McLaren team principal Andrea Stella expressed confidence that Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will compete fairly, anticipating a competitive start on the long run to Turn 1 at the Spanish Grand Prix as the championship contenders line up on the front row.
For the first time since the season`s opening race in Australia, McLaren has secured the top two grid positions. This circuit is known for making the driver starting from second vulnerable heading into the first corner.
Piastri is currently just three points ahead of Norris in the Drivers` Championship. Max Verstappen trails by a further 22 points and will start the race from third. The lights are set to go out on Sunday at 2pm BST.
McLaren has consistently stated throughout the season that their drivers are allowed to race each other freely, and Stella confirmed that both Piastri and Norris are `completely engaged` with the team`s established guidelines.
“We have our racing approach, which is a process we`ve developed with Lando and Oscar over several months,” he explained. “It`s based on core principles, but when you are racing against your teammate, or any competitor, you can`t be overly rigid.”
“We trust our drivers implicitly. This is the most crucial factor. We have ongoing, positive conversations. I am certain it will be an exciting and fair competition all the way to the end of the championship.”
However, 2016 F1 world champion Nico Rosberg offered a word of caution to Stella: “My honest opinion is that, unfortunately, trusting the drivers completely is a recipe for disaster!”
Spanish GP: Top 10 Starting Grid
1) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
2) Lando Norris, McLaren
3) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
4) George Russell, Mercedes
5) Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
6) Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
7) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
8) Pierre Gasly, Alpine
9) Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
10) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
Piastri: No Plans to Coordinate to Keep Verstappen Behind
Piastri`s last pole position was in Imola, where Verstappen skillfully overtook him in the first chicane, setting him back for the remainder of the race.
Nonetheless, Piastri showed his willingness to be assertive last month in Saudi Arabia by firmly defending his position against Verstappen.
“Even if you don`t get a perfect start, you still have a chance heading into Turn 1,” Piastri remarked.
“Max will have the slipstream from his grid position. I`m sure he will be a factor there as well. Turn 1 is going to be exciting.”
When asked if the McLaren drivers had a specific plan to prevent Verstappen from taking the lead, he added: “When you try to coordinate things like that, they rarely unfold as intended. We will probably focus on our own races and aim to secure first and second place.”
Piastri is likely referring to last year`s Italian Grand Prix where he overtook Norris on the opening lap, but Charles Leclerc also managed to get past the British driver in the process.
McLaren later admitted this outcome was not ideal and subsequently supported Norris for the remainder of that season as he was involved in a championship challenge.
Norris, maintaining his recent tendency to be reserved with the media, commented: “Our long-run pace was promising on Friday, so I`m still optimistic. It`s a long run down to Turn 1, and many things can happen.”
He summarized the team`s racing rules lightheartedly: “It`s the same as always – don`t crash, and have fun.”
Verstappen, perhaps recalling his effective move at Turn 1 in Imola, stated that “the race won`t be won solely at Turn 1.”
“It will be challenging,” he admitted. “My long-run simulation wasn`t bad, but based on today`s performance gap, it will be difficult to mount a truly strong challenge. Still, that won`t stop us from trying.”
“Maybe it`s an opportunity for a strong Turn 1! Let`s make it three-wide for the photos, why not?” he quipped, before adding more seriously: “Honestly, considering the pace, it will be tough.”
“As Oscar mentioned, success isn`t just about the start into Turn 1; you need to manage your tyres well. It`s a long race where much can unfold, so I`ll simply aim to maximize what I have.”
Two-Stop Race Strategy Adds Uncertainty
Pirelli brought the three hardest compounds to Barcelona, but the circuit`s long, high-speed corners lead to significant tyre wear.
The hard compound seemed to underperform during Friday practice, leading to expectations that teams will primarily use the soft and medium tyres for the 66-lap race, making a multi-stop strategy the likely approach.
Charles Leclerc is the only driver starting in the top 10 who has two sets of medium tyres available, although he starts from seventh. The top six drivers are generally expected to use two sets of soft tyres and one set of mediums during the race.
George Russell executed an excellent start last year, gaining the lead from fourth on the grid, and he will be aiming to repeat that performance on Sunday from the same starting position.
“Based on what we`ve seen so far, it looks like a demanding race, similar to Bahrain with considerable tyre overheating and a probable two-stop strategy. We saw how strong McLaren was there,” he commented.
“But you never know. I started P4 last year and had a solid start. If we can replicate that again, it would be beneficial.”
“There will be varying strategies. All three tyre compounds appear relatively similar in their performance window. For instance, the ideal pit stop lap using the soft tyre versus the hard tyre is only about five laps apart. This isn`t like Imola, where the softs lasted only eight laps and the mediums 30. I would be truly pleased if we can contend for a podium finish.”
Bernie Collins on Tyres and Strategy for Spanish GP
`It`s at least a two-stop race. There`s a lot of uncertainty. The medium, hard and soft are all close tyres.`
`Leclerc and the two Haas drivers have two mediums. Everyone else has just one.`
`I think we will see all three tyres used, a big mix. This race is important to get optimum stint lengths.`
`Don`t worry too much about being undercut, don`t leave yourself too many laps to do on the final stint when the tyres are falling away because degradation is a big factor.`
Lewis Hamilton achieved his joint-best qualifying result of the season with fifth place, finishing ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc for only the second time since joining Ferrari.
Hamilton is focused on securing his first podium finish with Ferrari and his first top-three result in a Sunday race since last year`s Las Vegas Grand Prix.
“I`m really looking forward to it,” he stated. “I completed a decent long run simulation on Friday. The competition is incredibly tight between everyone; it`s remarkable how close the field is. Just half a tenth can drop you from sixth to eleventh.”
“The long race distance will be challenging for everyone. Most drivers have combinations of softs and one set of mediums. Charles and a few others have two sets of mediums available.”
“Which tyres are optimal? What`s the best strategy? A good start will be crucial. My objective is to aim for a podium; it feels like an extremely long time since I last had one.”
