The 2023 Formula 1 season is indeed getting one-sided, as Red Bull have won all of the first six races, and they’re aiming for their seventh straight win here in the Spanish Grand Prix.
Two-time defending champion Max Verstappen is leaving everyone in the dust with four victories out of the first six races, while Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez won the other two.
Because of Verstappen and Perez, Red Bull remain in pole position in the constructor standings, but Aston Martin and Mercedes are lurking, looking to capitalise if Red Bull slips up.
On the other hand, Alpine are looking to build off their rare podium finish last time out as they aim to improve their place in the constructor standings.
Here are some of the notable Spanish Grand Prix 2023 updates from the past few days, particularly from some of Red Bull’s rivals.
Mercedes and Ferrari to bring in key upgrades
It felt like the Silver Arrows had a new car in Monaco, as the W14 looked a lot different with its new design concept.
They basically veered away from their zero-sidepod look last season by going to a more conventional approach with the addition of a new floor, front suspension, and rear wing, which will impact the overall aerodynamic performance of the car.
They got to test it out in the Monaco Grand Prix last week, and their drivers did fairly well, as Lewis Hamilton finished fourth while George Russell was in fifth.
However, the streets of Monte Carlo were not the ideal location to test out the new-look W14, although they have a great opportunity here in Spain.
“This will be the true test. We didn’t learn anything in Monaco, so this will be where we take a new baseline, and we’ll learn from there,” said Russell. “I think we can jump ahead of Ferrari, close that gap to Fernando Alonso, close the gap to Red Bull, and get P2 in the constructors.”
Ferrari will also look to extract maximum aerodynamic performance by shifting their sidepod design towards Red Bull’s concept as part of their upgrade package.
It’s been a tough campaign for the Scuderia so far, as nothing much has changed from last year with their strategic blunders and reliability problems.
Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc are looking to turn things around because they’re currently in sixth and seventh place, respectively, in the drivers’ standings.
Will Ocon and co. score another podium?
Esteban Ocon felt a huge sigh of relief after last week. The Frenchman’s performance in Monaco came after disappointing outings for Alpine recently, which drew a diatribe from their CEO, Laurent Rossi.
Rossi, who set out their ambitious 100-race plan towards the end of 2021, was particularly angry with what happened in Bahrain and Azerbaijan when Esteban Ocon had three time penalties in Sakhir and Gasly’s car caught fire during practice and then crashed in qualifying at Baku.
Ocon’s third-place finish in Monaco certainly improved the mood around Alpine, so he’ll be aiming to maintain their upturn in form in order to make true one of our too-early predictions here at SBOTOP, which is for them to consistently fight for podiums this year.
History
Catalunya had been a happy hunting ground for Mercedes up until last year. Lewis Hamilton won here in 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, while Max Verstappen reigned supreme in 2022, and he also won in 2016.
Other than Hamilton and Verstappen, Alonso is the only active racer who has won here. The wily Spaniard won in 2006, when he was with Renault, and in 2013, when he was with Ferrari.
The Catalunya circuit will look a little different this year, as Formula 1 decided to remove the slow chicane at the end of the lap for the first time since 2007, which has received mixed reactions from our Formula 1 drivers.
What are the odds?
Given that he’s in fine form, it’s no surprise that Max Verstappen is the overwhelming favourite to win this weekend, as the Spanish Grand Prix 2023 odds have him priced at 1.40 over any other driver.
Teammate Sergio Perez should be right behind him at 1.70, while hometown favourite Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton are also contenders for the remaining podium spots at 1.92 and 2.13, respectively.
Unless something drastic happens, the odds don’t offer a positive outlook for Ferrari this weekend, as Aston Martin and Mercedes are likely to beat them again this weekend (1.40 to 2.72 and 1.45 to 2.58).
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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