Some like to claim that the Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is the most boring race of the year. However, I would argue that Aston Martin showing up with a new Red Bull lookalike car is this weekend's saving grace. That, in addition with two Spanish drivers on the grid, especially one in a front-running car, meaning that the sold-out crowd will bring the energy to the weekend.
Aston Martin showed up with what people are calling a ‘B spec’ car, which raised a lot of eyebrows in the paddock. It’s just a little reminiscent of the pink Mercedes controversy in 2020, which if you’ll remember was Racing Point, who have since rebranded to Aston Martin. So far, Christian Horner has obviously had lots of fun doing his favourite hobby, throwing shade in press conferences. However, the FIA has stated they have done their due diligence and no regulations have been breached in the development of the new Aston Martin. But again, throwing it back to the Pink Mercedes gate and that’s exactly what happened. A new copycat car showed up in the paddock, all the other teams started throwing a public tantrum, the FIA investigated and said there’s nothing to see here. Then Christian Horner gathered his band together and put more pressure on, which resulted in Racing Point receiving a fine and a reprimand anyway.
Could we see a repeat of this scenario in the 2022 season? All eyes will be on the green Aston Martin to see if the new design will change their position in the field.
Okay, now to the actual racing. The Barcelona circuit is definitely not a fan favourite. Mostly because it’s known for producing boring races with very few changes in the leading positions between the start and finish. But I like to think of myself as a glass half full kind of person. So, make sure you tune into qualifying this weekend as it’s extremely important. Drivers will be pushing to the absolute maximum to try and clinch pole and catapult their chances of a race win.
After the first of practice, it’s still unclear who’s likely to come out ahead. Ferrari are looking strong especially in their single lap pace but are lacking in their race pace, whilst Red Bull have had the opposite problem. Meanwhile, Mercedes have made a huge improvement and it looks like they're on their way up, finishing 2nd and 3rd in FP2. Have the upgrades they’ve brought worked?
Personally, I love a feel-good race weekend. For that reason, I’m hoping that Carlos Sainz can put his front running Ferrari to use and get that elusive career-first race win. How good would it be to see an almost unanimously loved driver take his first win at his home race at a time where he seriously needs a pick-me-up?
Lots of teams and drivers to watch out for, lots of paddock drama, and upgrades across the grid to watch out for this weekend. I’m looking forward to lights out, let’s see how this goes!
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