The start of the second European leg of the championship, the Spanish Grand Prix takes place at the Circuit de Catalunya this weekend.
Although this track has been on the F1 calendar every single season since it first joined back in 1991, this may be one of its last grands prix.
Ferrari have won two races so far in 2024, including the home round for one of their drivers, Charles Leclerc. But they followed that with a frustrating, point-less weekend result two weeks later, and arrive at Carlos Sainz Jnr’s home track needing to bounce back.
Meanwhile much attention is being focused on Williams, who are rumoured to be considering an change in their driver line-up to accommodate Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli, followed last week’s confirmation of a change in the super licence rules which would allow him to race before he turns 18 in two months’ time. But the team has not officially indicated any changes for this weekend.
Can Ferrari bounce back at Sainz’s home race?
Ferrari endured a Canadian Grand Prix to forget, to say the least. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr were knocked out in Q2 and failed to see the chequered flag – Sainz by his own hand, while Leclerc fell victim to technical trouble and a strategic gamble which backfired.
Sainz has plenty of support at his home track, which features a dedicated grandstand in his honour, but is yet to appear on the podium here. His best ever finish in Barcelona is fourth place in 2022, having started from third on the grid.
As well as winning the Monaco Grand Prix, Ferrari were only eight seconds away from Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Imola. But given the close competition expected at the front of the field, Ferrari have to assume they will have a tough fight with McLaren and Mercedes to challenge Red Bull for victory. The latter, however, are widely expected to perform better as F1 returns to a more typical permanent circuit.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Will Mercedes build on Montreal promise?
After Mercedes’ third difficult start to a season in as many years, Montreal appeared to be a turning point. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell showed promising pace throughout practice and the latter pipped Verstappen to pole position by the smallest margin possible.
Although they were unable to convert that pace into victory in the race itself, Russell did secure the team’s first grand prix podium of the season….
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at RaceFans…