Five talking points from a sizzling Spanish GP

Verstappen’s frustration leads to radio tension

A pre-race theory voiced by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff that Max Verstappen was actually the favourite for this race, despite starting third on the grid, proved somewhat wide of the mark. A cocktail of high temperatures and the specific demands of Silverstone had given Red Bull a surprising edge at the 70^th Anniversary Grand Prix, but although the heat was intense in Barcelona as F1 paid a visit in high summer rather than as usual in spring, Mercedes was back on top – and Verstappen knew it.

Towards the end of his opening stint on soft-compound tyres, the Dutchman lost his temper over the radio as Red Bull held off calling him in. He snapped that the team should “focus on our race, rather than on Lewis,” because he knew this was business as usual – he couldn’t compete, at least with the championship leader. That he was still able to split the Mercedes after beating Valtteri Bottas off the line at the start and score his third second place of the season following the victory at Silverstone, said much once again for the astounding level he consistently drives at these days. As he admitted: “I don’t think there is much more I can do at the moment.”

Bottas loses it all at the start

Hamilton’s victory was never in doubt as he made a clean getaway from pole position, then settled down for an afternoon of tyre management, in a race that never sizzled as much as the summer temperatures. And yet again, in stark contrast to Hamilton, team-mate Bottas was left crestfallen after failing not only to challenge the six-time world champion, but even to complete a Mercedes one-two. All in all, it was a poor show from Bottas.

“The start was the key point, the start was not good enough,” he admitted, the look in his eyes above his face mask telling all we needed to know about his state of mind. As third-place starter Verstappen eased past him on the outside as they approached Turn 1, Bottas failed to defend his inside line as a fast-starting Lance Stroll shot past him. Bottas even briefly dropped to fifth behind Sergio Perez until finding the traction to withstand the Mexican’s advances on the way to Turn 4. His Drag Reduction System (DRS) made it all too easy for Bottas to pass Stroll on lap five, but that was as far as the recovery got.

Running longer than Verstappen on their two-stop strategies, Mercedes tried to find Bottas some pace by choosing the soft tyre for his final stint. But he made little impression on Verstappen’s advantage and, safe from any threat behind from Racing Point, eventually pitted for a new set of mediums to claim the fastest lap on the last time around. That point will be scant consolation as the gap to Verstappen stretches to six in the championship standings and a gaping 43 to his runaway team-mate. In a truncated season, the full duration of which still remains unconfirmed, his task to challenge Hamilton for the title now looks a tall order. Just as well he’s already got that new contract signed for 2021.

Racing Point in the pink

Both Stroll and Perez had good reason to be satisfied with their work in Spain, the Racing Point pair finishing fourth and fifth on varying strategies, behind Hamilton, Verstappen and Bottas. Perez made an accomplished return after missing both Silverstone races because of his positive test for COVID-19, and outqualified his team-mate by a tenth of a second to line up fourth on the grid. The Mexican is a renowned master at tyre management and stopped just once, on lap 29, before passing Stroll on track. But a five-second penalty for an apparent blue flag infringement – which he felt was “unfair” – dropped him behind the Canadian in the final result, even though he finished ahead on the road.

Still, two-stopping Stroll emerged from the race with credit despite technically being beaten by his team-mate. That scintillating start from fifth on the grid showed some spark, as he got the drop on the sister Racing Point then switched across to the inside line to make Bottas look a little silly into Turn 1. A very nice move from a driver who has more to do to prove his merits, with that Sebastian Vettel-shaped threat still hovering over his place at his father’s team for 2021.

Sainz Jr. shines on home territory

A solid weekend too from Carlos Sainz Jr., who outqualified his feisty young McLaren team-mate Lando Norris and then outraced him to finish sixth from seventh on the grid. Norris lost ground at the start from eighth and could only finish 10^th behind AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly, who continues to show decent form this season.

Vettel voted driver of the day

This was a miserable weekend for Ferrari as Charles Leclerc qualified just ninth, two places ahead of his team-mate Vettel. Leclerc’s troubles continued in the race when electrical problems caused him to spin and he retired to the pits. But pleasingly, Sebastien Vettel dug in and was voted driver of the day for his efforts that netted seventh place from 11^th on the grid, the former champion finishing ahead of Alex Albon who lost ground when Red Bull pitted him early and stuck him on the uncompetitive hard tyre. Another frustrating day for the Thai, who at least climbed back to eighth at the flag, but only while Verstappen once again took the fight to the Mercedes way up the road.

Vettel’s rise was helped by a switch to a one-stop strategy, but the chaotic nature of that decision again highlighted the tensions that now undermine his relationship with Ferrari in his final season with the team. His frustration was understandable. Having pitted on lap 29 for soft tyres, Vettel asked his engineer on the radio for guidance on how long they planned to run him on this rubber – but none was forthcoming. Then on lap 50, with 16 still to run, he was asked whether he thought the tyres could make it to the end. Expecting to stop again, Vettel was annoyed at the lack of communication given that he would have conserved his rubber with greater care had he known what the team had in mind. But after snapping back in frustration, he said: “I’ll try. We’ve got nothing to lose.”

The strategy lifted Vettel as high as fifth, but running a remarkable 37 laps on the red-rimmed rubber made him easy prey for Stroll and Sainz. Still, holding off a train led by Albon clinched him that seventh place – and some deserved recognition. Little things must mean a lot right now for Vettel, during a season that might well end up as his last.

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.