1996 he qualified third. With the race affected by torrential rain, he made light work of the terrible conditions to record his first victory for Ferrari. Another 71 would follow.
Ferrari is the constructor with the best record at the circuit. The Scuderia has won here seven times, Williams has six victories, McLaren four, Red Bull two, Benetton/Renault two and Brawn one.
Regarding drivers, Schumacher (1995, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) is out in front with six victories at this circuit. Häkkinen (1998, 1999, 2000) has three wins, Kimi Räikkönen (2005, 2008) and Nigel Mansell (1991, 1992) two each. The race has also been won by Alain Prost (1993), Damon Hill (1994), Jacques Villeneuve (1997), Fernando Alonso (2006), Felipe Massa (2007), Jenson Button (2009), Mark Webber (2010) and Vettel (2011). Mansell and Prost also won at Jerez.
The Circuit de Catalunya is a preferred testing venue for F1 teams. The driver with the most testing mileage at this circuit is McLaren’s Jenson Button. The 2009 World Champion has completed a staggering 34,706 testing kilometres at this circuit.

Source: Racedepartment.com

[dyrewolfe]

Very true Craig.

Its unfair to blame Pirelli as they're simply delivering what they've been told to deliver. I can understand Hembery getting exasperated.

As usual, scratch beneath the surface and you find its Bernie Ecclestone who's mainly to blame.

[CaledonianCraig]

Very true Craig.

Its unfair to blame Pirelli as they're simply delivering what they've been told to deliver. I can understand Hembery getting exasperated.

As usual, scratch beneath the surface and you find its Bernie Ecclestone who's mainly to blame.

Well where do we start with his rank stupid ideas in recent times?

A medal system to replace a points system to determine the world championship? WTF

Asking Pirelli to supply less durable tyres?

Saying more teams were needed a few years ago and now recently trying his best to force the smaller teams out by saying more money would be paid to the bigger teams and less to the smaller teams? WTF

The constant criticising of certain circuits and threatening to ditch them from F1 then doing a complete U-Turn?

I could go on but in short this buffon must go.

[Fernando]

Tyre specifications will be determined by the FIA no later than 1 September of the previous season. Once determined in this way, the specification of the tyres will not be changed during the championship season without the agreement of all competing teams."


Ferrari/Lotus clearly haven't agreed so i don't see how they can do this?

[Guest]

Loopholes in every rule, even if in theory Ferrari/Lotus are correct. Red Bull are such a powerhouse in F1 today due to their recent success, and if they are not happy, then they will pursue changes to the sport that will benefit them. The fact Bernie is in love with Vettel also is highly significant. Red Bull will probably threaten to leave, like they have done before, if changes to the tyre were not made. They want racing and I want racing.

[Gerry SA]

Can't wait for 2014 when the rules on aero changes.

Lets see what one trick pony Newey does next year...

[Guest]

Lets see what one trick pony Newey does next year...

Quite an insulting and offensive comment. Did you not know or understand that Adrian Newey is the most successful Formula One car designer and arguably one of the greatest Motorsport engineers in the entire world. I didn't know being a 'one trick pony' was where you were the major factor in winning a whole host of Constructor's Championships in the pinnacle of Motorsport with three different teams over the past twenty years and basically dominating the sport in era's of differing rules and regulations.

[dyrewolfe]

Well said, John.

@Gerry: Newey was McLaren's chief designer when Mika Hakkinen won back to back titles in 1998-99, when the regs were very different.

The MP4-13 won both drivers' and constructors' titles, although the MP4-14 had reliability issues, meaning they lost out to Ferrari in the constructors' stakes that year.

[GSC]

Adrian Newey doesn't always get it right with his designs, but when he does its usually the best by a decent margin.

[dyrewolfe]

Funnily enough, the 1998-99 McLarens were so much faster than the rest of the field, there were suspicions they might be cheating.

Some things never change!

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