Warmer conditions were expected for the Spanish Grand Prix this year as the event is taking place three weeks later in the calendar than it did in 2024.
Formula 1’s official tyre supplier Pirelli even suggested the conditions would be hot enough that degradation will be high enough for teams to consider three-stop strategies in the race.
However the present forecast is for conditions to be much like those the teams saw last year – and far cooler than the high seen in 2022, when ambient temperatures hit 37C during the grand prix.
Teams can expect a consistently sunny start to practice on Friday, when temperatures will peak at around 24C. The wind should be fairly light, no more than around 15kph, which will come as a relief as the exposed track features many medium and high-speed corners where cars are susceptible to sudden gusts.
Ambient temperatures may rise slightly on Saturday but conditions will begin to cloud over in the mid-afternoon. This may happen soon enough to affect qualifying, potentially presenting teams with a change in track temperatures in the final stages.
The cloud will bring slightly cooler temperatures and some rain with it on Sunday. This could last several hours and make life tricky for the Formula 2 and Formula 3 drivers in the pre-grand prix support races.
Conditions are expected to clear up in time for the main event. Although there is a low chance rain could persist until the early stages of the grand prix, any effect the rain has on the race is likely to be indirect.
The rain should wash any accumulated rubber from the surface, presenting drivers with a shift in track conditions they will have to adapt to. Air temperatures will be a few degrees lower, and the combination of cloud and cooling rain should make for considerably cooler asphalt.
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2024 Spanish Grand Prix
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