Photo: YouTube / Formula 1
The 2023 Formula 1 season has so far been a one-horse race, with Red Bull absolutely dominating the championship. This has caused fans to look at the "best of the rest" fight for entertainment, which is about to get more interesting in the Spanish Grand Prix. Ferrari is expected to bring upgrades, with Mercedes already having done so in Monaco, and this is all unfolding before a potentially wet race in Barcelona.
Historically, the Spanish Grand Prix hasn't been an exciting race, usually lacking overtakes and close battles. But anything could happen with the cost cap in place, ground-effect cars, a change in layout, and a nail-bitingly close midfield pack.
On top of that, weather forecasts hint at the possibility of rain during the race, which hasn't happened in Barcelona since 1996. As we all know, rain is the great equalizer in Formula 1. Although it's unlikely that anyone will manage to challenge Max Verstappen, it could provide a great battle behind the defending world champion.
Granted, Red Bull is also set to bring upgrades to the Spanish Grand Prix. And according to Helmut Marko, the team will try something new, meaning there's at least a glimmer of hope for the other teams that whatever Red Bull brings won't work.
And there are more reasons to believe fans will enjoy a fierce battle for points in Barcelona. First and foremost, Mercedes has brought some upgrades during the Monaco Grand Prix that seem to have worked as intended. Lewis Hamilton and his teammate George Russell managed to finish the race fifth and sixth, respectively, during a weekend in which they started on the back foot. And the Silver Arrows are not stopping, with upgrades expected to arrive this weekend as well.
While this doesn't outright mean the British pair will be able to pressure Fernando Alonso, who seems to be in his best form in the past decade, it does make the midfield more competitive. On top of that, Ferrari is also expected to bring a relatively large package of its own upgrades to the race in Barcelona.
The scope of the improvements is said to include upgrades to the floor, diffuser, suspension, and side pods. This makes a lot of sense as the floor and side pods have a large aerodynamic impact, while the suspension could help with the anti-squat and anti-dive aspects that have been crucial for Red Bull.
As such, a lot of people speculate that Scuderia is trying to copy Red Bull's side pod concept. But that does not look like the best route for Ferrari to take, as the RB19 is too far removed from its own Formula 1 car, which would mean the Maranello team would have to develop a full B-spec.
What is more likely to happen is that the team would look to Aston Martin, as its side pods are a lot more similar to what Ferrari is running. This means that if Ferrari takes inspiration from the current second-place team, the upgrades would be more of an evolution rather than a new idea that had to be tested.
And the Scuderia is a team that's always pushed to get immediate results, meaning it's more likely to go for this sort of approach. So, the Spanish GP is set to be a turning point in the 2023 season, with fans likely to see a shift in performance throughout the midfield or, at the very least, unexpected results.
On top of that, weather forecasts hint at the possibility of rain during the race, which hasn't happened in Barcelona since 1996. As we all know, rain is the great equalizer in Formula 1. Although it's unlikely that anyone will manage to challenge Max Verstappen, it could provide a great battle behind the defending world champion.
Granted, Red Bull is also set to bring upgrades to the Spanish Grand Prix. And according to Helmut Marko, the team will try something new, meaning there's at least a glimmer of hope for the other teams that whatever Red Bull brings won't work.
And there are more reasons to believe fans will enjoy a fierce battle for points in Barcelona. First and foremost, Mercedes has brought some upgrades during the Monaco Grand Prix that seem to have worked as intended. Lewis Hamilton and his teammate George Russell managed to finish the race fifth and sixth, respectively, during a weekend in which they started on the back foot. And the Silver Arrows are not stopping, with upgrades expected to arrive this weekend as well.
While this doesn't outright mean the British pair will be able to pressure Fernando Alonso, who seems to be in his best form in the past decade, it does make the midfield more competitive. On top of that, Ferrari is also expected to bring a relatively large package of its own upgrades to the race in Barcelona.
The scope of the improvements is said to include upgrades to the floor, diffuser, suspension, and side pods. This makes a lot of sense as the floor and side pods have a large aerodynamic impact, while the suspension could help with the anti-squat and anti-dive aspects that have been crucial for Red Bull.
As such, a lot of people speculate that Scuderia is trying to copy Red Bull's side pod concept. But that does not look like the best route for Ferrari to take, as the RB19 is too far removed from its own Formula 1 car, which would mean the Maranello team would have to develop a full B-spec.
What is more likely to happen is that the team would look to Aston Martin, as its side pods are a lot more similar to what Ferrari is running. This means that if Ferrari takes inspiration from the current second-place team, the upgrades would be more of an evolution rather than a new idea that had to be tested.
And the Scuderia is a team that's always pushed to get immediate results, meaning it's more likely to go for this sort of approach. So, the Spanish GP is set to be a turning point in the 2023 season, with fans likely to see a shift in performance throughout the midfield or, at the very least, unexpected results.
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