Lewis back to his best but no margin for error in Merc v Ferrari; Alonso master of underperforming cars; Red Bull still on their own
Sunday 14 May 2017 13:25, UK
Hamilton back on top form
After being surprisingly off the pace in Russia two weeks ago, Lewis Hamilton was back to his best in Barcelona to claim his third pole of the season and 64th of his career.
After slipping off the top of the timesheets in Practice Three, the Briton was fastest in every qualifying session and his lap of 1:19.149 on his first run in Q3 was nine tenths quicker than his pole time last year.
"An amazing job by the team and super proud we can get back up there and have a better weekend. The first lap of Q3 was really good, the second was so-so," Hamilton said.
After finishing behind Sebastian Vettel in Bahrain and Sochi, Hamilton will be desperate to get his world championship bid back on track on Sunday. The stage is set for another ding-dong battle between the two, with Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen also poised on the second row.
"It will be a tough race for sure when you see how close it is between us," said Hamilton. "There is a long run down to Turn One and I'm just hoping l can make a good start. It's then a long, hard race here, both physically and mentally - and for the car."
Ferrari still in touch after scare
Hamilton's "so-so" lap almost allowed Vettel to snatch pole but a small error through the final chicane meant the championship leader had to settle for second, just 0.051s behind the Mercedes.
That the German was even in Q3 was a feat in itself.
Following a sub-two hour engine change after a scare in Practice Three, Vettel was told to stop the car at the start of Q1. But having missed a suitable parking spot, Vettel queried over team radio "are you sure?". That proved crucial as a setting change fixed the issue and ensured a front-row start rather than last place on a track where overtaking is historically difficult.
Ferrari appear to have brought fewer updates than Mercedes to the Circuit de Catalunya but they seem to have been worth the same amount in time. "I'm happy with the bits we brought here," Vettel said. "Maybe they are not flashy or bling but they are working - I'm really happy with how things are going."
The question now is whether Ferrari retain their advantage over the W08 in race set-up. Sky F1's Damon Hill said: "This is going to be very interesting. It's going to be telling whether or not Ferrari have got something that is an advantage over Mercedes. My suspicion is that the Mercedes is still able to get a time out of the tyres but might be overworking them. I think the Ferrari is better on a race run."
Alonso shows his class
On Friday evening, the question was just how painful the weekend could possibly get for Fernando Alonso. Having left the circuit to play tennis when his car broke down after two corners in Practice One, he was then plumb last in Practice Two. But on Saturday, the two-time world champion once again displayed his ability to drag an underperforming car to new heights.
Alonso produced what Martin Brundle described as the "lap of the weekend" to reach Q3 for the first time this season before improving further in the top 10 shootout to claim seventh place. Sunday will be just the second time since he returned to McLaren in 2015 that the Spaniard starts inside the front four rows.
"P7 is a gift. This is a circuit where it's difficult to overtake so we will try to keep the position," he said. "I'm happy for the team, they changed many power units and to now be P7 and feel tomorrow on the grid around the cars we should be fighting for will be really nice."
McLaren fans, and Alonso, will just hope the Honda power unit can hold itself together for 66 laps to ensure Alonso can fight.
Red Bull remain in unwanted league of their own
For Red Bull Saturday was a case of closer but, for a team with their standards and ambitions, not yet close enough. The RB13's aerodynamic upgrade meant fifth-placed Max Verstappen's gap to pole was six-tenths - a 1.1-second improvement from Russia.
But while the Dutchman hailed the "massive improvement", in Formula 1 the gap remains an eternity. "All they're doing is filling the gap between the top two teams and the rest of the field," Sky F1's Brundle said. "They're edging forward but we're hoping for more."
And as Daniel Ricciardo conceded: "The pace is still unchanged to the leaders. Mercedes and Ferrari are still a step or two ahead."
Red Bull do appear to have seen off any potential threat behind them. Force India were hoping their updated package would allow them to challenge the former world champions but Ricciardo was nine tenths ahead of Sergio Perez and the gap may be greater considering the Australian was half-a-second slower than his team-mate. But given Red Bull's expectations at the start of the season, that will be of little comfort.
More woe for Palmer, Stroll and Vandoorne
Three drivers who needed strong performances but suffered more Saturday disappointment in Barcelona were Jolyon Palmer, Lance Stroll and Stoffel Vandoorne.
Ahead of qualifying, the prediction had been that both Renaults could challenge for a spot in Q3, but Palmer was out at the first opportunity for the fourth time this season. "I don't know what happened," he told Sky F1. "I'm quite confused. I didn't do such a horrendous lap but [the pace] just wasn't there."
Vandoorne's wait to escape Q1 goes on and with team-mate Alonso in the lofty heights of seventh, it suggests the Belgian should be extracting more from the MCL32 despite its flaws. Meanwhile, Stroll's tough introduction to Formula 1 continues and will start one place ahead of Vandoorne in 18th. The Canadian complained of a lack of grip but again finds himself at the back of the field while team-mate Felipe Massa starts in the top 10.
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