Prixview - Spanish GP 2025

May 30, 2025

The Circuit

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya just north of Barcelona has been a fixture in F1 since its inauguration in 1991. It used to be the location for preseason testing because its diverse mix of fast and slow corners helped teams gather valuable data.
In 1991, Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell staged an epic duel for the lead.
In 2016, teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg crashed each other out before 18 year old Max Verstappen went on to become the youngest ever F1 race winner.

The Lap

Barcelona opens on a long pit straight before a quick right-left for Turns 1 and 2. This first corner is the most conventional overtaking spot at the end of a long DRS straight.
Medium-speed, technical corners make up the rest of sector one and most of sector two. Mistakes here will make a driver vulnerable late in the lap.
Turn 9 is a high-speed right-hander that exits onto the back straight and second DRS zone.
Sector three starts with back-to-back hairpins, then drivers accelerate through two final corners and onto the main straight.

Top of Mind

The FIA’s new rules restricting “flexible wings” go into effect this week. This could affect multiple teams, but rumors suggest it could hurt McLaren most. If McLaren is nerfed, could Max come back and win the championship?
Barcelona is a better track for overtaking, and could finally give us a clean McLaren v. McLaren fight if Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris can both nail qualifying.
Yuki Tsunoda has underwhelmed in his early showing with Red Bull. He’s not as bad as Liam Lawson was, but he’s not as good as Sergio Perez was, and that’s not a terribly high bar. Yuki could be under pressure of losing his seat to Isack Hadjar at this rate. Red Bull also has a 17-year old junior named Arvid Lindblad currently fighting for the F2 championship.

Odds and Predictions

Oscar is favored just ahead of Lando once again, with Max Verstappen the lone projected challenger behind them.
Kimi Antonelli is still projected way behind his teammate. It’s understandable, but the young Italian has been improving each week and Spain is a track he’ll have a lot of experience with as a junior racer.
I like a bet on Max to win this week, and on Isack Hadjar to score points.

Schedule

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