2025 Spanish Grand Prix - Barcelona-Catalunya May 30 - June 1

[Luscion]

Tyre Selection



2024 qualifying results



2024 race results

[basti313]

Very interesting week, maybe one of the most interesting Q sessions of the year! Will the new flexi wing TD change the pecking order or is the championship decided? Question of the week/months for me.

[AR3-GP]

Very interesting week, maybe one of the most interesting Q sessions of the year! Will the new flexi wing TD change the pecking order or is the championship decided? Question of the week/months for me.

There are too many variables. There was skid TD and many teams are upgrading their cars. We are also returning to Pirelli's hardest tire compounds.

[venkyhere]

I expect pole in the mid 1.10.xxx range this time. Max will dominate S1 and both McLarens will dominate S3. I'm not sure who will be the victor in S2 as T5+T7 is McLaren territory and T4+T9 is Max territory (long corners).
However, if the track temp stays above 50C, McLarens will have it too easy, despite whether the new TD affects them or not (even if it does, the 'affect' will be slightly higher drag in the straights).

[fourmula1]

The WDC is so far from over. While we can likely rule our Ferrari and Merc....I think RB is one step away from overtaking MCL as the car to beat. If RB finds a step and MCL does not...I think its game over. Especially considering MCL have two drivers who want to win. If RB finds a step....MCL has to favor one driver ASAP.

[Seanspeed]

The WDC is so far from over. While we can likely rule our Ferrari and Merc....I think RB is one step away from overtaking MCL as the car to beat. If RB finds a step and MCL does not...I think its game over. Especially considering MCL have two drivers who want to win. If RB finds a step....MCL has to favor one driver ASAP.

Any battle between Mclaren drivers is balanced out quite heavily by the fact that Max has to go out and there and race on his own with no teammate to ever help provide a buffer or foil.

[Cs98]

The WDC is so far from over. While we can likely rule our Ferrari and Merc....I think RB is one step away from overtaking MCL as the car to beat. If RB finds a step and MCL does not...I think its game over. Especially considering MCL have two drivers who want to win. If RB finds a step....MCL has to favor one driver ASAP.

Agreed that it’s far from over but let’s pump the brakes a bit. The MCL39 is on RB19 pace in the points department. It would take some “step” to suddenly become the car to beat when you are facing that kind of dominance.

And they are obviously not going to favour one driver when they are 1-2 and nearly tied on points.

[venkyhere]

It would take some “step” to suddenly become the car to beat when you are facing that kind of dominance.

This word.
It's considered "capital offence" in the McLaren team thread. Allegedly, anyone who uses this word to describe the MCL39 hasn't got a clue about F1.

[f1isgood]

McLaren had at least a 4 to 5 tenths race pace advantage last year. Especially scary pace nearing 8 tenths to a second near the end of the stints with NOR after spending time in traffic. VER won it at the start by passing NOR and RUS quickly, further aided by NOR's inability to pass RUS and get a move on quickly.

They should be fully expected to win dominantly this year. No wonder we have rumors about Stella apparently saying they'll demolish the competition. They should have dominated last year but this year they probably will.

[AR3-GP]

Barcelona is a much tougher circuit than Imola. If you look at the evidence of last year, and the evidence of this year so far, Mclaren will have margins similar to Miami. The tire stress rating from Pirelli is 5/5. Temperatures will be as hot as if not hotter than Miami. Barring bad luck, it will be Mclaren 1-2 by 20+ seconds. Mclaren have been confident that the TD will change nothing, so there's no grounds to expect the gaps to reduce.

[f1isgood]

The WDC is so far from over. While we can likely rule our Ferrari and Merc....I think RB is one step away from overtaking MCL as the car to beat. If RB finds a step and MCL does not...I think its game over. Especially considering MCL have two drivers who want to win. If RB finds a step....MCL has to favor one driver ASAP.

As it stands, Red Bull can't keep hoping for getting pole randomly and winning every race. The McL39 is basically a better version of the RB19 in every way.

Even at Imola, Red Bull's most convincing win, they were at best half a tenth a lap quicker give or take. That is not the margin to win titles, especially given that RB21 will have terrible tracks that will come up, versus the McL39 being strong everywhere.

It will take some crazy strong step by Red Bull or anyone to catch McLaren.

[ringo]

MCL39 is nowhere as dominant as RB19. It's the best car, but I would not call it dominant. It still close to the other cars in certain characteristics. It's whole edge is tyre management. RB19 had an distinct dominance is cornering speeds, top speed, balance, to name a few. And Perez himself could attest to it.

[DJ Downforce]

Exactly. The MCL39 only exhibits Rb19 dominance or further at certain tracks and circumstances like Miami. At other tracks the pace advantage is smaller if not equal to red bull at some tracks like Saudi Arabia or Imola.

And when the MCL39 is dominant like Miami both drivers dominate so we can see that one of them typically gets the most out of it in race trim

[Paa]

"McLaren is not dominant"

[Chuckjr]

This weekend not only marks basically where the rest of this season is headed competition wise, but also sets the stage for 2026. If Ferrari and Merc can figure their woes, then we will have some great racing and everyone wants that. If they can't, it will really give perspective to their trajectory and if they can parlay into 2026. Really hoping all teams find time and level the field. I really don't want Chuck's, or even King George's careers to become Jean Alesi part deux. Come on Ferrari and Merc. Get your acts together. Please.