2024 Spanish Grand Prix - Barcelona-Catalunya, June 21 - 23

[PlatinumZealot]

Defo mclaren with the best car at this stage. They have at least 2 tenths on Verstappen, but likely more than that. I mean Norris' fastest lap is almost 7 tenths faster than Verstappen's and that's on same age tyres and both pushing hard. If that's not a faster car I dont know what is. Lets not forget Norris closed down 8s gap twice while overtaking cars. Verstappen literally doing miracles in these last few races to pull out these wins.

We already know that the slightly faster car doesnt always even if thw team and drivw makes mistakes. Only dominant cars do (0.5 second faster and more in equal conditions).

If Norris started in front i dont think his car was fast enough to keep Max behind. 2 tenths is equal cars margin of error to me. Driver will make the difference.

[chrisc90]

Norris takes Charles in the standings.

Max 219
Norris 150
Lec 148
Sainz 116
Perez 111

[TFSA]

Max had the better pace in the first stint. I don't think Mclaren had the right setup. It's quick in the corners and free air, but seems useless when following. Redbull of Max slightly the faster car, and had a buffer to manage his pace.

You got that upside-down from what i can tell. McLaren had less DF than the Red Bull, but more straigthline speed. Red Bull went with a bigger DF setup this weekend. That's also why McLaren passed cars so easily - DRS + great straigthline speed. It was all Lando being in traffic that caused this. His pace in the first stint was great once he got into P2, and Max was too far ahead to affect him with dirty air.

[ringo]

Max had the better pace in the first stint.

No he wasn't. Since Russell pitted Lando was half a second faster then Max.

What would have happened if Norris pitted to cover Max, do you think that strategy would have brought Lando into play?
I just don't think Mclaren on the same strategy of Redbull would have won them the race. Lando only looked faster becuase of the tyre offset. The race was lost with the poor start. As worst the cars are equal and track position and poorer DRS overtaking ability lost Mclaren the race.

[Tvetovnato]

Lando lost it all on the start. I bet he still gets driver of the day, as most fans have no clue. On the other hand Max and Hannah won this race for RBR.

I would say it was quite a basic and no-brainer strategy they ran from the position they were in. Max’s clean execution was what won the race, with the pass on Russell when he needed to.

He could pit when Russell had slow stop but Lando refused.

I was referring to the RB strategy. Lando’s strategy was a bit more difficult to analyze what was right or wrong. Had he covered off Rus he would not have such a tyre offset to benefit from. But perhaps it would still have been better as he would be closer with less time to have to make up…

[PlatinumZealot]

Norris takes Charles in the standings.

Max 219
Norris 150
Lec 148
Sainz 116
Perez 111

Perez is a joke! Half the points of Max at mid season

[214270]

It finally makes sense to me why RB is keeping Perez for two more years. He will be allowed to retire amicably to be a very important RedBull ambassador for the Americas.

Perez brings money and he helps sell Red Bulls to Mexico / Central America.

That’s literally the whole point of RB Racing, sell Red Bulls.

Well said.

[chrisc90]

Norris takes Charles in the standings.

Max 219
Norris 150
Lec 148
Sainz 116
Perez 111

Perez is a joke! Half the points of Max at mid season

Yeah, looking at that, be lucky to even challenge for P3. P4 should be the target.

[Wouter]

[CHT]

Fantastic start by GR, and this race goes to show that Max is really a deserving champion.
Ferrari was a big disappointment here. I am guessing pecking order henceforth will be

RB
Mclaren
Merc/Ferrari

Bad weekend for Aston Martin and Alonso

[Aesop]

Max had the better pace in the first stint.

No he wasn't. Since Russell pitted Lando was half a second faster then Max.

What would have happened if Norris pitted to cover Max, do you think that strategy would have brought Lando into play?
I just don't think Mclaren on the same strategy of Redbull would have won them the race. Lando only looked faster becuase of the tyre offset. The race was lost with the poor start. As worst the cars are equal and track position and poorer DRS overtaking ability lost Mclaren the race.

I think Lando would have won. Last stint both on equal tyres Lando was the faster driver. Not sure how much Max was pushing but he wasnt exactly controlling the gap.

[TimW]

No he wasn't. Since Russell pitted Lando was half a second faster then Max.

What would have happened if Norris pitted to cover Max, do you think that strategy would have brought Lando into play?
I just don't think Mclaren on the same strategy of Redbull would have won them the race. Lando only looked faster becuase of the tyre offset. The race was lost with the poor start. As worst the cars are equal and track position and poorer DRS overtaking ability lost Mclaren the race.

I think Lando would have won. Last stint both on equal tyres Lando was the faster driver. Not sure how much Max was pushing but he wasnt exactly controlling the gap.

At the end of the first stint Norris was faster, even with his tires having suffered in traffic. So effectively with a negative tire offset

[Hoffman900]

If anyone has a link to Max’s onboard at the start, he closed up the grid offset almost immediately. That was the race right there.

I am not sure if that’s on the driver’s, gearing differences, or the Honda vs Merc PU’s.

[organic]

Max sees it fairly plainly

"I'm not really thinking about myself, I want more performance because we're not quickest at the moment, that's why I have to push till the end.

If I didn't get ahead of Lando at the start, we would end up P2 today. It's fine margins that can decide the outcome of the race. So far we're doing it well but we can't rely on that all the time, to win races you need to be the outright fastest, which is what have been lacking in the last few races."

[SKYnRacing24]

Wow Lando was brutally honest on sky f1 right now, he knows there's a sniff of a potential title on the line this year and there not optimising there chances.