Looking Ahead
Barcelona is three weeks away, and the initial phase of fly-away Grand Prix is over, giving the teams a chance to return to base and apply their first major upgrade package of the season. Some, such as Ferrari, will be looking to use it to stay in contention for a title they are very much involved with. Others, such as Williams and McLaren, will be desperate to find a step forward that puts them where they would expect to be. Going into the next round will show who has made the biggest steps forward, and also likely start to show us who will really challenge for this title as teams such as Red Bull or Lotus may begin to surge away from the rest of the field. Alonso will have something to say about it, especially at his home race and with a Ferrari that is clearly strong, needing only more luck than was given to them in Bahrain. Mercedes will need to address their race-pace and tyre wear issues if they want to remain in touch for this championship going through the next few races, whilst McLaren need to make the big step forward they claim to have found to make the MP4-28 competitive enough to win races as it should do. Barcelona is well known for its processional races and can hardly be listed as any fans favourite. Personally Im looking beyond it more to the races in Monaco and Canada. Its a flowing, high-speed track requiring a good aerodynamic balance as corners feed from one to another with few passing places. Despite the long DRS zone, overtaking is notoriously difficult and tyre wear is high as the drivers lean on them constantly from one corner to the next. I would expect Red Bull to be strong with their high levels of aerodynamic grip and Coandá effect exhaust system, with the well-balanced Lotus in the hunt for strong points with the Ferraris. Mercedes have shown without doubt they are fast if they can make it last, as have Force India, though the latter may drop back a bit more on such a technically demanding circuit. Barcelona might not threaten much action, but it starts a series of thrilling races through the summer. Bring it on!