2024 F1 Spanish GP: hidden data that gives Ferrari hope

Once again, yes, once again. The usual Max Verstappen dominates but doesn’t bore, because on Sunday in Spain, he had to work hard to win a highly tactical Grand Prix, where even the slightest mistake was heavily punished.

Max Verstappen, however, rarely makes mistakes, and he makes fewer than others. It was his driving precision and shrewd decision-making that led to his triumph at Montmeló. The best car on the track was actually the McLaren, not the Red Bull. Lando Norris showed this clearly during qualifying with a pole position sprint, but in the race, he compromised everything with a lackluster start and an aggressive attempt to block Max Verstappen at the first corner, which dropped him from first to third place.

The rest followed naturally, and Norris was very honest in admitting his mistakes, apologizing to the team, something that doesn’t happen often. Despite this, Lando Norris raced well, being aggressive and respectful of the tires, showing a maturity that will eventually put him back on the top step of the podium.

Max Verstappen, a cunning racer, took advantage of others’ mistakes and maintained his pace without overdoing it, achieving a well-deserved victory. The third spot on the podium went to Lewis Hamilton, a smart strategist who stayed out of time-wasting battles and adeptly read the race: Mercedes acknowledged this, and even Ferrari might have sighed in relief for the future.

Yes, Ferrari, with their drivers fighting on the track, Charles Leclerc suffering minor blame but significant damage to the front wing, struggling until the first pit stop, coming back 19.7 seconds behind Max Verstappen. Then, with Medium and Soft tires for the final two stints, he managed to maintain a very high pace but couldn’t go beyond fifth place.

It’s not much, but races should be interpreted through the numbers. Between the 24th and the final 66th lap, Charles Leclerc managed to close the gap to Verstappen, who was pushing to defend against Norris, by only 3 seconds, despite being behind and overtaking. This hidden data gives hope and suggests that the situation – based on the analysis of the toughest track in the championship – isn’t as disastrous as the modest placement would suggest. It’s clear that with a better starting grid position, Ferrari could have played a leading role instead of being secondary. The ongoing bitter skirmishes between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are becoming an inevitable constant, something the team had anticipated before the championship started. The objectives of the two drivers are too divergent, and Carlos Sainz’s internal anger is too evident, knowing he risks falling out of the main loop, at least for a while.

A quick coffee break, and we’ll be in Austria on Sunday, at Zeltweg, on Red Bull’s home track. Lando Norris can’t afford to make two mistakes in a row, Lewis Hamilton dreams of a great result in front of his new fans arriving from Italy with Ferrari flags, and Ferrari is close to potential glory, but that step is always too long for them to get ahead of everyone.