Spain: 2018 Flashback and Winner Prediction
Mandatory on the Formula 1 calendar since 1991, the Barcelona circuit has established itself over the years as a judge of peace, allowing Formula 1 observers and teams to compare the performance of each car.
2018 in broad strokes: a double for Mercedes, Ferrari struggling
Thanks to his strong performance on Saturday, Lewis Hamilton took off from pole position with ease at the start. The same can’t be said for his teammate, Valtteri Bottas, who lost his second place right at the beginning of the race to a very aggressive Sebastian Vettel. However, the main takeaway from the start and the Grand Prix was the massive spin of Romain Grosjean in the third corner. Buffeted by the sister car of Kevin Magnussen in front of him, the Frenchman spun on the asphalt runoff… before crashing back into the middle of the track, into the pack. The result: a very impressive accident involving two cars: the Toro Rosso of Pierre Gasly and the Renault of Nico Hülkenberg.
LAP 1/66
Pure carnage at the start 😱
Grosjean OUT
Gasly OUT
Hülkenberg OUT#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 #F1 pic.twitter.com/GSv24uxIDW— Formula 1 (@F1) May 13, 2018
By the 7th lap, the race was back on, and Hamilton completely detached from his pursuers by lining up fast laps. About ten laps later, Vettel dove into the pits, hoping to gain an advantage over Bottas thanks to his fresher tires. A gamble that proved to be winning, but just barely!
Then in the battle with Max Verstappen for fourth place, Kimi Räikkönen was delivering a great fight until the 24th lap. His race was then halted due to a mechanical issue. Behind the leaders, the race also brought together veteran Fernando Alonso and rookie Charles Leclerc for the eighth place. Just ahead of them, the other Spaniard on the grid, Carlos Sainz, finished 7th at the end.
On the 40th lap, the last Frenchman on track, Esteban Ocon, retired due to a mechanical problem. The Force India stopped in a dangerous spot, triggering the Virtual Safety Car. Ferrari then took the risk to pit Vettel for fresher tires. Unfortunately for the Scuderia, an interminable pit stop relegated the German to fourth place, just behind Verstappen, who broke part of his front wing in a contact with Lance Stroll’s Williams during the VSC. Without any difficulty, Hamilton won, with a 17-second lead over Bottas, who finished second, marking Mercedes’ first one-two finish of the season.
LAP 43/66
The VSC ends, and Verstappen hits the back of Lance Stroll 💥
His front wing endplate is damaged as a result#F1 🇪🇸 #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/0wY2jwiu7y
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 13, 2018
The editorial team’s predictions
Good traditions endure, and like every race weekend, Motors Inside uses its crystal ball to predict the lucky winner of this Spanish Grand Prix. While some see Ferrari and Leclerc as a winning duo, which would be the first victory of the season for Ferrari, and the very first for the Monegasque driver, others have bet on another success for Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton at the wheel. The same goes for pole position, where the German team seems to be the favorite.
