2024 F1 Spanish Grand Prix Preview: Europe's first Triple header
The 2024 F1 World Championship Round 10 will be held this weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, home of the Spanish Grand Prix.
This race is the first European triple-header race to include races in Austria and the UK. As the home race of Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz, fans of Aston Martin and Ferrari drivers are always a lot.
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has been on the calendar since 1991 and has been a site for pre-season testing, so the team and drivers know it well. It consists of a mix of high, medium and slow corners, direction changes, ups and downs, and a long start and finish straight. There is a little of everything that makes it an ideal place for testing.
The track has undergone major changes in recent years: In 2021 10 turns and 11 turns will be converted into 1 long hairpin, and last year the unpopular Final Chicane will be replaced by the original layout consisting of 2 very fast corners that will allow the car to return to the start finish straight at full speed. We are back in the U.S.
Frequent changes in wind direction at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya can make it difficult to find the right balance. In addition, this year's race will take place 3 weeks later than in 2023, so it could be hot and that could add another factor to tire management. The current weather forecast says it will be warm or in good condition during Saturday's qualifying, with the possibility of a storm during Sunday's race.
Pirelli named the most difficult compounds in the race: C1, C2, and C3. Depending on how the tire lasts, a 2-stop strategy should be the fastest option. Entering the weekend, Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen leads the Drivers' championship by 194 points in 2024. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is 138 points in 2nd place, while McLaren's Rand Norris is 131 points in 3rd place. In the Constructors' Championship, Red Bull leads by 301 points. Ferrari is 252 points in 2nd place, while McLaren is 212 points in 3rd place. The winner in Spain last year was Verstappen, who was driving for Red Bull.
