True test of Merc’s upgrades 

♔After unveiling their substantial upgrade package in Monaco, this weekend’s Spanish 🌄Grand Prix will be a true test of whether it truly works.

The initial impressions from Monaco have been positive but given that the iconic street circuit is an outlier in terms of characteristics - bu൩mpy track surface, low-speed corners and having to run maximum downforce - it’s too early to say whether Mercedes are on the right path to challenge Red Bull again.

"Barcelona is like the best test bench circuit for us, so I think it'd be really difficult here to really know. The car feels really stiff, there’s lots of bumps, it's tricky," 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton told Sky after Monaco.

The team have heavily focused on the sidepod profile and front suspe🦄nsion as the♓y slowly look to change their car concept. 

Spain will give Mercedes more answers.

Firไstly, whether t🎐he car has improved in terms of lap time.

Secondly, the general handling of the car - ꦉToto Wolff has described the W14’s rear-end as “a bit nasty”.

Spain was one of Mercedes’ strongest circuits last year with 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:George Russell running up at the front, while Hamilton showed outstanding pace f🐠rom the back of the grid fol🔯lowing his collision with Kevin Magnussen.

It’s another big weekend for Mercedes.

Under pressure Perez and Stroll

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Sergio Perez and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lance Stroll endured torrid Monaco weekends.

Starting with Perez, his title dream is hanging by a thread after he was lapped tw𒁃ice by teamma♌te Verstappen.

His weekend w﷽as completely undone in Q1 with a needless crash at Sainte Devote.

Given Red Bull’s general pace advantage, he was under no pressure🐼 to get out of Q1 nor did he have t🅠o take any unnecessary risks.

The pressure would have inevitably been🐬♏ on Perez given his track record in Monaco and street circuits in general - he is the ‘King of the Streets’ - supposedly anyway.

He’s now 39 points off Verstappen as F1 heads to more traditional tracks such as Barcelonౠa, Red Bull Ring, Silverstone and the Hungaroring.

Any talk of a title bid from Perez was always premature but it seems that it’s ended sooner than𝓀 many expected.

At Aston Martin, Stroll con📖tinues ꦅto underperform in the second-best car on the grid.

His stutterinꦇg form means Aston sit just one point ahead of Mercedes in the constructors’ championꦆship.

He is the son of Aston Martin billionaire ow♏ner Lawrence Stroll, so his future with the team is never in serious doubt.

But if Aston Martin are serious✱ abওout winning then upgrading Stroll is a necessity. 

Stroll is capable on his day, particulaꦺrly in changeable conditions, but those days are few and far between.

New (old) Barcelona layout 

For this year’s race, the Cir🐓cuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has reverted back to his original layout.

It mea🅘ns drivers will no longer have to tackle the “Mickey Mouse” chicane in the final se💯ctor.

Instead they will stay to the left of the track and take the final couple🐻 of corners effectively flat-out.

This layout 💟(asid🤡e from the other modifications made to the old Turn 10) was last used back in 2006.

So on the current F1 2023 grid, only Alonso has driven on it.

Histor༒🎃ically, Barcelona rarely springs a great race, with drivers unable to follow through the aforementioned chicane.

Perhaps this change will🦋 result in more overtaking and a bet෴ter spectacle overall.

More rain in the air?

Remarkably, the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona hasn’t been affected by rain since 1996, when 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Michael Schumacher took💧 one of the greatest 🍬victories of his illustrious career.

At the time of writing, rain is forecast for Sunday♑ afternoon.

As seen iꦚn Monaco, which like Barcelona is traditionally a dull event, could throw up some additional chaos⛄ if the new layout doesn’t.

The forecast will no doubt c💧hange as we get closer to the race weekend so it’s one to keep an eye on.