Spanish GP 2013 - Race

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Mercedes has taken the front row on top of favorites Vettel-Raikkonen-Alonso. Teammates Massa-Grosjean-Webber managed to take the rest of the front 4 rows with Perez and DiResta as best-of-the-rest in Q3.

It has surprised us once again the single-lap speed of the W04, this is their 3rd pole in a row, and again we fail to predict it.  In fact, this was one of our worst records ever in QF: 3 points in total, one each for Fredrik (HAM-2nd), Fernando & Ricky (VET-3rd). Let’s move on...

It was expected to be a close battle for the pole between the leading Red Bull-Ferrari-Lotus drivers, as they had been apart only hundreds of a second all sessions, but in the end both Mercedes were able to find one or two tenths on sector 3 –the most critical for lap times- during Q3. Some blamed the strong head winds that have a negative effect on this particular circuit, but somehow that didn’t bother the Mercedes when it matter the most: on the last Q3 flyer.

The grid for tomorrow including the latest revision – Massa was demoted 3 places for impeding Webber:

ROS  HAM  VET  RAI  ALO  GRO WEB  PER  MAS  DIR

The big question will be Mercedes race-pace. There’s not a lot of optimism in the German camp despite locking the all important front row, so far this year they hadn't shown consistency on long-race stints, low or high fuel loads, although they had the most uniform lap times during simulations on Friday’s P2 with half-load on medium tyres ( stint-two conditions). But many things will happen in 66 laps, the main threat continues to be Lotus prodigious tyre management and Alonso’s racecraft. Red Bull and Vettel are the combination to beat, but there alarming signs of early tyre degradation, particularly affecting Webber who had his rear-left worn out before the end of his flyer lap! VET has never being on the pole in Barcelona.  The fastest way to cover the 307.104 race kms. is with 3 stops, but if someone can get 25-27 laps out of the hard-primes (Raikkonen-Grosjean-Perez?) this  could be a 2 stopper.  To make 3 stops the first round of trip to the boxes will start on laps 10-11, then  26 & 44. For a two stopper, the starting rubber (primes for all drivers in Q3) should last at least until lap 14 or 15. Keep an eye on that.

Raikkonen has now finished 21 successive races in the points for Lotus, 3 short of Schumacher’s 2011/02/03 record with Ferrari. The Italians have the best winning record in Montmelo with 7 victories in 21 events.

Make your bets -very tough with yet another mixed-grid!

Cato (bragging rights current co-leader) – RAI  VET  ALO  HAM  GRO  WEB

Enjoy -good luck!

(Check the new count down clock on the F1-Manbos CFA Home page!)

 

 

 

 

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