Right here is our full textual content transcript from the tenth spherical of the 2024 System 1 championship, the Spanish Grand Prix, which was held earlier right this moment in Barcelona:
We’ve actually been handled to an ultra-competitive weekend right here in Spain thus far with yesterday’s qualifying offering most likely the perfect battle for the main grid positions thus far this season. 66 laps, a number of pit stops anticipated, tyre put on, differing methods…and even an out of doors likelihood of some mild rain. It ought to be a cracker when lights exit!
Lando Norris’ excellent pole – simply his second in F1 and McLaren’s first right here in Spain for 19 years – was nonetheless solely 0.020s sooner than Verstappen’s personal robust closing lap, however it’s now three races in a row the place the world champions haven’t been quickest in qualifying.
That after Max’s record-breaking run of eight consecutive poles.
The timesheets this weekend on a observe that was notably anticipated to favour Pink Bull stepping into to occasion has actually underlined that. Whereas the RB20 within the arms of Verstappen actually stays fast, the workforce is now not having fun with the type of benefit we noticed all by 2023 and within the early a part of this season when Max was in a position to often win at a canter.
As we are saying, that ought to make for an ideal race right this moment – and certainly over the 5 races happening in six weeks as much as the summer time break in August – with Norris having an actual likelihood of claiming his second win within the sport and kick-starting what might nicely be a primary title problem into the summer time.
The Spanish Grand Prix weekend has already been a a lot better weekend for Ferrari than the Canadian one was a fortnight in the past, however but, however but… Regardless of introducing various improvement gadgets onto the SF-24 at Barcelona, the automotive has apparated tough to drive, particularly within the high-speed corners, for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz and so they begin collectively on row three.
That might simply have been row two given there have been simply hundredths of a second between the occasions of Mercedes and Ferrari vehicles in Q3, however the hole to the entrance row was nonetheless 0.3s. They continue to be second in each championships, however Monaco apart – once they possessed the quickest automotive – they haven’t actually even had the second-quickest package deal since their first win of the 12 months in April’s Australian GP. Charles Leclerc and residential hero Carlos Sainz are very a lot within the hunt with the Mercs’ for the rostrum – and maybe but extra – however the SF-24 is actually not the place the workforce need it proper now.
The highest groups have solely saved one set of the laborious and medium tyres every, so they may use the softs in some unspecified time in the future within the race. Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and each Ferrari vehicles have saved a brand new set of softs, which can make a small distinction over the stint, however observe place will nonetheless be crucial issue.
This race is partly going to be determined by technique, notably if the tempo between drivers is shut. We predict the front-runners will begin on the tender tyre to utilise the additional grip off the road however after the primary stint, there are numerous choices. The large query is will the laborious tyre have sufficient uncooked tempo to be value utilizing. If not, softs and mediums would be the most popular race tyre. An aggressive three-stopper can’t be dominated out too, particularly if the race tempo may be very quick and the drivers are pushing the tyres laborious.
Everybody on the grid is on the tender tyres, other than Alex Albon within the pit lane who’s on the mediums. It seems to be like all of the groups are considering the identical means for this primary stint.
Lap 1/66: Russell takes the lead! From fourth place into first. WOW. It’s an outstanding begin. Norris drops to 3rd and Verstappen stays in second. Russell will get into the slipstream of the main pair and swoops across the outdoors into Flip One and leads. That’s not what Norris wanted.
Lap 2/66: Verstappen is already nicely inside one second of Russell and pushing him laborious.
Lap 3/66: DRS is out there and Verstappen makes essentially the most of it by going across the outdoors of Russell into Flip One. There was not a lot Russell might do there.
Lap 4/66: Norris is aware of he should go together with Verstappen, so which means overtaking Russell quickly. The McLaren driver is inside one second of Russell, so let’s see if he could make a transfer.
Lap 5/66: A change in positions for the Ferraris with Carlos Sainz overtaking Charles Leclerc and call made within the course of. Sainz is now fifth with Leclerc sixth. “He closed on me, Carlos,” says an irritated Leclerc on the workforce radio.
Lap 7/66: Verstappen leads by 1.4s from Russell, with Norris one other 0.7s behind. Hamilton is there too in fourth place, so issues are nonetheless tight on the entrance.
Lap 9/66: Race management took a take a look at the Ferrari overtake with Carlos Sainz ending up on the grass as he handed Charles Leclerc spherical the skin however nothing untoward occurred so there will likely be no punishment.
Lap 10/66: Lando Norris is instructed to go “plus 10” on his technique, which implies going 10 laps longer than initially deliberate. Sainz and Leclerc have joined the main 4 vehicles. Russell has bought a DRS prepare behind him now again to Leclerc in sixth place.
Lap 16/66: Russell pits however it’s a sluggish cease! Sainz almost overtakes him and that’s actually expensive for Russell. 5.3 seconds is the cease time, so he’s misplaced round three seconds there.
Lap 17/66: Hamilton pits however comes out in ninth place, behind Alonso who’s but to pit. The seven-time world champion continues to be behind Russell and has been undercut by Sainz too.
Lap 18/66: A 1.9s pit cease from Pink Bull, what a pit cease! He comes out in fourth place behind Norris, Leclerc and Piastri who’re but to pit.
Lap 18/66: Hamilton is pushing actually laborious on these recent tyres – it’s mediums for everybody who has pitted thus far by the best way – and he’s everywhere in the again of Carlos Sainz within the battle for sixth.
Lap 19/66: Hamilton aggressively goes down the within of Carlos Sainz at Flip One and the pair very almost make contact. That was good, laborious racing however Carlos Sainz claims Lewis Hamilton pushes him off the observe.
Lap 21/66: That’s essential for Verstappen as he didn’t lose a lot time behind Piastri. He makes the transfer down the within of Flip Seven, not a spot you usually see an overtake.
Lap 24/66: Into the pits comes Norris for a brand new set of medium tyres. As anticipated, he’s come out three seconds behind Sainz.
Lap 25/66: The one man nonetheless to cease was race chief Charles Leclerc however he heads in now and re-joins in seventh spot.
Lap 27/66: Norris breezes previous Sainz on the principle straight and takes fourth place. Verstappen leads by six seconds from Russell, who’s one second in entrance of Hamilton. Norris is eight seconds off the lead. He got here out of the pits 11 seconds behind Verstappen.
Lap 27/66: Charles Leclerc breezes previous Pierre Gasly on the skin to maneuver up into sixth spot, together with his Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz one place higher off. Gasly is one place forward of Alpine stablemate Esteban Ocon with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri ninth after utilizing DRS to maneuver past Pink Bull’s Sergio Perez.
Lap 29/66: Norris is inside one second of Hamilton. These subsequent few laps are essential as Norris might lose plenty of time behind the Mercedes pair. It’s vital he will get previous rapidly.
Lap 32/66: This time Norris will get a greater run onto the principle straight and comfortably will get by Hamilton. Nonetheless, he’s 8.5 seconds off the lead and Russell continues to be in between him and Verstappen. Oscar Piastri is up into eighth spot now together with his subsequent goal Pierre Gasly. Piastri is just round 1.5 seconds behind the Alpine man and gaining on a regular basis. The hole will likely be below a second quickly sufficient.
Lap 35/66: Sensational racing! Russell goes deep into the primary chicane and Norris goes all the best way across the outdoors of Flip Three. Russell comes again at him on the skin of Flip 4, earlier than Norris cuts again and finally will get the transfer down into Flip Seven. Good stuff!
Lap 37/66: Hamilton will get onto the again of Russell, who dives into the pit lane. It’s the laborious tyres curiously and a three-second pit cease. Sainz additionally pits and can also be on the hards.
Lap 39/66: George Russell is initially held off by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly as he seems to be to propel himself into sixth place however the overtake occurs quickly sufficient, with the Briton round 30 seconds behind race chief Max Verstappen within the Pink Bull.
Lap 44/66: Hamilton pits from third place and comes out in seventh place, behind Sainz. It’s the tender tyres for Hamilton, so Bernie is completely spot on.
Lap 45/66: Into the pits comes Verstappen from the lead. It’s a 2.8s pit cease and the Pink Bull driver is in free air.
Lap 46/66: Hamilton is way sooner on his recent softs as he overtakes Sainz down the principle straight. It seems to be like a Russell vs Hamilton combat for the rostrum on the finish of the race.
Lap 48/66: Norris is available in for softs and crucially stays forward of Russell and Hamilton regardless of a 3.6-second pit cease. He’s eight seconds behind Verstappen although, which goes to be powerful to shut down.
Lap 52/66: Pink Bull’s Sergio Perez was in seventh place, eight seconds behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc however has now are available as a consequence of a three-strop technique. Checo exits the pits in tenth spot, beneath Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and forward of Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg – however he quickly breezes previous Ocon and should leapfrog Pierre Gasly in a minute as nicely.
Lap 55/66: Carlos Sainz strikes out of the best way for Charles Leclerc going into Flip One, with the Monegasque on brisker tender tyres in comparison with carrying out hards for the Spaniard. It seems to be like Charles Leclerc will end fifth and Carlos Sainz will likely be sixth on the finish.
Lap 57/66: Ferrari suppose Charles Leclerc can catch George Russell. The Monegasque is 5 seconds behind and is instructed to choose up the tempo by his engineer.
Lap 59/66: Verstappen and Norris are each nonetheless pushing very laborious, so it’s not fully over. Norris is a pair tenths sooner per lap, however that’s not going to be sufficient with the hole at 4.6 seconds. Each drivers are giving it all the pieces to get essentially the most out of their tyres.
Lap 62/66: Charles Leclerc is lapping sooner than Russell and is now three seconds behind the Mercedes driver. This may very well be very shut on the finish within the battle for fourth.
Lap 66/66: Yet another lap to go across the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and Verstappen is 2 seconds in entrance of Norris. Charles Leclerc will get inside DRS vary on Russell however can’t make a transfer into Flip One.
Max Verstappen makes it a hat-trick of wins on the Spanish Grand Prix! He fends off Lando Norris by two seconds, with each drivers pushing extraordinarily laborious all race. Lewis Hamilton claims his first podium of the season in third place. It’s Hamilton’s first podium since October final 12 months. Verstappen might have gained, however that was a really intense race by way of tempo. There was a cracking battle between Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc however the former holds on as Mercedes finish third and fourth.
Who else made the factors?
4) George Russell, Mercedes
5) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
6) Carlos Sainz Ferrari
7) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
8) Sergio Perez, Pink Bull
9) Pierre Gasly, Alpine
10) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
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