Grand Prix 2018 Spanish Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Here's a fascinating fact for all you fans of fascinating facts, at the outbreak of the Second World War there were just 11 democratic countries in the world. As many of you will know, Spain was not one of them having only a few years before seen a bloody civil war ravage the country. Fascist leader General Franco took power in a dictatorship that would last until his death in 1975. Strangely, despite receiving substantial military support from Nazi Germany during the civil war Franco kept Spain neutral during WW2 which meant that the British could retain control of Gibralter and with it the gateway to the Med without significant fear of invasion.

The first Spansh GP took place as the final round of the 1951 season with a second being held in 1954 but it wasn't until 1967 that the race became an annual feature on the F1 calendar. Of these early races perhaps the best known is the 1969 GP at Montjuic Park. This was the final race in which F1 cars used huge wings on sticks bolted directly on to the suspension and in some cases over a metre high. Graham Hill's Lotus, so adorned, suffered a huge wing failure going over a rise on one of the fastest parts of the circuit. As he pulled himself from the wrecked car and ran back up the hill to warn his team mate, Rindt crested the rise and exactly the same thing happened to his car. It was no shock when at the next race in Monaco high wings were banned. As a side bar to this, Colin Chapman was the only person to predict this occurance and had already designed a small flap like wing to run over the Type 49's rear chassis. This additional downforce greatly assisted Graham Hill in taking his fith and final Moncao GP victory and the final win of his F1 career.

Alternating between Montjuic and Jarama until 1975 and then only at Jarama until 1981 the Spanish GP eventually fell out of favour. By 1981 Jarama was deemed too narrow for modern racing however the 1981 race was another classic GP with Gilles Villeneuve holding off a train of cars in F1's second closest finish to take the final win of his racing career.

The absence of a Spanish GP only lasted 4 years before Jerez hosted the return in 1985. Ayrton Senna's Lotus taking the win. Eventually the Spanish GP found a new and permanent home at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya which opened in 1991. The first race being best remembered for that run to the first corner and wheel to wheel battle between Senna and Mansell.

For many years Barcelona has been used as a testing track so the teams will be more than familiar with car set ups around here and if pre-season testing is anything to go by, Mercedes should feel confident that they will be the team to beat here. Given the unpredictable nature of the first few races this season it would be good to see what has for many years been a non event turn into something similar to the early 90's races.
 
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I’m enough of a realist to know that every race isn’t going to be a classic, but how many Spanish Grand Prix have been exciting since the first one at Barcelona in 1991? Sky had three highlights in 27 years leading up to the race today.

This probably isn’t the place for this discussion but with Miami getting a race next year the discussion of which races have to to go to accommodate any new ones is ever present. There are others that should go before Spain but that was like watching paint dry.
 
the Spanish GP will stay although there was talk it was under threat due to contract being up soon. Spain attracts a good following now okay never will eclipse MotoGP but it has Sainz and Alonso. The FIA wanted to ensure there are races to reflect every driver's nationality on the grid.

Unfortunately there is no incentive to improve the track which lends to boring races even with the DRS.
 
F1Brits_90 Button did avoid the 2017 Williams drive with a bargepole when he convinced himself they were not front runners. Seeing Williams slower than the Sauber at Barcelona could mean they've got big problems coming up at Monaco and Hungary tracks where chassis is more important than power

I predicted this season could be very painful for Williams and with the surprise improvement of Sauber, it might well be.

I wonder when there will be pressure to race Kubica because they are last in the constructors
 
I was praying for rain throughout...

Bit harsh to give Grosjean a penalty, I thought?

I understand why Ferrari pitted Vettel under the VSC, but I don't understand why they gave him another set of Medium tyres rather than something softer to attack with.

Pirelli are mostly getting away with little criticism despite failing yet again to prevent another one-stop race. I'm frustrated, this could be so much better.
 
Pretty terrible grand prix but expected because the 3 prior that were good but we were fortunate with safety car timing. & i know bit of topic is why im on whole happy with 2019 rules despite more expense with i dont like i feel its money spent in right direction. Instead of less money but spent in wrong direction & more winglets in turn dirty air

Lewis it was a brilliant drive. The victory was never in doubt proof as he was invisible on tv. Nobody has an answer to his pace. But i guess not to be unexpected as mercedes love this track apparently yesterday was 4th front row lockout for 5yrs & makes sense that the testing race pace was correct of 7 tenths advantange was track specific. I am really confused at ferrari what on earth Vettel strategy was. As i mentioned above catalunya is like hungary where track position is better than pace. Why would you pit give it up & also why would pit for mediums there is no advantage never going to overtake on the mediums, surely you go for softs like perez for Mechanical advantange

Also well done to Leclerc. He seemingly got to grips with f1 now as that 2 grand prixs he has hammered his teammate & well done to Verstappen taken to spain but he has finally had a clean race
 
Galahad maybe harsh espically it was just 1 of those things. Nobodys fault, but i think he on board didnt help. As instead of letting it go. He was holding quite hard onto full lock, to get back on the track which is fine on lap 2 - 66. But lap 1 when you have 10 cars charging behind. Was irresponsible, hulkenburg & gasly were now out. no fault of their own
 
Perhaps. Derek Warwick is well placed to judge! It seemed more like a reflex reaction to me. Ah well, I'm not a fan of his anyway.

It'll be a boost for McLaren as they try to hang on to 5th in the constructors' championship.
 
I do not think it was harsh to give a penalty to Grosjean in that instance given he could have gone to the outside to wait for the cars to clear and get back but doing a donut and creating a cloud of smoke for a driver of his experience is amateurish

This is two comical errors from Grosjean in successive races and seriously he has not scored a point and his chances of getting a Ferrari drive if they were slim to begin looks absolutely remote now and his F1 career could be in jeopardy as I look down the grid his only real choices are Renault if they want a French driver , Williams who are at the back anyway or with Haas who look like they will be in the midfield teams mix now
 
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