F1 GP Spain: Leclerc orders again but everyone is hiding things

No one wants to give clues about anything and the uncertainty is highest. Possible red bull keep their superiority from the previous two races or ferrari will it reverse the situation? The doubts were overwhelming after the first day of free practice Spanish F1 GP, and this generates more hope ahead of the battle for pole position this Saturday (4:00 pm / DAZN F1). The public of Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which this Friday has already filled the main stands, may be ready to go through the intense heat. But they do say, scabies with taste, not itchy. And it’s the sentiment facing ‘qualy’ seems certain after what it saw this Friday. Leclerc dominated FP1 by just 79 thousandths of an advantage sainzand return to lead free practice 2, incl Carlos in fourth position at 3 tenths and some surprisingly Mercedes in between, in second and third place.

But don’t trust the times. warned already Carlos on the team’s radio, indicating that he was running hard on gas and making sure he knew exactly what he needed to do to find time. Good sign, showing confidence and composure and talking about the assignment well.

This Saturday, the battle for pole position promises intense emotions. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc There they were with a car that released a new package, which left a good feeling, apparently, because in the second session Carlos no longer needed to make major set-up changes. And the big question is to know if Red Bull, with an improvement in which they have managed to lose weight (it is rumored that up to 7 kilograms, which if confirmed is outrageous), will be able to dominate in one turn.

The answer to this question is fundamental, because of Catalonia, achieving the pole position or the first set is a jackpot. In the 31 editions held on this track, one of the drivers who started in the front row of the grid won 28 times. And alone Fernando Alonso in 2013 he was able to win starting across the second row (in fifth place). In fact, that was the last victory of a Spaniard at home. This weekend, Carlos will try to calm the Spaniard and win his first win in F1.

The Madrid native had a good chance on this track to take the final step in his adaptation to this Ferrari, to find the definite confidence to attack to the maximum. If he succeeds, however, he must first now beat an inspired Leclerc with one lap and two Red Bulls imposing, in particular, on their racing pace for Sunday. Therefore, it was very important for Ferrari to get that front row to defend victory on Sunday.

Mercedes, step forward

Mercedes left a good feeling this Friday. But as happened in Miami, he needs to confirm it this Saturday. High temperatures can help solve the difficulty of heating the tires to make a quick lap, an important problem on first dates. And the pace of his career has been competitive. The stars seemed to be able to opt for a good result, with George Russell again ahead of Hamilton in both sessions, but perhaps with a stronger Lewis at racing speed. The battle between the two will be very close again after Russell finished second in FP2 at 0 “117 and Hamilton was third at 0” 204. Even reason says they shouldn’t fight for the pole.

Alonzo, sixth

Fernando Alonso was fifth in Free Practice 1 and sixth in Free Practice 2, leaving feeling good from the start, albeit with a lower racing speed than Mercedes. So far the silver arrows seem to have boosted their third spot on the grid and the Spaniard will have to fight to get there. The first step, the battle is in Q3, although Sunday’s final result for Alpine will depend on this Friday as a fruitful day to find a definitive solution to major tire damage.