BARCELONA, SPAIN – JUNE 21: Sergio Perez from Mexico driving the (11) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 on the track during practice before the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on June 21, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)
The venue is perhaps the most famous for teams and drivers, as they have spent countless days testing in Barcelona and all drivers are familiar with the place from the early days of racing. As a result, this weekend’s race will be a great equalizer and provide a good opportunity to assess the grid’s order of classification halfway through the season.
Teams and drivers shared their thoughts on Friday night after the first on-track action in Barcelona.
Lewis Hamilton: Our performance in FP1 was not the best, but we still gained valuable knowledge. However, FP2 was much better and the car was fantastic. The track was incredibly hot, which made it challenging for the tires, especially during long runs. However, we didn’t feel like we were too far behind the leaders. In the past few races, we have made progress with the car. Everyone has worked tremendously hard to bring us to this point and make these incremental improvements. We have a clear direction for our future development as well. We are starting to see the impact of these changes on our on-track performance. I hope we can carry the momentum from today into Saturday and reduce the gap to our competitors.
George Russell: We had a productive day on the track today. The car performed exceptionally well at this circuit. It was encouraging to see Lewis at the top of the timesheets and we consistently showed good pace. Our performance in long runs during FP1 was competitive. In FP2, it seemed that our pace on a single lap was slightly better than our long run speed, but overall, the car is solid. It’s only Friday, but it’s been a while since we consistently competed at the front of the pack. I’m feeling positive and excited because this is what we’ve been fighting for. However, we won’t get ahead of ourselves and we’ll work diligently tonight and tomorrow to prepare ourselves as best as possible for qualifying and the Grand Prix on Sunday.
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director: We had a satisfactory first day on the Barcelona track. The updates we introduced in Monaco and Montreal have moved us forward, but it’s encouraging to see that the car is performing well on a circuit with several high-speed corners. Our pace on a single lap seems to be competitive and is very close to several other teams. It’s always difficult to assess our true position on a Friday due to different power modes and fuel loads, and we’ve had good first days followed by challenging qualifying sessions in the past. So, we’ll focus on improving based on driver feedback and see where we end up in tomorrow’s qualifying session.
Max Verstappen: “Today we experimented with different setups during the first and second practice sessions, aiming to adjust the car. The day ran smoothly, which was what we expected. We still have some adjustments to make, but overall we are optimistic about the upcoming weekend.”
Sergio Perez: “I had a good start to the day, but things got a bit out of control during FP2 when we made several setup changes. We need to analyze the data and understand it better overnight. We made significant modifications and explored different aspects of the car today, so I hope we can extract the most valuable information for tomorrow. Our focus tonight is to ensure that the car is perfectly positioned for optimal performance in qualifying and the race. Qualifying is especially crucial for me this weekend due to the three-position grid penalty. Given the limited overtaking opportunities on this circuit, securing a high position on the grid is vital for a good performance on Sunday.”
Lando Norris: “It was a positive day in hot conditions. Finding the perfect balance was challenging, as it was for everyone, but overall, I felt comfortable with the car. We have a few areas to improve overnight, but not many. I am confident that we can position ourselves well for the race. The competition is incredibly tight, as we have seen in recent weeks, so it’s a matter of focusing on the smaller details and bringing everything together. Tomorrow will be crucial.”
Oscar Piastri: “That concludes Friday’s sessions, and it was a decent day with some areas that need adjustments. The car seems to be competitive, which is promising. I discovered some things about my driving and the setup during FP2, so we will work to refine those aspects overnight. Qualifying is our next priority, and as expected, the competition at the front is fierce. Extracting the maximum potential from our package tomorrow will be crucial for a successful race on Sunday.”
A Scuderia Ferrari HP had a busy day of free practice at the Spanish Grand Prix. In addition to the usual tasks of examining the car’s setup, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc focused on evaluating the aerodynamic upgrades that were introduced in advance. This was made possible thanks to the team’s hard work in Maranello in recent weeks. The performance of both SF-24s on a single lap was promising, but there is still room for improvement in terms of qualifying and race pace.
Carlos Sainz described Friday as challenging, as the track conditions in Barcelona change rapidly under the sun. The team had difficulties finding the right balance for the car, but Sainz believes that other teams faced similar issues. Despite this, he is relatively satisfied with the car’s performance. He expressed his gratitude to the fans for their support and hopes to put on a great show.
On the other hand, Charles Leclerc had a difficult day. The balance of the car was a major problem, and the team will focus on adjusting the setup for tomorrow. Although they tested a new package in FP2, Leclerc is still not fully comfortable with the car.
Esteban Ocon was pleasantly surprised to see both cars among the top ten at the end of the day. They did not expect this result at this specific circuit. However, Ocon acknowledges that they are not sure what the other teams are doing. Despite some traffic and interruptions during the long and short runs, Ocon believes that there is still room for improvement. They will continue to work hard and aim for progress in tomorrow’s qualifying.
Pierre Gasly had a positive Friday, especially during the second free practice. Finishing in fourth place was a pleasant surprise for him. They faced minor aerodynamic issues in the first free practice, but once resolved, the car felt good from the start of the second session. Gasly believes they have a solid foundation to build on, but some adjustments are still needed to feel even more comfortable in the car for the crucial moments tomorrow.
Team report: “Fernando and Lance had a difficult start to the weekend and finished the second free practice in 14th and 18th places, respectively. Both will strive, along with the team, to analyze the data and find more performance before tomorrow’s qualifying.”
Lance Stroll: “It was a tough day on the track for us. We don’t have the speed we need, so there is a lot of work to be done before tomorrow. This circuit always causes high tire degradation, especially in the heat, so Sunday’s race will be about managing the tires. There is a forecast of rain, so that could mix things up.”
Fernando Alonso: “It’s great to be back racing in Spain and see the enthusiasm of the fans here. It was quite challenging day, with low grip levels on the track. We haven’t found the right setup for our car yet, so we definitely have work to do overnight to try to find more performance before tomorrow’s qualifying.”
Oliver Bearman: “It was great to be back behind the wheel of the VF-24 here in Barcelona. I really enjoyed it, it was great to get back up to speed in a Formula 1 car and see its capabilities on a track like this, especially with many high-speed corners. We completed the program we wanted, which is the main goal, and I felt very happy and confident in the car. I’m already looking forward to the next race in Silverstone.”
Nico Hulkenberg: “It was a smooth session, no issues, but I only participated in FP2 today. I felt relatively good immediately with the car, especially on one lap. On long runs, I think we have some work to do as we need to find a better balance and harmony. My initial impression is that our speed on one lap is definitely a strength for us, but in Barcelona, the race is long and if you don’t have a good race car, it will be a tough and challenging race. Let’s move forward and see what the weekend holds for us.”
Kevin Magnussen: “I think today went well, but the most important thing is that the long runs looked promising to me, although I haven’t seen any data or lap times. Barcelona used to be the benchmark track for the season, but with more and more street circuits nowadays, these tracks are becoming less and less similar to the average. We didn’t expect to be so strong in the high-speed sections here, so I’m excited to see if we can maintain this level of competitiveness or if it was just the circumstances at the moment.”
Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal: “Overall, I believe it was a positive day. In FP1, we conducted some aerodynamic tests to collect data, which we successfully did. Ollie was in the car and, as always, he did a fantastic job, so we can’t blame him. In FP2, Nico returned to the car alongside Kevin, and I think we made some good adjustments based on Kevin’s feedback from FP1 as we made some small modifications to his setup. The pace on long runs looked promising, as did the pace on low fuel. We still have more work to do tonight, but it’s a good start to the weekend.”
Yuki Tsunoda expressed that today’s performance was more challenging than usual. The team’s pace did not meet expectations, so they will carefully analyze the data to identify areas that need improvement. They were expecting positive results from the update, but unfortunately, they are currently below the pace they usually achieve.
Daniel Ricciardo admitted that they faced difficulties today and a lack of competitiveness. However, he found joy in driving and appreciated the changes made in the last sector of the track. He preferred the new layout as it added more excitement. The team’s main update focused on the floor, which plays an important role in the car’s development. Despite the challenges, Ricciardo remains optimistic and believes that a deeper analysis will lead to better settings and improved performance.
Alan Permane, Racing Director, acknowledged that it was not a simple day for the team. They faced problems during FP1, including a cooling system issue with Yuki’s car, which required time to fix. Additionally, a DRS failure in their new rear wing forced them to run with it closed for the remainder of FP1. This compromised their lap times and made it difficult to accurately assess the car’s balance. For FP2, they made adjustments and reverted to a previous version of the wing while conducting a detailed analysis of the new wing at the factory. They also modified the setup of both cars to address rear grip issues. However, neither of the drivers were fully satisfied with the car’s performance during FP2. The team acknowledges the need to improve their setup overnight to regain their position in the time sheets. They are pleased with the positive feedback on the update and will now focus on improving the mechanical aspects of the car, especially the suspension setup.
Alex Albon: “The first practice session was quite positive. In the past, we haven’t had a good performance in Barcelona, but this year we have made some improvements compared to last year. However, in the second practice session, we faced similar problems despite making some adjustments. We will analyze the data overnight and try to resolve these issues. It’s challenging to be in 19th and 20th positions, so I hope the track cools down and the wind calms down to help us improve our pace.”
Logan Sargeant: “It was a challenging day for us. This track has always been difficult for our team, and it remains the same this weekend. However, there were some positive moments, especially in terms of our pace in long runs, which seems better than last year. We had some difficulties with our plan for fast laps. Despite that, there are still reasons for optimism, but we need to work to find more time for tomorrow. Improving the performance of our tires in fast laps is crucial. In terms of balance, we’re not far off. We will analyze the data tonight.”
Sven Smeets, Sporting Director: “Last year, we faced challenges at this track, especially when the temperature increased. Today, we learned that the FW46 has better balance and is a significant improvement over last year. However, we still need to solve some issues that arose during the two practice sessions to improve our performance in qualifying and the race. Our team will work diligently tonight to thoroughly analyze the data and find solutions to support our drivers. Fortunately, the weather on Sunday is expected to be cooler, which may benefit our performance.”
The Sauber F1 team had a productive first day of track action at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, completing two practice sessions under consistent conditions. Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, driving the C44s, covered a significant distance, allowing the team to gather a wide range of data and information. This is especially important as the team continues to introduce new updates. With initial positive feedback from the track, the team’s engineers will analyze the data overnight to maximize performance for the next qualifying session.
Valtteri Bottas expressed satisfaction with the progress of the day, stating that they had two productive sessions where they tested various configurations. In the end, they found a configuration that improved their lap times throughout the day. Bottas believes they are in a better position in terms of performance compared to recent events, which gives them confidence for the weekend. Despite encountering some minor issues, the new components on his car performed well and allowed them to make progress in the second practice session. Bottas emphasized the importance of thoroughly analyzing the collected data to extract every possible advantage for tomorrow’s qualifying session.
Zhou Guanyu described the practice day as promising, mentioning the introduction of a different specification of rear wing. Although he has not yet tested it on his car, he noted that Bottas’ performance with the new wing seemed strong, which gives him optimism for tomorrow. Guanyu was satisfied with his own lap, except for some traffic in the last corner that affected his time. He believes he could have been close to the top 10. Guanyu expressed happiness with the return of performance and his confidence. Prior to arriving in Spain, the team made several changes, including the chassis, and Guanyu feels that he has returned to the form of the early season. Although it is early to make predictions about the qualifying and the race, Guanyu believes they are more competitive compared to previous races. The focus of the day was to collect data and insights, which they successfully achieved. Now, their attention turns to ensuring that everything is optimized for qualifying in order to secure a favorable starting position.
Report on Friday’s Training: “Five drivers representing five different teams occupy the top five positions at the end of the free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix. So far this season, the competition seems to be balanced, or at least it has been the case since the Australian Grand Prix. Today, which happens to be the longest day of the year, further solidifies this notion. The time to beat, set by Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes, is 1 minute and 13.264 seconds. Right behind are Max Verstappen in the Red Bull (1’13″504), Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari (1’13″286), Lando Norris in the McLaren (1’13″319), and Pierre Gasly in the Alpine (1’13″443). The difference between Hamilton and Verstappen is only 240 milliseconds.”
“The two-hour free practice session went smoothly, with only a brief interruption during FP1 due to a piece of front wing left on the track. The teams focused their efforts on adjusting their cars to the track’s characteristics and optimizing tire performance. They experimented with various fuel loads and tire management strategies, especially for long runs. The hard tire compound had significant usage during the first session, especially in the beginning. By the end of the 60 minutes, only six drivers (Piastri, Sargeant, Albon, Zhou, Magnussen, and Bearman) had not yet used the C1 compound. However, during the second hour, the soft compound took center stage. It not only proved to be superior in terms of fast laps but also demonstrated durability in longer stretches, which teams prioritized towards the end of the session. Even the longest lap of the day, consisting of 19 laps courtesy of Yuki Tsunoda in the Racing Bulls, was completed using the C3 compound.”
Simone Berra, Chief Engineer, commented: “Barcelona consistently presents a rigorous challenge for all components of a Formula 1 car, and the tires are no exception. Today, under high temperatures that almost reached 50°C, the tires faced additional strain. These tires already endure some of the highest lateral forces throughout the season. Honestly, we did not observe any particularly surprising performance from the three dry weather tire compounds. However, we have not yet thoroughly analyzed today’s data. The performance difference between the compounds on a single lap seems to be in line with our predictions, with a difference of six to seven tenths of a second between the hard and medium compounds, and just over one second between the medium and soft compounds. The C3 compound appears to be a viable option for the race, especially in terms of capitalizing on its performance advantage at the start and during the early laps, as we witnessed last year.”
In the free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix, five drivers representing five different teams occupy the top five positions. This reinforces the idea that the 2024 season remains highly competitive, as it has been since the Australian Grand Prix. #F1 pic.twitter.com/mgxJrYdm7Z
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) June 21, 2024
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The famous Formula 1 driver, Max Verstappen, impressed fans with a spectacular victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix. The thrilling race took place at the Interlagos Circuit, and Verstappen showcased his exceptional skill behind the wheel by overtaking his competitors and crossing the finish line in first place.
The race began with Verstappen starting in third position, but he quickly gained ground and moved up to first place. With bold maneuvers and incredible overtakes, Verstappen showed why he is considered one of the best drivers of today.
The fans present at the Interlagos Circuit were ecstatic with Verstappen’s performance, which demonstrated absolute mastery of the track. His thrilling victory was celebrated enthusiastically by the spectators, who applauded him standing up as he climbed the podium to receive his well-deserved trophy.
Verstappen, known for his charismatic personality and passion for the sport, spared no praise for the Red Bull Racing team, who supported him throughout the season. He also thanked the fans for their constant support and promised to continue giving his best in every race.
With this victory, Verstappen closes in on the leader of the Formula 1 World Championship and keeps his hopes of winning the title alive. Fans are eager to see the thrilling conclusion of this season and hope that Verstappen continues to surprise in the upcoming races.
The Brazilian Grand Prix was yet another proof of Max Verstappen’s talent and skill. His impressive performance on the tracks has been winning over more and more fans around the world, and he solidifies himself as one of the great names in motorsport. At only 26 years old, Verstappen still has many years ahead to achieve even more success in his career.
