Max Verstappen made it back-to-back wins by holding off Lando Norris in Barcelona, however the Spanish Grand Prix offered some promising indicators that this season may not be a one-man present.
Crash.internet F1 editor Lewis Larkam rounds up his takeaways from being on the bottom on the tenth spherical of the 2024 season…
Can self-critical Lando Norris mount title problem?
Norris might have been unable to transform his second-ever pole place into victory in Spain, and suffered his second straight defeat to Verstappen, however the McLaren driver has been a relentless thorn within the Dutchman’s facet of late.
Since beating Verstappen to assert his maiden grand prix win in Miami, Norris has completed second to the Crimson Bull driver on three events previously 4 races. The 24-year-old Briton’s consistency has seen him leapfrog Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc into second place on this planet championship, 69 factors behind Verstappen.
With 14 races nonetheless to run, can Norris problem Verstappen for the F1 world title this yr?
“I feel so,” Norris replied when requested that very query, earlier than conceding: “I ought to have accomplished higher at the moment. We must always have gotten some factors again on Max. Doubtlessly there was an opportunity to beat him in Canada. Two races that I completed second and he’s gained.
“However Max must cease successful. Despite the fact that I’ve moved into second within the championship, that doesn’t matter, I couldn’t care if I used to be second or tenth. It’s extra in regards to the hole to what Max is, and he’s nonetheless extending it.
“I can’t afford to let him run away with it. If I simply made some higher selections in Canada, and if I had made a greater begin at the moment, we might have gained two races.
“I do know there’s at all times been numerous shoulda, woulda, coulda’s however now we have what it takes; it’s nearly placing all of it collectively.”
Does McLaren now have the quickest automotive?
Norris fell lower than a second shy of victory at Imola, and trailed Verstappen by simply two seconds in Spain as he mounted one other late cost.
Taking pole on advantage in Barcelona additional underlined the power of McLaren’s MCL38, which Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz reckons is now the most effective bundle in F1.
“I feel truthfully, essentially the most constant automotive proper now’s a McLaren,” Sainz mentioned.
“I feel Crimson Bull are struggling in sure tracks. Identical as us. McLaren is fast in all places. They’re fast in low-speed. They’re flat in flip three and 9. They had been quickest in flip 5.
“So I simply do not see McLaren having any weak point proper now. For me, Crimson Bull remains to be up there. However McLaren is fast in all places, which is sort of spectacular.”
It’s a view shared by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who believes McLaren and Crimson Bull are the 2 groups presently setting the benchmark in F1.
“The McLaren seemed very fast. How fast, I don’t know? I feel that Max at all times has somewhat bit within the pocket and might make the distinction,” he mentioned.
“Undoubtedly these two in the intervening time, there may be not rather a lot between them however these two, however they’re positively setting the benchmark.”
Rigidity brewing at Ferrari?
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz make contact at Flip 1
Issues acquired a bit heated between the Ferrari drivers as they got here to blows in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix.
The pair made contact at Flip 1 when Carlos Sainz swooped across the exterior of Charles Leclerc, whose entrance wing ended up clipping the Spaniard’s rear proper wheel, forcing him to take to the escape street.
Leclerc finally completed forward of Sainz in fourth however the duo pointed the finger at one another after the race and had been seen having a tense dialogue in parc ferme.
Leclerc steered Sainz “wished to impress at his house race” together with his F1 future unsure as he continues to seek for a drive after shedding his seat to Lewis Hamilton. Sainz retorted: “it’s too many instances that after the race he [Leclerc] complains about one thing.”
However Ferrari crew principal Frederic Vasseur was fast to downplay speak of growing rigidity between Leclerc and Sainz as he pointed to feelings at all times being excessive within the instant aftermath of a race.
“Allow us to talk about and never to attract a conclusion after the primary remark of the driving force when he jumped out of the automotive,” he mentioned.
The place does Sergio Perez go from right here?
Sergio Perez in parc ferme after one other disappointing race
Sergio Perez arrived in Barcelona acknowledging he wanted a robust efficiency to appropriate his current type slide, however he didn’t ship one.
It was one other underwhelming show from the Mexican on a weekend his teammate claimed yet one more win – his seventh from 10 races. Against this, Perez is but to face on the highest step of the rostrum this season, and has solely reached the podium on 4 events.
Whereas Perez did make Q3 for the primary time in 4 appearances, he may solely set the eighth-fastest time and was considerably slower than Verstappen, who took second. That was earlier than a three-place grid drop pushed him again to eleventh on the grid.
Crimson Bull opted for a three-stop technique for Perez, who handed Pierre Gasly’s Alpine late on to salvage eighth, however he nonetheless completed nearly a minute behind Verstappen.
Crimson Bull might have prolonged their benefit in each world championships regardless of Perez’s consequence, as crew principal Christian Horner was fast to level out, although he did admit that Verstappen is making the distinction on the minute.
“We’d like Checo within the combine. He is aware of that and the crew is aware of that,” Horner mentioned. “Checo within the first 4 to 5 races this yr was implausible. We simply have to get him again into that headspace.
“I feel that he’s had a few troublesome races, and issues haven’t gone his manner. He’s a confidence pushed driver I feel. He’s again within the factors right here, drove an honest race, so hopefully he’ll take some confidence out of that for the approaching races.”
Alpine enhance as Flavio Briatore returns
The controversial Flavio Briatore has returned to crew Enstone
The return of controversial determine Flavio Briatore to F1 with Alpine was one of many largest storylines of the weekend in Barcelona.
74-year-old Briatore was handed a lifetime ban from F1 for his position in overseeing the so-called ‘Crashgate’ scandal on the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, however this was later overturned by the FIA on attraction.
The appointment positioned the highlight on Alpine and noticed crew principal Bruno Famin come beneath scrutiny for his unwavering defence of Briatore’s comeback.
On-track, it was a much more encouraging weekend for the struggling French producer following a woeful begin to the season.
Gasly transformed a formidable qualifying lap into ninth place, forward of teammate Esteban Ocon who accomplished a double-points end to raise Alpine as much as seventh within the constructors’ standings.
