RUTHLESS VERSTAPPEN TAKES WIN IN BARCELONA | Spanish Grand Prix 2024
When on Saturday morning, an electrical fire in the kitchen ceiling forced McLaren to evacuate their hospitality motor home, it was assumed that from there it could only get better. It began well enough- Norris took pole in qualifying,- but lost it off the line, and Verstappen ran with the first opportunities that came his way to defend his lead to the end. Second place saw Norris rise to second in the Driver’s championship standings, yet Verstappen’s win edges his lead further towards to realm of unassailability.
A Brilliant Start & An Apposite Quote
The start was crucial, it always is here. Its not that Norris’ was poor, but that Verstappen was better, and in trying to squeeze the Dutchman to the inside Norris hit the brakes early. Verstappen went down the inside, and having picked up the mother of all slipstreams George Russell went round the outside of them both.
Starting on used soft tyres, against Norris’ fresh set, it was vital for Verstappen to lose as little ground as possible, but having passed the McLaren into turn one a new opportunity presented itself. Quickly clearing Russell before his tyres overheated in the dirty air allowed him to build a lead that, for the rest of the race, Norris tried desperately and variously to close. “What made the race was the beginning,” Verstappen said, and he was right.
The Many Stratagems of Lando Norris
McLaren’s counter plan was laid at the first round of pit stops. Sainz and Russell were the first to come in, Russell’s stop so long that Norris could have comfortably overcut the hurdle that for fifteen laps had blocked him for chasing the leader. McLaren instead opted to build a tyre offset, but though a later stop gave Norris six lap younger tyres it also placed four cars between him and Verstappen.
Each overtake took a little out of the tyres, especially the deal with Russell, lasting half a lap of passing and repassing before Norris secured the place. By the time Verstappen came under threat a few laps later, he pitted for soft tyres, and was going so much faster on them that Norris had to respond.
Again the battle for the lead was reset, and this time Verstappen had the fresher tyres. Norris charged, fizzled out, and pushed again, but ultimately ran out of laps, the race expertly controlled by Red Bull and their star driver, who never makes mistakes and never misses an opportunity.
Verstappen Holds On, Hamilton Comes Back
There was no hint of panic on the pit wall or in the cockpit. While Norris claimed he “should have won” post-race, he was also “not sure what (I) did wrong.” So irresistible is the Verstappen Juggernaut. You could say that since round five China the Red Bull hasn’t been the fastest car, yet on the day , three out of five times, Verstappen has found a way to win.
A Choice of Tyres
Hamilton was third for Mercedes, his first podium since Mexico last year, which he earned through choosing the soft tyres for his third stint, having previously used the softs and mediums. Russell opted for hards, as did Sainz, and both struggled to for pace against the faster, softer compounds, each being overtaken by their soft tyre running teammates.
Soft-Medium-Soft was undoubtedly the faster strategy, and that so many of the rear runners and two podium contenders pursued it seems odd, especially as everyone saw Leclerc’s opening stint of twenty-four laps. We were all there. Hamilton claimed it was “never an option to drive the hard tyre today,” seemingly knowing its uncompetitiveness. It’s certainly one way to fight allegations of Russell facing favouritism, but then again this would be the obvious disinformation campaign…
Alpine’s Success, RB Misery
The Mercedes revival has coincided with a great fog at Ferrari, whose staff are perhaps still nursing their Monaco hangovers. Underwhelming in qualifying and race trim, Hamilton’s move suddenly looks romantic rather than adventurous. Alpine’s progress continued under the eye of new their Executive Advisor, the somewhat notorious Flavio Briatore, convicted fraudster and ex-Renault F1 boss. Gasly recovered from a glacial pit stop to finish ninth, and Ocon tenth.
In a forgotten corner of the paddock, the wattled spoon tent was densely populated. The dead cat of Riccardo and Tsunoda’s qualifying performance (18th & 17th) bounced them to the finishing positions of fifteenth and nineteenth, the team having scored points at the last for races. Fernando Alonso qualified eleventh and finished twelfth, Strolls material existence had no impact whatsoever, and neither did that of Sargeant, who was the only driver to be lapped twice.
Perez vs Piastri
The Perez / Piastri battle, set up by self-sabotaged efforts in qualifying, also lacked corporal form in the event. Piastri, while lacking the pace of Norris, climbed to seventh and Perez eventually to eighth, all without once confronting each other on track.
In the last four races Perez has scored eight points to Verstappen’s eight-three, and Piastri a less crushing forty-six to Norris’ sixty-seven. With the teams lead drivers fighting it out for wins it will be their colleagues scores who make the difference in the Constructors standings.
The summer triple header; Austria next weekend followed by Silverstone, leaves little time for improvements to cars and Hospitality Suites, even less for minds. So the battle will soon be resumed on near identical terms, at a track where Verstappen has won five grand prix, and where Norris claimed his first podium in 2020. At a drivers favourite, a stonker awaits. Possibly.
Final Order: 1. Verstappen, Norris, Hamilton, Russell, Leclerc, Sainz, 6. Paiastri, Perez, Gasly, Ocon, 11. Hulkenberg, Alonso, Zhou, Stroll, Riccardo, 16. Bottas, Magnussen, Albon, Tsunoda, Sargeant
