However, the first training session for the current Formula 1 champion went smoothly, unlike the previous races where he had unstable starts in his race weekends.
Verstappen and Norris were tied, with only 0.024s separating them. Red Bull and McLaren were the only top teams to complete the qualifying races with soft tires, while Mercedes and Ferrari opted for medium and hard tires, keeping their strategies a secret.
As expected, Red Bull and McLaren performed well in Barcelona, while Ferrari’s performance remains uncertain at this time. Despite this, Sainz managed to secure a third place with medium tires, not far behind the leaders.
Sainz’s impressive performance put him ahead of George Russell in fourth place and Sergio Perez in fifth. Oscar Piastri finished sixth, with Lewis Hamilton in seventh.
Esteban Ocon finished eighth, followed by Fernando Alonso in ninth and Alex Albon in tenth, recording the best time for Williams.
Charles Leclerc finished in 11th place, while Yuki Tsunoda, driving the highly upgraded VCARB, struggled and ended up last due to technical issues that the team was working to resolve.
Report in progress…
The Spanish Grand Prix is set to take place this weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, a renowned Formula 1 track that tests the capabilities of the cars. There is a lot of anticipation surrounding the event.
Will Red Bull regain their dominance at this classic track and prove that their recent difficulties were related to the curbs? How will McLaren fare with their significantly improved MCL38? Will Ferrari be able to recover? And was Mercedes’ performance in the Canadian GP genuine?
Several teams brought updates to Barcelona, taking advantage of the track’s suitability for testing. Some updates are important, while others are minor.
Red Bull introduced several updates, including a revised sidepod inlet, engine cover, bodywork, a new floor, a new rear wing, and new rear wing endplates.
Ferrari, on the other hand, introduced a new rear wing, engine cover, floor fences, floor bodywork, floor edge, a revised diffuser, and an adjusted Halo.
VCARB also made significant updates, including a revised front brake duct, engine cover, sidepod inlet, floor bodywork, rear wing, and beam wing.
Aston Martin made changes to its front suspension, front brake duct inlet, and lower deflector position, with a different finish applied to the rear corner of the car.
Sauber made revisions to the front brake duct outlet, while Haas updated its rear crash structure with an upward top edge on the RIS rear edge.
Mercedes did not present any visible updates, focusing on modifications below the surface to reduce weight and introduce new materials.
In terms of drivers, Oliver Bearman took over Nico Hulkenberg’s position at Haas for FP1.
Ollie is ready for his session at the Spanish Grand Prix. #HaasF1 pic.twitter.com/MSbuAQybZP
– MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) June 21, 2024
Bearman seems to be on his way to a promotion in the world of Formula 1 in 2025, taking Hulkenberg’s place in the American team. This advancement opportunity will certainly be beneficial for him.
Pirelli brought its most durable tire selection to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend. The available options are C1 (Hard), C2 (Medium), and C3 (Soft).
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is known for being one of the most challenging tracks for both cars and tires. It’s no surprise that Pirelli has once again opted for their three most durable dry tire compounds for this event: C1 as Hard, C2 as Medium, and C3 as Soft.
The session started under clear and sunny conditions, with the track temperature reaching 46 degrees Celsius and the air temperature at 28 degrees.
At the beginning of the session, the drivers went out on the track with a combination of hard and medium tires. Some cars were equipped with aero rake to test new parts.
There was no shortage of excitement at the start of FP1, as the drivers lined up in the pitlane, eagerly awaiting the green light to begin their weekend in earnest.
FP1 IS UNDERWAY!
Fernando Alonso leads the pack of cars on track for our first hour of action in Barcelona!
Sainz, ten minutes into the session, reported a lack of power and received instructions from his team to adjust some settings on his steering wheel.
Sainz speaks over the radio: “No power, no power,” and his team’s response is: “Multifunctional strategy, position one, and everything will be fine.”
Some issues arose for Sainz, but with some radio instructions from the Ferrari pit wall, the Spaniard quickly regained his speed.
About 15 minutes into the session, Bearman had a heavy crash on the kerb at Turn 9 in his Haas, but no carbon fiber was seen flying from the car’s floor.
Early on, Tsunoda’s RB is in the garage, with the engine cover removed and mechanics working hard on it.
After 20 minutes, all drivers except Bottas, Alonso, and Gasly have set lap times.
Leclerc had a small moment at Turn 13, with the rear of his Ferrari stepping out. He described the car as “terrible” at the moment.
Perez expressed concerns about understeer and asked his team if there was something wrong with his accelerator pedal. His engineer reassured him, saying they would discuss it in the garage.
Norris also had a moment in the penultimate corner and complained to his team about the “very poor grip”.
Practice sessions are an opportunity to test the limits, and Norris’ McLaren discovered those limits at Turn 12.
In the middle of the session, Verstappen led the time table, followed by Russell, Sainz in third place, Norris and Hamilton with Leclerc in sixth. Piastri was ahead of Perez and Ocon, while Tsunoda secured the tenth position.
During the second half of the session, Red Bull, McLaren, and Haas used soft tires.
With 21 minutes remaining, the first red flag of the weekend was waved when Alonso had a heavy crash on the curb at Turn 9, causing damage to the front wing. The session was temporarily interrupted to remove the debris from the Aston Martin.
Fortunately, the red flag interruption was brief and the session resumed shortly after, while Aston Martin began repairing Alonso’s car.
An incident occurred between Leclerc and Stroll with less than 13 minutes remaining, when Stroll was driving calmly in the middle of Turn 11, much to Leclerc’s dismay.
Leclerc sarcastically commented on Stroll’s behavior, stating: “In the middle of the corner, as always.”
Shortly after, Leclerc reported something unusual with the clutch, informing his team: “There was something strange with the clutch when I entered. The rear tires locked completely and then returned to normal when I stopped.”
Mercedes faced a minor setback when they sent their drivers to the track simultaneously. Russell expressed his frustration, asking: “Why did you put us on the track exactly at the same point?”
In response, your engineer replied: “That’s a good question.”
In the last ten minutes, the pilots switched to long races. However, Gasly had a problem with his car, asking to return to the pit as he felt unable to drive.
On the other hand, Verstappen reported a recurring problem with his clutch, experiencing anti-stalling.
© 2024
Portuguese dominate the world surfing competition
Portuguese surfers are dominating the world surfing competition this year. With impressive performances and radical maneuvers, the Lusitanian athletes are leaving their mark on waves around the world.
An example of this is surfer Pedro Santos, who won first place in the last stage of the championship at Pipeline, Hawaii. With a perfect combination of technique and style, Santos showed why he is considered one of the best surfers in the world.
Another highlight is surfer Maria Silva, who has been surprising everyone with her incredible performances. At just 18 years old, Silva has already won several titles and is becoming one of the great promises of world surfing.
In addition, the Portuguese surf team has also stood out in team events. With a spirit of unity and determination, the athletes are showing that Portugal is a powerhouse in the world of surfing.
With these achievements, Portuguese surfers are gaining more and more international recognition and establishing themselves as references in the sport. Surely, we will still see many waves being dominated by the talented Lusitanian athletes in the upcoming championships.
