The 2006 Spanish Grand Prix Preview

The Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona hosts the Spanish Grand Prix. All the teams have tested extensively there, but changing track temperatures and shifting winds mean that a perfect lap remains tricky.

Requiring excellent aerodynamics and good balance to preserve tyre life, Renault are looking strong, though Michael Schumacher will be looking to illustrate Ferrari's return to form by completing a hat-trick of wins.

Analysis

With the amount of testing the teams put in at Barcelona, they are usually able to dial in their cars quickly and spend the weekend running close to their absolute performance.

Inevitably, that tends to mean they qualify according to their pace and race in performance order - so passes would be infrequent, even if it was not a circuit that emphasises aerodynamics, hence making it tough for a competitor to close right up on an opponent.

That said, overtaking is not impossible and tends to be memorable from those with the audacity it takes to pull off!

Although the lap places a premium on solid aerodynamics, a well balanced chassis helps in the slower corners and reduces the relatively high wear on tyres, whilst a powerful engine allows more downforce to be run.

Flashback

Last season, Barcelona saw BAR fail to compete, having been belatedly thrown out of the San Marino GP for irregularities with their fuel tank; the circus rolled in from San Marino with Renault dominating...

Things never looked like going their way here, though. Kimi Raikkonen continued where he left off at San Marino by being blindingly quick, taking pole ahead of Mark Webber's Williams. Fernando Alonso lined up third with the Toyota's of Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli following.

Fisichella filled out the third row. Montoya marked a return to racing after sitting out two weekends for a shoulder injury with an uninspired seventh, ahead of Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard.

A vocal crowd willed local hero Alonso to leap in to the lead as the lights went out, but he only passed a slow starting Webber... who was also passed by Ralf Schumacher. Brother Michael slipped past Montoya, and the scene was set: a safety car was out because both Minardi cars were stalled. Montoya took back his place from Schumacher at the restart...

Montoya had a spin, without position loss, on lap seven; Liuzzi spun out on lap 10. Webber stopped first, changing from three to two stops and ending up struggling around on a heavy car as his opponents started to get light...

Raikkonen pulled out a strong lead as Alonso was harried by Ralf Schumacher: the Finn returning to the track after his stop immediately ahead of the Renault.

As the second round of stops progressed, Schumacher pitted for a replacement left rear tyre as he suffered a low pressure, then two laps later the left front let him down, leaving him laps down: the team retired him. Villeneuve retired before the end with an overheated engine, Massa suffered a sudden deflation, and the order remained static otherwise to the flag.

Pos  Driver        Team                  Time
 1.  Raikkonen     McLaren-Mercedes (M)  1h27:16.830
 2.  Alonso        Renault          (M)  +    27.652
 3.  Trulli        Toyota           (M)  +    45.947
 4.  R.Schumacher  Toyota           (M)  +    46.719
 5.  Fisichella    Renault          (M)  +    57.936
 6.  Webber        Williams-BMW     (M)  +  1:08.542
 7.  Montoya       McLaren-Mercedes (M)  +     1 lap
 8.  Coulthard     Red Bull-Cosworth(M)  +     1 lap
 

Fastest lap: Fisichella, 1:15.641

Weather

There is a high chance of rain interfering with Friday's test sessions, but besides this the prediction is for a dry weekend. Temperatures should barely get in to the twenties... and fairly low wind speeds should be from a consistent direction.

Tyres

The circuit has a smooth surface, but the high speed corners mean hard work for the tyres, so medium compounds will be required: some teams may opt for softer rubber, but they run the risk of a big performance drop off from their tyres before the end of the stint.

Last year, Bridgestone saw their San Marino renaissance fail: Schumacher was still in a better shape than his early races but between inadequate pace and deflations, they were clearly outclassed by Michelin. This year, having shown that they are not a one-race wonder by providing race winning tyres for the last two events, they have to be considered serious competition.

Michelin's performance advantage is being called into question after the last couple of races; Ferrari's advantage at the European Grand Prix came from solid strategy and tyres that were strong at the end of their stint: there was talk that Bridgestone runners were seeing ideal tyre temperatures whilst Michelin was struggling to stay in the window, so they are going to be under the spotlight to get this right and provide manageable tyres over the coming weekend.

Strategy

The long straight means a relatively slow pitstop; combined with tough overtaking on the track: three-stop strategies are theoretically great, but impossible to pull off without aggressive passing and only marginally quicker than a two-stop approach. Most front runners will probably adopt this approach.

The fuel loads required to run a single stop strategy are prohibitive. They place drivers at a disadvantage through the fastest corners and vulnerable to being passed on the main straight: perhaps a top driver who misses the cut for the last ten will be tempted.

Conclusions

The battle at the front between Schumacher and Alonso is likely to be joined by last year's winner, Raikkonen, whilst BAR have been quick here in testing and will be looking to show they are still close to the leaders by fighting for a podium finish.

Mistakes through the weekend will be punished heavily, particularly from poor qualifying as it is tough to make up places, even with an inventive pit strategy.

A lap of Barcelona with Pedro de la Rosa

Accelerating downhill along the start-finish straight you hit 316km/h in sixth gear before braking hard for the right-hander of Elf. You can hit up to 2.4G under braking as your speed reduces to 137km/h in second gear.

The second corner is an uphill left flick taken at some 187km/h in third and flat out in qualifying to get a quick time. The long, fast sweep of Renault follows, which is taken in fourth and is also taken pretty much flat.

You come to a short straight before Repsol, reaching some 286km/h in sixth gear before braking hard for this right hander. You enter Repsol in third gear at 131km/h, carrying as much speed as possible as it allows you to brake very deep into the corner.

A short burst of acceleration and you reach the Seat hairpin, the slowest corner of the circuit. Hard on the brakes the track drops as you swing through this tight left-hander at 97km/h in second gear.

Accelerating out of Seat, the track sweeps through a gentle left curve reaching 265km/h in fifth gear before once again braking hard for the left hander of Wurth, which is taken in second at 145km/h and where it is important to run over the exit curb to make a wider exit.

A short uphill straight leads you onto Campsa, negotiated at 256km/h in fourth gear. It is important to carry a lot of speed through this corner and come out very fast, using all the exit curb again, as this will give you extra speed onto the Nissan straight.

You arrive at 295km/h to La Caixa, which has been modified last year, with a tighter entry to the corner and short straight taking the circuit back to the previous track. It is taken in second gear and is the slowest section of the circuit.

There is a small left kink before you rejoin the old track, but it is taken flat using all the inside curb.

Banc de Sabadell, another hairpin follows. You just have to brake gently but with speed as you turn in, as the rear end always tries to snap away here.

There are only two corners left which are the best and fastest of the circuit. The first one is taken flat out in qualifying, and in the race you lift slightly to negotiate it at 237km/h in fourth gear.

You come out directly onto the last corner, New Holland, which is taken in fifth gear at 228km/h, with a small lift on entry. It is very important to come out quick of this last corner as the pit straight that follows is very long.

Team by Team

Renault

Perhaps a little disappointed by the European Grand Prix, where Renault finished second and sixth, the team were out-foxed during the pitstops by a very flexible Ferrari outfit.

Fernando Alonso fans wave the flag of Asturias © LAT

The crowd at the Circuit de Catalunya is expected to be very vocal in their support of their reigning World Champion: whilst Nigel Mansell's vaunted 'second per lap' lift from a home crowd might be an exaggeration these days, any inspiration will make him tough to beat.

Ferrari are certainly the obvious threat here, but McLaren could also show a strong return to form, which would make things a little tighter for finishing on the podium. A flawless performance is going to be required to get both cars into the points.

Drivers: Fernando Alonso is expected to soak up the crowd pressure and get on with the job. The Spaniard is arguably favourite here, though Schumacher should also be in excellent shape. Winning this race could, again, come down to strategic calls.

Giancarlo Fisichella has to avoid missing the second qualifying cut this time around, or his excuses and finger point to date will be regarded as whining. He is perfectly capable of showing excellent performances over the weekend, but has not really been getting the job done so far. He needs a commanding performance this time if there is to be any chance of saving the seat for next season.

Objectives: Win - with both cars on the podium.

McLaren Mercedes

It was a mixed weekend for McLaren in Germany: Juan Pablo Montoya did not finish after his engine failed, whilst Kimi Raikkonen had a long race to fourth, which was all that they could achieve with this package.

The car continues to lag behind Renault overall. The team appear to be working hard to develop it, but Renault keep moving the goal-posts each time they make a step forward. Perhaps that will change in Barcelona.

This circuit's focus on aerodynamics should see the McLarens take a step forward relative to Renault, and perhaps a little more compared with Ferrari. Traditionally, the Woking outfit are particularly strong in this area. It is unlikely that this will give them an advantage over their nearest rivals but it could get them close enough to capitalise on mistakes of a poor tyre choice.

Drivers: Although Raikkonen was unable to get on the podium at the Nurburgring, he was very fast and perhaps will challenge for a top three finish at the weekend coming. Less certain is his chance of winning with such competitive rivals.

Montoya seems to be getting on top of the new car and perhaps closing a performance gap to Raikkonen. Whilst he is capable of stunning drivers, he is also a little more prone to mistakes than his Finnish teammate. Still, a good race could net him a podium.

Objectives: Two cars in the points - with a podium finish.

Ferrari

A second strong performance by Ferrari at the Nurburgring leaves little to the imagination of onlookers: the outfit is back, competitive, and looking to win races. Having both drivers on the podium is a clear warning that Bridgestone are going to be on the ball for at least the European races.

The Spanish emphasis on aerodynamics should do Ferrari no harm: their car has one of the best aero packages on the grid, though Renault's excellent packaging and McLaren's solid aerodynamic strength will help to keep things close at the front.

Bridgestone tires on the Ferrari © LAT

With the latest incarnation of Bridgestone's tyres, they have rubber that is relatively consistent throughout their stints - importantly, not dropping off as fast as Michelin over the distance.

This gives them an advantage in calling strategy that means they can win races by being quicker at targeted points in the race distance than a competitor who might otherwise be marginally quicker overall.

The Circuit de Catalunya offers Ferrari the chance to win a third race in a row, confirming their return, but it should require a flawless performance to achieve it.

Drivers: As usual, Michael Schumacher can never be discounted; in this case, unless Bridgestone bring the wrong tyres, he will be expected to challenge for the race win again, though beating Alonso at home should not be easy.

Felipe Massa's podium was a good 'next step' at his last outing; improving on that solid performance is going to take not only a decent qualifying session, but holding a better race pace on Sunday. Should he do so, then he should be an even match for Schumacher at this circuit.

Objectives: Fight for the win - and both cars on the podium.

Toyota

The 2006 season continues to be a problem for Toyota, who left Germany pointless. Jarno Trulli struggled with balance and grip throughout much of the race, whilst Ralf Schumacher was running in the points before an engine failure robbed him of the finish.

At the Spanish circuit, Toyota have not been especially impressive in testing this year: they are certainly capable of getting a strong lap together, but they are a little off the front runners in qualifying trim, and further adrift over the full race distance.

That said, the car has moved forwards since the winter tests, with improvements both to the chassis and aerodynamics, with the team particularly gaining a better understanding of how to keep their Michelin tyres within their optimum operating temperature window.

Currently lying seventh in the Constructors' Championship, gaining consistency is important if the team are to overhaul Williams and BMW: getting the car to the finish and continuing to bring on the upgrades should let them at least move forward past this outfits.

Drivers: Both drivers are capable of having good days. Recent updates have seen Trulli regaining confidence in the handling of the car, which is good for his qualifying performances, though he seems to struggle a little on race day.

Schumacher had arguably the better weekend at the Nurburgring, and certainly has all Toyota's points to date: he can run well in Spain, so there is a chance of scoring good points.

Objectives: Both cars in the points.

Williams Cosworth

Following the disappointment of engine changes for both cars in Germany, Nico Rosberg did well to get into the points from dead last, whilst Mark Webber retired with hydraulic failure whilst recovering strongly on a high fuel load. Again, the team have demonstrated they are a quality act and not to be discounted.

That said, getting a good result from Barcelona is going to be tough. The car has decent aerodynamics with a powerful engine to make up for deficiencies, but beating Renault or Ferrari is a tall order.

Williams © LAT

Should McLaren struggle to make their car work, then taking points off them would be a good day, but a more realistic target is to beat the Honda outfit.

Drivers: Mark Webber has not been having the most fortunate season, but he is showing excellently in qualifying and runs strongly on race day; a good performance this weekend would see more points.

Nico Rosberg put on a good show last weekend and, heading to Circuit de Catalunya, where he has a lot of test mileage, there is perhaps a chance for him to step up his game again, as he has considerably more experience here with Williams: perhaps this would be an opportunity to outshine his teammate.

Objectives: Both cars in the points - beating Honda.

Honda

The Nurburgring represented a disappointing race weekend for Honda. They struggled to get Jenson Button dialled in to his satisfaction, then his engine failed in the race; Rubens Barrichello finally outqualified his teammate, but then struggled off the line and lacked the pace to threaten the podium.

In winter testing, Honda showed some very strong running at Barcelona - and on returning, really need to raise their game if they are to avoid further questions over their apparent off-season pace.

On the other hand, McLaren traditionally step up a gear at aerodynamically focussed circuits, Ferrari and Bridgestone have clearly returned to form, and Renault are going to be strong: even with next specification engines available, this is going to be another tough weekend.

Drivers: After struggling in Germany, another strong weekend from Button will do a lot to restore the faith of the team that they are on the right track. Qualifying on the front row again may be possible, but the cost to race pace is unknown.

Barrichello has finally had a chance to show that he is ready to pick up the slack when his teammate is struggling. The Brazilian is doing a better job of understanding the car, the team are working better at setting it up for him, and the potential for improved results is coming though.

Objectives: Both cars in the points - challenging for a podium.

Red Bull Racing Ferrari

With both drivers failing to finish at the European Grand Prix, it was a pretty poor weekend from Red Bull. David Coulthard's first corner exit was just one of those things all mid-grid race starters risk, but Christian Klien was showing a fairly decent pace when his transmission let go.

Since then, little has changed: again they are likely to struggle to make the final ten in qualifying, and with the front running teams locking up so many points, even with a strong start to the race, points will be hard to come by.

Of course, reliability is also important: if they haven't identified the source of the transmission problem, then just finishing could be a challenge.

Drivers: Coulthard has been working hard again this year, but does not quite seem to be getting the results; similarly, Klien has been working hard to beat his teammate. Both drivers are capable, but without strong developments will struggle to finish in the top eight.

Objectives: Score a point.

BMW Sauber

Jacques Villeneuve and Nick Heidfeld © LAT

Germany saw BMW have something of a mixed weekend: although they came away with a point, they struggled to get both cars up to speed. Some solid understanding of the tyres left them able to push hard at the end of each stint.

For the weekend coming, a similar performance would be welcome, but scoring more points will be tough. Though the team have an excellent aerodynamic package, it is not on a par with the leading five teams, so they are really going to need retirements from those ahead to finish well.

Drivers: Jacques Villeneuve had a solid race at the Nurburgring, keeping Fisichella behind him until the Renault could pass in the pits, and he will be hoping for a similar performance in Barcelona.

Nick Heidfeld, in contrast, never quite got the car to work for him at the last race, seeing him struggle through qualifying and the race; Barcelona should be familiar, so he ought to be able to resolve the set-up issues there - without both drivers on form, scoring points is unlikely.

Objectives: Score another point.

Midland Toyota

Although the Midland drivers had a chance to fight each other hard all race, the weekend was another disappointment for the Midland team. They comprehensively out-performed the Super Aguri outfit, but were still only 'best of the rest' as Toro Rosso are apparently still comfortably better.

It is good that both cars made the finish, better still that the drivers are getting in plenty of laps, but they are going to need to improve considerably to challenge in the midfield, let alone score points.

The weekend ahead is unlikely to provide much joy: the track places an emphasis on aerodynamics, which is only going to show up a lack of in-season development compared with the midfield runners. With nothing to lose, they may try an adventurous pit strategy, but fighting for points seems unrealistic.

Drivers: Both Tiago Monteiro and Christijan Albers will be expected to struggle to make anything special happen in Barcelona; with all the testing the teams have put in at that circuit, the cars should all be set up very well, with little the drivers can do to make an impact. Another race against each other is in prospect.

Objectives: Get both cars to the finish - without being lapped more than once.

Toro Rosso Cosworth

The Nurburgring saw another uninspiring weekend from Toro Rosso despite Vitantonio Liuzzi making it through the first part of the qualifying session. Liuzzi was caught up in a first corner incident and knocked out, whilst Scott Speed only showed the car is quicker than the Midlands.

In Spain, the team will be able to see how they are slipping against their fast evolving competition: in winter tests, they had enough quick laps to make the competition worried about their prospects over the season ahead. Returning now will be an interesting reality check in comparison with the winter.

A good weekend will see them fighting in the midfield, perhaps for a finish in the top ten.

Scott Speed © LAT

Drivers: Speed's eleventh place in Germany was a good indication that the car has potential. Although struggling with performance overall, he now seems fairly consistent; should he stop getting caught in traffic during the opening qualifying session, a midfield finish is possible.

Liuzzi was unlucky at the opening corner to be collected from behind: had things gone better there, it was a solid start and he possibly had the pace to finish in the top ten. He will be hoping to put that show on this weekend instead.

Objectives: Get both cars to the finish - challenge in the midfield.

Super Aguri Honda

Another double failure in Germany shows how much the Super Aguri team are struggling: not only are they considerably off the pace, but in their efforts to get there, they are even losing their reliability. Furthermore, with the FIA asking them to get Yuji Ide more testing miles before racing again, they cannot even run with their preferred drivers in the cars.

Although the team want Ide back in the car, they are waiting clearance from the FIA to do so - and are widely expected to retain Franck Montagny for at least the next event; his performance in Spain supports the wisdom of doing so, as he was largely on the pace of his Takuma Sato all weekend.

Their prospects remain poor, as they have no significant performance developments in the pipeline - at least until the new car is available.

Drivers: Sato's blinding start at the Nurburgring was in direct contrast to the rest of his race; his pace was below expectations from that point on. In Barcelona, a similar start should let him be a road block until the first round of stops, but the best result he can expect is simply to finish.

If the team return to Ide, they will be looking simply for him to close the performance gap to Sato - more than that is unlikely. Should they retain Montagny, then the Frenchman will be expected to provide a good foil for Sato and push him.

Objectives: Get the cars to the finish