It has been a while now hasn't it, three weeks in fact since we had that momentously enthralling race in China... which wasn't too memorable, or entertaining... or much of anything really. But this is the beginning of a new chapter in the story of F1 2014, as the Spanish GP marks the start of the European season, which formerly marked the start of the relentless development race. These days that race started as soon as the green light signified the start of winter testing, and it is another race at which Mercedes are comfortably crushing the opposition. It is this next series of races in Europe, from Spain this weekend all the way to the Russian GP in October... if in fact that race goes ahead due to the growing instability in that particular corner of the world.
In the three weeks we've had off, it has been a testing time in and around the motorsport community, first we had the 20th anniversary of that infamous weekend in Imola that claimed the lives of both Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna. A weekend that pre-dated my introduction to the sport in 1997, and one that ultimate shaped the landscape of what we see on television today - since then we have been fortunate not to have lost another driver at this level. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for trackside workers and marshals and drivers in other categories worldwide for whom protection and safety hasn't achieved the same track record. Merely days after that weekend was remembered, we were then informed of the death of Nigel Stepney - who will be remembered for his part in the 2007 'Spygate' case where he leaked Ferrari information to McLaren. So in the end it hasn't been a particularly jovial run up to this weekend, and maybe, just maybe we'll be treated to a strong entertaining weekend to raise spirits... but somehow I doubt it...
The Venue
Catalunya has been the host venue of the Spanish GP for quite some time now, since long before I can remember... which isn't a really long time at the moment. As a track it can take pride in being distinctly mediocre, the sort of track that you'd wouldn't use a lot in the simulator set-list, but one you wouldn't delete either. There is the advantage that it isn't some generic, repetitive mass produced Tilke based track dumped in the middle of nowhere for the sake of some 'commercial opportunities'. But somehow, the powers that be managed to step in and leave their irreparable mark on the track configuration, disfiguring the final sector with some puny chicane. Before that adjustment the track felt more complete, consistent and traditional, fortunately there are still plenty of things worth keeping this venue on the calendar.
At the start you could be fooled that this was another of those dreary Tilke inventions because the main straight goes on forever - and before Tilke contributed so much to the calendar - it was the longest straight...ah the days... This straight ends in a chicane - but unlike the monstrosity at the other side of the the lap - this is a chicane done properly... even if it is surrounded by more of that ghastly trackside tarmac run-off. That's the benefit of these older tracks, the apexes are where you'd naturally feel they should be, each one blending into the next - you certainly don't get any of that in Abu-Dhabi. You don't get the likes of turn three there either, 180 degrees of full speed mediocrity - enough tyre torturing to make everyone at Pirelli have nightmares.
Turns 4 and 5 are nothing to write home about, but somehow they are far more fun than most of the track they all escaped three weeks ago in China, the whole place is an enigma. Anyway moving along, a little while later we come to another chicane, another one which climbs up the side of a mild hill, and another one done really well in a section which is ultimately the highlight of the lap. The exit curb of the first part of the sequence appears almost exactly where you'd want it to, almost with German precision. At the top of the hill is Campsa corner, Catalunya's best feature - a blind entry to a corner which is going to be far more interesting with these reduced levels of rear downforce and no special EBD devices and whatnots. I foresee the scenery getting some visitors over the course of the weekend.
After Campsa the track manages to return to it's level of mediocrity for the final sector, starting off with La Caixa - a re-profiled hairpin which is one of the few circuit modifications that seemed to make an improvement... well the only one really. It has provided an overtaking opportunity on a track which didn't really produce any, which is all to often the case with a track that has a flow to it. This hairpin leads into a very generic nondescript corner at the top of another hill, a corner which seems to go on forever without really going anywhere. Now in years gone by the track would finish with a pair of high speed downhill kinks on the way back to the main straight, but things are different these days... Instead we have this novelty chicane that someone seems to have forgotten to take away, it ruins what used to be a high speed challenge to introduce an 'overtaking aid' which failed in its single objective. But in the end at least the damage was confined to one side of the track.
The Form Guide
I doubt whether this part of the post needs to written any more - barring the entire of Spain falling into a gaping chasm in the space-time continuum we are going to be treated to another weekend of Mercedes turning up - taking all the prizes and striding unopposed off to the next one. However, we get the hint that all is not quite well within the all dominant garage - Rosberg doesn't take too kindly to finishing second and we have had a few very tense podium ceremonies of late. On top of that Hamilton has stated he doesn't want to see a repeat of Bahrain... spoilsport... the only race where the German had the upper hand and almost took the win. Scared of a little competition are we Lewis?
The battle behind the two leading silver cars appears to be very track dependant, a higher power to downforce requirement ratio favours the Mercedes powered cars who lack overall downforce but have a power advantage. If downforce is the key variable then Red Bull and Ferrari become the nearest challengers to the the two folks out front, as we saw in China and Malaysia. But Spain poses an interesting balance, as it requires a little of both worlds, slightly more so towards aerodynamic efficiency possibly, but I know nothing about car setup. Of course there is the small matter of the update packages which are going to be arriving in their droves this weekend, ones that might help claw back some time on the factory Mercedes team. So the eventual order behind them could throw up a few surprises.
One of the teams that would gladly like to benefit from some overdue performance upgrades is Lotus, struggling to make up for lost ground from missing the Jerez test, and suffering a raft of mechanical difficulties. Sauber could also be said to be in a similar situation, further off the pace than they've been in recent seasons and have often been the last cars running bar the bottom two teams.
Speaking of those teams, I doubt there will be an update big enough to allow them to catch up with the mid-field, or anyone for that matter. I might suggest that Marussia will make the initial gains as they don't have the disadvantage of the notably weaker Renault engine, which would give Bianchi the tools to retake the effective lead of the division from Kamui.
We don't expect big things from the Spanish GP, but we expect interesting things - an extension of the intra-team friction we are staring to see evolve at both Mercedes and Red Bull. We should also get to see what the new pecking order will be as the season develops during the European phase as updates arrive and drivers adapt to this new form of racing.
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