P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Red Bull’s overcompensation at the Spanish Grand Prix opened the door for Lando Norris and McLaren to nick pole position – with a Norris improvement playing its role too
During the Spanish Grand Prix practice sessions, it seemed like a tight battle between four teams for the pole position, but Lando Norris and Max Verstappen pushed ahead when it mattered the most, leaving Mercedes and Ferrari trailing by over three tenths of a second.
There were two key aspects responsible for this shift in performance. Firstly, Red Bull and McLaren managed to gain 0.3 seconds on cars that were previously closely matched, indicating an improvement in their performance. Secondly, the dynamics between Red Bull and McLaren changed significantly during the qualifying session.
Carlos Sainz’s analysis shed light on the situation, pointing out that the enhanced power unit performance of Red Bull and McLaren gave them an advantage in higher-speed corners, while Ferrari struggled with aerodynamic issues at those speeds, leading to a bouncing effect that affected their performance.
The cooler track temperatures during qualifying also played a role, with better tyre grip contributing to the improved performance of Red Bull and McLaren. While the Ferrari and Mercedes drivers were on a similar pace, Norris and Verstappen were in a league of their own, underlining their exceptional performance during qualifying.
Ultimately, the combination of improved power unit performance, better tyre grip, and superior handling of high-speed corners allowed Red Bull and McLaren to outperform their competitors and secure a dominant front row for the race.
