The affairs at the Spanish Grand Prix started with some light showers on the media day on Thursday. That may have led to some eyes lighting up around the paddock. Especially the lower-rung teams, who might see a chance to march forward in qualifying and the race amid added uncertainty. But will the weather conditions from Thursday hold until the rest of the Grand Prix weekend?
Friday, as per the BBC, will be a rather humid day with a gentle south-westerly breeze blowing across the circuit. However, the chances of rain are negligible with the forecast predicting it to be zero percent. The temperature will settle around 73.4 Fahrenheit (23°C) for both practice sessions, as per the report.
Saturday once again will be a disappointing affair for the lower-rung teams with the chances of rain being zero percent. The temperatures will be slightly higher than the previous day, reaching around 75.2 Fahrenheit (24°C).
Humidity might hover around 70-72%, soaring the real feel of the temperature to 86 Fahrenheit (30°C). FP3 could also see a south-westerly breeze running across the track.
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The temperature, on Sunday, will once again rise slightly higher than the previous day, settling at around 77 Fahrenheit (25°C). Humidity, however, will take a small dip to settle at around 66 percent. The probability of rain once again stands at zero percent. A southern breeze on the race day could make things interesting, though, if it gets a little stronger.
However, that is not the only factor that can make things worrisome for the strategists and the drivers. The Barcelona circuit has plenty in its kitty to throw the teams a curveball. Among those is its track surface, which gobbles tires for fun.
Plenty to watch out for at the Spanish Grand Prix
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is perhaps the most familiar track for the F1 drivers. From winter testing to filming days, the Spanish circuit is a regular host.
The track has a mix of slow as well as high-speed corners. Despite that, it has delivered some not-so-exciting races in the recent past. That might lead to its exclusion from the F1 calendar to make way for the Madrid track.
The track is a testing one for the cars as far as driveability goes. It is also a tough track for the drivers, given how physically demanding its high-speed corners are. Lewis Hamilton once famously admitted to having sleepless nights after driving on the Barcelona track for the first time in 2006 for McLaren during the testing days.
Strategists too need to be on their toes on this circuit, given how unforgiving it is on the tires, especially the left tires. That gives rise to differing tire strategies, which further adds an element to influence the race results.
Despite all the challenges, Red Bull are the favorites to win. Rivals, however, are in no mood to make it easy for them by introducing a number of upgrades.
