BARCELONA: ANOTHER MCLAREN DOMINANCE AND A FERRARI PODIUM

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The ninth round of the F1 season took place in Barcelona, once again marked by McLaren’s dominance. Leclerc had to settle for the lowest step on the podium, also helped by the Safety Car triggered by Antonelli’s retirement. Verstappen initially moved closer to victory with a great strategy, but a battle with Russell later cost him a ten-second penalty. A great race at home for Sauber, with Hulkenberg finishing fifth. Alonso scored his first points of the season at his home Grand Prix.

COMMENTARY BY GIOVANNI
All in all, a rather monotonous Grand Prix in Barcelona, if not for the late Safety Car, which bunched up the field and reshuffled the standings — especially in the fight for third place.

McLaren once again delivered a perfect weekend with pole position and victory for Piastri. Right now, the Woking team seems truly untouchable.
Ferrari, after a disappointing qualifying and questionable strategy, managed to grab the podium thanks to the Safety Car. The Maranello team would have otherwise finished fourth, but luck gave them the chance to take third. Hamilton is still struggling significantly.

Mercedes is still having difficulties, although Russell finished fourth. The Anglo-German team has begun experiencing reliability issues, which is concerning given the number of races still ahead. Antonelli, until the engine failure, was performing well. The Italian was right behind his teammate and had delivered a positive race up to that point.

Sauber put in a superb performance. Hulkenberg was flawless and brought the car where no one expected. The German driver made the most of the opportunity, even finishing ahead of Hamilton’s Ferrari. Bortoleto, although out of the points, was close, finishing twelfth.

Racing Bulls soared again with Hadjar, once more finishing ahead of his teammate Lawson. The young French driver is increasingly consistent and improving.
Alpine finally scored points with Gasly. Colapinto, a major gamble by Flavio Briatore, has not lived up to expectations. Personally, I never believed Colapinto was F1 material, and I believe last year’s results were just a flash in the pan for his career. Despite being fast, he destroyed several cars, perhaps more than any other driver. Colapinto is not an F1 driver, given the current level of the championship, Alpine’s need for points, and the outstanding performances their team requires.

Aston Martin has shown great improvement in qualifying, but still struggles during races. Alonso, despite a small mistake, fought like a lion and brought home points.
At Red Bull, Verstappen was the standout figure. The Dutchman, also frustrated by strategic decisions and race direction, finished just inside the points zone.

Williams saw both drivers finish outside the points. The British team must aim to bounce back in Canada after a disappointing weekend in Spain. Finally, Haas, who had done well in previous weekends, was somewhat dull and unremarkable.

Author: Gabriele Bovio