The remaining race of a Formula 1 triple-header beckons, because the grid heads to Barcelona’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Spanish Grand Prix.
And there aren’t any scarcity of storylines.
From Lando Norris’ win within the Monaco Grand Prix, to a hometown hero chasing his first factors of the season, listed here are the important thing storylines for the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix.
Lando Norris vaults again into championship competition
Lando Norris’ second-place end within the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix pulled him to inside 13 factors of teammate Oscar Piastri within the Drivers’ Championship race.
But his win in Monaco, capping off what he known as a “perfect” weekend, was the newest chapter in what’s changing into a captivating Drivers’ Championship race.
Piastri’s three consecutive wins — spanning from the Bahrain Grand Prix via Saudi Arabia and Miami — noticed the McLaren driver escape a 16-point lead within the Drivers’ Championship race. But Max Verstappen’s win in Imola (together with Norris’ P2) pulled that pair nearer to Piastri on the prime of the desk.
And with Norris ending on the highest of the rostrum in Monaco, and Piastri in third, the hole between the teammates is simply three factors because the grid heads to Barcelona.
At the second Piastri leads the best way with 161 factors, adopted by Norris on 158 and Verstappen in third with 136. But what may be much more notable for Norris is the shape he confirmed in Monaco and the idea that can carry ahead the remainder of the season.
“I’ve been working hard over the last few months to get back to having that momentum that I had in Australia, that confidence,” started Norris after the Monaco Grand Prix. “What I felt this weekend was a small step ahead, but it surely’s not it. It’s not like I’ve nailed it now and the whole lot’s again.
“There are still things that I need to work on, there are still things that – as a team – them giving me the equipment – and I don’t mean just making a quicker car, because the car’s quick enough – but giving me the things I need from the car in order to excel and maximize results, and the differences from last year to this year,” continued Norris. “So, nonetheless issues from each side, however I’m very happy with yesterday. I’m happier with yesterday’s end result than I’m of as we speak’s. I imply, as we speak is unimaginable, however I used to be extra emotional yesterday than I used to be as we speak. That’s how a lot yesterday meant to me, to sort of get my groove again in qualifying, as a result of it’s one thing I’ve simply had my entire life. It’s simply all the time been good, till this yr. And I’ve needed to work onerous to attempt to get it again.
As for why Norris wanted to “try and get” that qualifying kind again, he famous that competing towards one of the best on this planet means he must be a his “highest level” doable.
“For no other reason apart from a couple of things that I’ve clearly struggled with and also just having tough competition. Having Oscar, Charles, Max, I’m against the best guys in the world. And if you’re not performing at the highest level, you’re not going to compete against them,” added Norris. “So, yeah, no one knows the amount of work and effort that goes into things apart from me and my team. And that’s the only people who need to know what goes into everything and know the truth of everything. And that’s the way it will stay.”
The first two races of this triple-header noticed Verstappen, after which Norris, situation their responses to Piastri’s robust kind.
We’ll see how the ultimate chapter on this trilogy unfolds.
The newest chapter within the flexi-wing saga
Is this the week the whole lot adjustments?
McLaren’s rivals would like to suppose so.
In current weeks the technical debate has centered on McLaren’s skill to maintain their tires in an optimum working window, whereas their rivals usually take care of tire overheating and degradation. That was definitely a spotlight within the hours after the Miami Grand Prix, the place Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris locked out the entrance row. While rivals similar to Christian Horner and Toto Wolff praised McLaren and their engineers for the event of the MCL39, different media retailers reported that Red Bull particularly was going to nice lengths — together with utilizing thermal imaging — to attempt to uncover what McLaren was doing to maintain their rear tires in a greater working window.
To be clear, neither Piastri’s No. 81 nor Norris’ No. 4 has failed any technical inspections this season, and a post-race inspection of Piastri’s MCL39 following his win in Miami discovered that “[a]ll inspected components were found to be in conformance with the 2025 Formula One Technical Regulations.”
However, that’s not the one technical matter on the docket, and an even bigger one comes into clearer focus this week.
The 2025 F1 season started with continued debate over the “flexi-wing” situation, which was a heated matter of dialogue because the 2024 season wrote its remaining chapters. The situation? Front and rear wings that will cross technical inspections throughout a static check, however would “flex” underneath aerodynamic load, creating what some termed a “mini-DRS” impact.
While the game’s governing physique, the FIA, famous that every one groups have been compliant with the technical laws, following the Singapore Grand Prix McLaren modified the rear wings on their automobiles.
Ahead of this season, the FIA launched new testing for the rear wings, which started on the Australian Grand Prix. However, at this week’s Spanish Grand Prix additional testing shall be carried out on entrance wings, which McLaren’s rivals imagine may very well be a “gamechanger” for the season.
“The biggest one probably will be Spain because we have a clear change of regulation with the complete new front wing. This could change a little bit the picture of the championship. Let’s wait for this,” stated Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur forward of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
“It could be a reset on the immediate picture, but not on the championship. The guy who will lead the championship in Spain will still lead the championship after Spain, but, in terms of pure performance, it could be a gamechanger.”
Expect the “flexi-wing” debate to be an enormous speaking level this week.
Fernando Alonso’s quest for his first factors of 2025
Just a few seasons in the past, the grid arrived in Barcelona for the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix with Fernando Alonso dreaming of securing his long-awaited thirty third Grand Prix victory at dwelling. Alonso and Aston Martin roared out of the gate that season, with Alonso having secured a podium in 5 of the earlier six Grands Prix.
Now because the grid arrives in Barcelona, the hometown hero remains to be searching for his first level of the marketing campaign.
Alonso is coming off maybe his greatest shot at factors this season, as he certified up in P7 for the Monaco Grand Prix, and began sixth after a three-place grid penalty was handed out to Lewis Hamilton for impeding Max Verstappen throughout qualifying. Given the issue in overtaking at Monaco, it appeared a top-ten end was within the playing cards.
But Alonso’s ARM25 suffered an issue with the Energy Recovery System on Lap 15, and the crew finally retired his automobile.
“I had a problem with the engine since lap 15 so we were down on power. I thought we might be able to hold on because overtaking is very difficult here, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case,” stated Alonso after the race. “We lost another great opportunity to score some good points today. I am happy with my performance this weekend and we move on to the next race for another opportunity to go again.”
Can he break via along with his first factors of the 2025 season at dwelling?
Carlos Sainz Jr.’s Spanish debut for Williams
Fernando Alonso just isn’t the one driver about to race in entrance of his hometown followers.
Carlos Sainz Jr. heads to Barcelona now as a driver for Williams, and enters the Spanish Grand Prix on one thing of a sizzling streak. Sainz has completed within the factors in every of the 4 Grands Prix, and whereas he has but to succeed in the rostrum this yr, he has acclimated to life at Williams fairly properly.
Can Sainz rating at dwelling?
The way forward for the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona
Similar to one of many main speaking factors forward of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, what’s the way forward for F1 in Barcelona?
Madrid takes over because the host of the Spanish Grand Prix subsequent yr, with a brand new circuit becoming a member of the grid that can see drivers wind via the Spanish capital on each road and non-street sections. According to F1, the brand new circuit situated simply 5 minutes from Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suarez airport “will become one of the most accessible races on the F1 calendar, with the circuit just a short commute away by Metro, train, and city lines.” Estimates maintain that “90% of fans will be able to travel to the paddock via public transport, while those staying in local accommodation will be a short walk away from the venue.”
However, Barcelona remains to be underneath contract for a race in 2026. Race promoters signed a contract extension with F1 in November of 2021 that runs via subsequent season.
Race promoters are eager to increase that contract, which might give Spain races in each Barcelona and Madrid, however given the discussions over the way forward for Imola — with F1 officers noting that it may be an excessive amount of for one nation to host greater than a single Grand Prix, United States apart — the way forward for an F1 Grand Prix in Barcelona past 2026 is a matter of open debate.
There shall be observe motion forward of the yr in Barcelona, as F1 already introduced a pair of testing periods earlier than the 2026 season to present groups further time with their 2026 challengers, the primary underneath the game’s incoming technical laws.
But what about racing in Barcelona for 2026 and past?