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#902 2014 Spanish Grand Prix

2023-01-18 00:00

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#2014, Fulvio Conti, Translated by Sofia Scrigna,

#902 2014 Spanish Grand Prix

Three weeks of break to try to bridge or at least narrow the gap with Mercedes. After a challenging start, in China, Ferrari found a bit more strength

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Three weeks of break to try to bridge or at least narrow the gap with Mercedes. After a challenging start, in China, Ferrari found a bit more strength, putting Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel's Red Bulls behind Fernando Alonso. However, the distance from Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg remains significant. Therefore, in anticipation of the first European Grand Prix in Barcelona, the Spanish driver asks Ferrari for further sacrifices.

 

"The car in the first races was performing below expectations in different areas; it wasn't just one problem. We need to be more efficient, we need better aerodynamics, more traction, and more power. We had significant gaps in the early races".

 

There were improvements in China.

 

"They weren't significant in a single area. It was small steps forward everywhere: engine, software, aerodynamics. The overall picture has improved".

 

The season is still in its early stages, and rapid growth is necessary to compete with the Silver Arrows that dominated the first four races.

 

"We still have a long way to go since we started on a low note. But we can't dream too much; others won't sit and watch TV until Barcelona. Other teams will shave off a couple of tenths. We have to do the same and add something extra if we want to recover. That's the challenge we have to face. We can't just develop the car at a normal pace; we have to add something more".

 

Fernando Alonso is confident that Ferrari will improve, but at the moment, he doesn't want to make too many promises to the fans. Looking ahead to the Spanish Grand Prix on May 11, 2014, he reflects on the podium in Shanghai:

 

"The result in China was a motivational boost for the whole team to keep working hard because we're not in a position that satisfies us. We started with a deficit, especially compared to Mercedes, which won the first four races dominantly. We have to make broader strides than other teams. We have to wait and see if the characteristics of this circuit will help us a bit, as there are no long straights except for the finish line. We have some new parts, but nothing extraordinary. I don't think it will be different from other teams; we'll see if the track's characteristics will help us".

 

Alonso doesn't want to give false expectations to the fans at the circuit.

 

"We can't start the weekend saying we can be on the podium or win the race because that would mean giving false expectations to the spectators here. We reached the podium in China, but in the previous race, we were in ninth place. In Shanghai, we managed to put everything together, but now we can't say we'll fight for the podium. We'll do our best, but it won't be easy. We'll see because in sports, you can never be sure".

 

Regarding his new teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, who scored eleven points in the first four races, two less than Felipe Massa in the previous season, Alonso says:

 

"We're not in the position we expected. We fought to be more competitive. In this early season, all teams are facing problems except for Mercedes, which had easy races with four victories. As for Kimi, maybe his races haven't been the best in terms of points, but I hope he quickly returns closer to the podium and victory because that would allow the team to score more points in the constructors' standings".

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Responding to claims that he had a hand in securing the podium in China, Alonso says:

 

"The car is always the same, and sometimes, the driver has more luck than on other occasions. In China, for example, I had an incident at the start, but I was able to finish the race. We had quick pit stops, and in the first one, I overtook Sebastian (Vettel). Many factors must coincide to reach the podium; we need to have a special weekend to get on the podium like in China. So today, repeating that result would be exceptional because it's not our current goal".

 

Defending champion Sebastian Vettel, to change the course of this early World Championship dominated by Mercedes, decided to take a step back with his team to progress later.

 

"What do I expect from the car? After China, we concluded, given that we were quite behind, that we had to change the chassis. In reality, we decided to use the old one with which we have experience. I was trying everything we have; there's still some time ahead of us. We're starting from scratch. I'm not as happy as I would like, but it's a process that is ongoing. Many things have changed, and you have to have some patience. It's not unusual to change the chassis; usually, a new one is put on, but this time, we decided to use the old one to make sure nothing is wrong. So we'll see; we'll have an answer this weekend to know if we did well".

 

Despite the season's start not comparable to previous years, the German is optimistic:

 

"We're here to win; I don't come to finish second, but we have to be realistic. The goal is always to get the most out of the package, from the car. If a podium is within reach or if the fifth place is the best you can do, you have to do it. Seventh place wouldn't be satisfying, but satisfaction is always winning. We know how competitive we are. At the moment, Mercedes is in a very strong position, but it's never impossible to beat them".

 

Mercedes, which has known no rivals so far, fears Ferrari more than Red Bull. This is according to Toto Wolff, the team principal of Mercedes.

 

"Our main opponent will be Ferrari. They are the only team that does everything in-house, and I recognize that Alonso is a race animal who can achieve anything. We approach the Barcelona race without fear but with respect. It will show how much our car is really worth since it's a track suitable for Red Bull, whose progress in recent races has been extraordinary. The Spanish Grand Prix will be a real benchmark for everyone. We know it will be a closer and more challenging race for us. If you look at Red Bull from the first Jerez tests and where they've come since then, the progress has been impressive. And Ferrari has also shown excellent form lately, so nothing is guaranteed".

 

Several teams make technical changes to their cars. Red Bull introduces a duct near the RB10's rear tires to redirect airflow and increase its underfloor efficiency. The team also provides Vettel with a new car chassis to improve his performance. Ferrari reverts to using a single pillar rear wing support on the F14T's center line, aimed at reducing airflow disturbance and increasing downforce, and therefore grip, produced by the bodywork. Force India debuts a new rear wing mainplane and endplates on the two VJM07s, while McLaren's MP4-29s have their rear bodywork altered to house a revised rear suspension arm, and the front wing features new endplates. Sauber introduces a revised aerodynamic package version of its C33 chassis, which includes a modified front wing, new side-pod fins, engine cover, and deflectors, reducing the car's overall weight. For both of its E22 cars, Lotus brings a reconfigured engine mapping program along with a revised cooling system and bodywork package and an updated rear wing. One year ago, Fernando Alonso won the Spanish Grand Prix. 

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His Ferrari struggled in qualifying but was competitive in the race, the only one to make the Pirelli tires work decently. The future, then, was full of promises of glory. A year later, the team finds itself having suffered humiliations everywhere, on and off the track; having lost the 2013 World Championship miserably, with a inglourious retreat halfway through the season; and having started the current one in the worst possible way, with the botched departure of Stefano Domenicali and his replacement with the Marco Mattiacci and Luca Montezemolo tandem, who, true to his promise, "from now on, I'm putting my face on it," will present himself in the paddock on Friday morning to oversee operations closely. In short, one can understand if Alonso, during the Spanish Grand Prix presentation day, is not exactly in a good mood. It's a bitter anniversary.

 

"A year without victories is really tough". 

 

Especially because the prospects are not exactly optimistic: 

 

"In China, it was an extraordinary podium, in the sense that everything went perfectly for us, starting from Saturday. Thinking about returning to the podium here in Spain is not realistic".

 

A statement, that of the Spaniard, that dashes the hopes of Ferrari and its fans, slightly boosted after the words of Toto Wolff, the team principal of Mercedes. Perhaps with excessive enthusiasm, Wolff, as mentioned, points to Ferrari as the most formidable opponent of the season, even more than Red Bull:

 

"It's the only other team that has the opportunity to work on chassis and engine in the same structure; I am sure it will recover much of the ground it has lost".

 

He then adds an affectionate note about Alonso:

 

"He's a monster of a driver, one who on the track can achieve any result".

 

He, the one concerned, jokes about it:

 

"Well, a monster is not necessarily a compliment... If a woman had said that to me, it would be worse. Luckily, Toto is a man".

 

However, the point is another, and it is the moment of Ferrari, caught between the depression of the standings and the curiosity to see really what the gap is from Mercedes, whether it is, that of China, just over half a second, or that of Bahrain, more than double.

 

"This circuit, with not too long straights, should help us, and it will be very interesting to see exactly where we stand. That said, be clear: if they respect us, I'm glad, but if we want to become a threat, we have to work hard".

 

They, of course, are those from Mercedes, who don't seem too concerned. If it's true that instead of working on the car's developments here in Barcelona, they have announced that during the upcoming tests (starting Monday), they will experiment with new exhausts designed to make the new 1.6 turbo hybrid engines louder. A paradoxical acoustic touch-up, obtained through a kind of amplifier mounted on the exhaust, loudly demanded, for unfathomable reasons, by many fans. Meanwhile, it's a dominant Friday for Lewis Hamilton. 

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The British driver of Mercedes, already ahead of everyone in the morning, repeats the performance in the second free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix, marking the return of the circus to Europe. Hamilton concluded the afternoon sessions at the Montmelo circuit, setting the fastest time and leading his teammate Nico Rosberg by 0.449 seconds. Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull follows at 0.985 seconds. Fernando Alonso confirmed the fourth place from the first session: the Spanish Ferrari driver clocks 1'27"121, 1.597 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton. Alonso precedes the other Ferrari driven by Kimi Raikkonen. Kevin Magnussen, Jenson Button, Felipe Massa, Pastor Maldonado, and Daniil Kvyat complete the top ten. Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull did not run; in the morning, it was hindered by electrical problems, stopping after just four laps before returning to the pits. Ferrari's president, Luca Montezemolo, does not seek excuses. Arriving at Montmelo, the president announces imminent news:

 

"The season is very, very, very different from what we and the fans expected. If we are at this point, we have not worked well. In Canada, we will have a package to take a step forward. Formula 1 is fundamental for us; we have been racing since 1950 and won the first race in 1951. We have won more than anyone, and we want to continue doing so. I want Ferrari to return to greatness; it has all the possibilities to do so".

 

Montezemolo said in a press conference, with team principal Marco Mattiacci by his side, who took over from Stefano Domenicali a few weeks ago.

 

"Mattiacci was awakened at dawn on a day when Domenicali confirmed to me the decision to resign. Domenicali was at Ferrari for twenty-three years; resignations in our country are rare. He did not have the satisfactions related to the results; unfortunately, this is the law of sport. When he confirmed his intentions to me, I thought of an internal solution and Mattiacci, who has had a beautiful career within Ferrari".

 

The new team principal of Scuderia Ferrari...

 

"He has had experiences outside of Formula 1, but I am interested in having a person who knows how to manage a group. Mattiacci will do an excellent job, but this is not a one-man show. You need to have a lean team, capable of reacting and planning. For a month now, I have been feeling young again, dedicating my heart and soul to Formula 1. It's like 1992 when I called Todt: at the time, people noticed that I had chosen a Frenchman from the Rally world. I was very close to him in the first four months to help him understand Formula 1 thoroughly. Todt arrived at a time when Ferrari was far behind. Mattiacci arrives at a time when the season is very different from what we and the fans expected. We need to understand what's wrong and then change; we need to react and shift to another gear".

 

In Spain, Ferrari probably has to aim to limit the damage. Significant innovations will come in June:

 

"For the Canadian Grand Prix, we should have a package that allows us to take a step forward".

 

Ferrari was supposed to win in 2014, will win in 2015, and, in any case, won in 2007. Stefano Domenicali was the right man to win; now the right man is Marco Mattiacci, who is very reminiscent of Jean Todt, who has won a lot. The F14T was supposed to make a leap forward and get closer to Mercedes in Spain; now, after the track has revealed that Mercedes is 1.5 seconds ahead, it will happen in a few weeks, in Canada. Perhaps. It depends. More than a press conference, Luca Montezemolo's appearance is a gigantic, shining sleight of hand. A spectacle of illusion in which present, past, and future blend into a single meta-temporal dimension. 

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A dizzying twenty-minute wordplay in which the missed victories of the recent past (the 2009-2014 five-year period) are replaced with triumphs of the distant past, and the disasters of the present are confused with the certain victories of the next year. In the end, the only thing that is understood is that Ferrari will not win this year either. Alonso, resign yourself; Raikkonen, accept it, fans, change the channel. Everyone should know, however, that in Maranello, a comeback is being prepared. Again, this year.

 

"I am personally taking care of it. I feel young again; it's like 1992 when I chose Jean Todt against everyone's advice. They said, 'But president, a Frenchman who knows nothing.' But I chose him. He was the right man; I was sure of it. I spent the first few months close to him, helping him understand Formula 1 as he came from another world. And the results showed".

 

Quietly, next to the president, is Marco Mattiacci. And the reference, the similarity, is evident, already partly used for Stefano Domenicali. As intelligence advises, Marco Mattiacci is speaking very little these days. It's his first experience in F1, and wisely, he's listening, learning. The time to speak and act will come. Now the stage is all for the president. It is up to him to repel the assaults of the reporters. Like this: Mr. President, you talk about the future (Todt took six years to win), but what about the present?

 

"Let's try to finish better than how we started, and let's not forget that in Maranello, there is a top-notch technician, James Allison, who is working on next year's car, which will be the first entirely designed in Ferrari's wind tunnel after many years; this one was born in Toyota's wind tunnel, then completed in ours".

 

But while Allison works on the next car (which will ultimately have an incubation of a year and a half), it seems to be understood that others are working on this one. And this justifies what was perhaps the only news of the day. The improvement of the F14T, planned and announced (by Domenicali) for the Spanish weekend, has been postponed to Canada.

 

"We will bring new, more significant pieces there; we will take a significant step forward".

 

Waiting to understand if it will be true, on Saturday, May 10, 2014, Nico Rosberg set the best time during the third and final free practice session. The German driver precedes Lewis Hamilton by 0.8 seconds. Fernando Alonso recorded the third best time, 1.3 seconds behind Nico Rosberg. Sebastian Vettel completed twenty laps to make up for the time lost with the technical problem on Friday. A few hours later, Q1 is interrupted due to Pastor Maldonado's off-track excursion at turn 3 in the Lotus. The Venezuelan driver does not suffer physical damage but is eliminated in the session. Along with him, the two Caterham drivers, the two Marussia drivers, and Adrian Sutil are also excluded. The top of the standings is still led by the two Mercedes drivers, who don't even need to use Medium tires to advance to Q2. In Q2, the two Anglo-German cars confirmed their speed, leading ahead of the two Red Bulls. Fernando Alonso secured access to the decisive phase by just 0.083 seconds ahead of Nico Hülkenberg. Eliminated, along with the German, are also the other Force India driver Sergio Pérez, the two Scuderia Toro Rosso drivers (with Vergne not completing any laps to preserve tires for the race), Esteban Gutiérrez, and Kevin Magnussen. The Dane also failed to complete any valid laps due to an issue with his propulsion system. In Q3, the fastest after the first attempt was Lewis Hamilton. With the second attempt, his teammate Nico Rosberg sets a better time. However, Hamilton manages to reclaim the pole position. The second row is occupied by Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas. Sebastian Vettel, due to a gearbox issue, did not set any timed laps. Lewis Hamilton secures pole number 35, the 22nd for Mercedes. At the end of the session, Sebastian Vettel is forced to replace the gearbox, resulting in a five-place grid penalty. Mercedes dominates the official sessions of the Spanish Grand Prix: Hamilton is first, Rosberg second. A battle between the two is now open. And already because Rosberg was leading in all the official practices, only to be overtaken on the last lap. At Mercedes, they currently maintain:

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"We let them do as they please until they cause trouble, then we intervene".

 

This is the official line for now. But that "then" doesn't sound good because it might be too late. Already on Saturday afternoon, at the end of the qualifiers, the two drivers don't even look at each other during the post-qualifying weigh-in phases, and then they ignore each other during the press conference. Rosberg knows that Hamilton is faster and is taking away the role of the prodigy in his team, on which he has invested everything. This is the only thing to say because otherwise, these trials are deadly boring, as the Red Bulls break down with every sneeze, and Ferrari struggles. And already because behind the terrible Mercedes pair we find Ricciardo, Bottas, and Grosjean, then the Ferrari drivers activate, with Raikkonen sixth and Alonso seventh. A really meager harvest to hope for an attacking race for the podium. And already because now in F1, you only race for that: the first and second places are reserved for the two Mercedes. Two seconds behind Mercedes, and half the grid in front of Raikkonen and Alonso. These qualifications for the Spanish Grand Prix are, perhaps, the lowest point in the last five seasons for Ferrari. The only positive thing is that doing worse than this will be difficult.

 

"The circuit favors us".

 

Alonso had declared on Thursday.

 

"In China, we will bring some novelties, but the real turning point will be in Spain".

 

They made a promise to Ferrari after the Malaysian Grand Prix. However, when they hit the track, the talk was swept away. Not only by Mercedes, which managed to improve what seemed unimprovable, but also by Red Bull, which approached the Anglo-German team, by Williams, which regained some speed, and even by Lotus, which is notoriously in a pre-bankruptcy state. At the end of the day, the Spaniard's comment is nothing short of laconic:

 

"The new parts we brought to the track almost all worked. But unfortunately, the same can be said by our opponents. So the situation has remained unchanged from before".

 

In short, the dreams of glory have disappeared, and now it's just a race between Hamilton and Rosberg:

 

"The one who has made fewer retirements in the end will win".

 

The Samurai no longer tweets. Once upon a time, he fought barehanded against opponents armed to the teeth and much stronger than him, promising revenge and triumphs. Today, no. Today, he is silent, lost. The Samurai - the two million followers on Twitter know it well - is Fernando Alonso's digital alter ego, the voice that guided the Spanish champion in the worst moments. For some time now, however, it has shown no signs of life; it has given up. And the impression is that he is not alone. There is something melancholic in Fernando Alonso's voice and eyes. You see him like this, while he explains in a calm tone that it is normal for his Ferrari to be two seconds behind Mercedes, and you wonder: what happened to that proud and ambitious boy who was amused to see his talent mortified by an unsuitable car? Jaime Rodriguez, the Spanish journalist who has been following Alonso for El Mundo since the beginning of his career, undoubtedly one of the best in the paddock, has given himself an answer, and the impression is that he has not been wrong too much:

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"Fernando loves to drive, but the thirteen seasons in F1 are starting to weigh on him, and the motivations are decreasing. Hotels, routine, chatter. The adventure with the Red team did not go as he had predicted, and disappointment pushes him to seriously consider his immediate future. In short, he is in the midst of a reflection process".

 

The Mundo article does not appear in Ferrari's usually detailed press review. And this, too, is probably an important sign behind which lies, Freudianly, a refusal to accept the situation. Moreover, Montezemolo had been clear on Friday when asked about Alonso's dissatisfaction.

 

"I am interested in the team, not the driver".

 

A logical statement that hides two problems: the first is that the team is literally in shambles, the second is that the driver can't take it anymore. He thinks and knows he is the best around, but he also knows that with this Ferrari, the real chances of winning another World Championship, for a 33-year-old driver, are very low. In recent months, Alonso has settled in Dubai, the ideal climate to prepare for the Asian Grand Prix, but also the right place to take a break from Europe. He has trained, participated incognito in some kart races, and distracted himself with jet skis. But, above all, he has reflected: on one hand, he has a contract with Ferrari until 2016 with a renewal proposal. On the other hand, he also has an offer from McLaren, dreaming of a future as a protagonist with Honda. In between, there is him, his tiredness, his disappointment, and his desire to think about something else. Quitting F1, for the first time since he was born, is an option. There is a cycling team to dedicate himself to (the next few weeks decisive for the start of the project), maybe Le Mans. In the end, he will certainly remain in F1, if only for the millions that only the circus can promise. But certainly, if the season continues like this, with this Via Crucis that promises to be long and painful, the chances that Alonso decides to sacrifice the last years of his career to the myth of Ferrari are very few. On Sunday, May 11, 2014, the 66-lap Spanish Grand Prix took place in the afternoon starting from 2:00 p.m. Overnight rain has made the track damp, though it is sunny and warm before the race. The air temperature ranges between 21 °C and 23 °C, and the track temperature fluctuates from 34 °C to 37 °C. Conditions are forecasted to remain consistent with no rain. 91,480 spectators are in attendance. Autosport theorizes that making three stops would be the optimal strategy, but drivers stopping twice would give them better track position. Every driver, except Vergne, begins on the medium compound tire. 

 

Hamilton makes a clear start to lead the field entering the first corner. Bottas overtakes Ricciardo for third, and Rosberg holds him off. Fifth-placed Grosjean locks his front wheels but blocks a pass from Räikkönen at the turn four hairpin. At turn 14, Button puts his teammate Magnussen wide into a gravel trap, but the latter continues after contact with Vettel. At the end of the first lap, Hamilton leads Rosberg by 1.1 seconds with Bottas the same deficit adrift in third. Hamilton began to pull away from the rest of the field, extending the lead over his teammate Rosberg to two seconds by the start of the fourth lap, with a further five seconds covering Bottas in third and the fourth-placed Ricciardo. In the meantime, Räikkönen defended his teammate Alonso. Maldonado and Ericsson make contact. On lap six, Red Bull advises Ricciardo to drop back from Bottas so that he does not put additional stress on his tires by driving in the aerodynamic turbulence created by the airflow of other cars for a long period of time. He uses DRS and turns right to attempt to pass Bottas into turn one on the next lap. Bottas has enough momentum to hold third position. Ricciardo radios Red Bull on lap eight he has decided that their suggestion is correct and falls back from Bottas. On lap nine, the stewards inform the Lotus team that Maldonado incurs a five-second stop-and-go penalty for his contact with Ericsson on lap three and has to serve it at his first pit stop. Button runs wide on lap 12 and holds off Vettel, who is called by Red Bull into the pit lane for the first of three pit stops at the end of the lap. He has the hard compound tires installed onto his car and emerges in 21st, behind Chilton and ahead of Ericsson with less congestion. Ricciardo entered the pit lane for the medium compound tires at the conclusion of lap 14 in an attempt to pass Bottas and stay on a two-stop strategy. 

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Williams elects not to bring Bottas into the pit lane in response and keeps him on track to maintain a consistent pace without sustaining rear tire degradation. On the 16th lap, Kobayashi blocked Vettel from passing him before turn nine for 19th. Vettel tries again at the following corner and is successful this time round. After Massa has made his pit stop the lap before, Alonso asks Ferrari to bring him into the pit lane as his rear tires are worn after the battle with his teammate Räikkönen. The team refuses until lap 16 since there are no significant gaps in traffic. That means Räikkönen enters the pit lane a lap later than Alonso and remains narrowly ahead – partly because Alonso is baulked by Sutil. Rosberg lowered the deficit to Hamilton to 1.6 seconds by the time of his teammate's first pit stop at the end of lap 18 for the medium compound tires and a minor front wing angle adjustment. Ricciardo draws to within 12 seconds of Bottas, and when the latter makes his first stop two laps later, Ricciardo moves past Bottas, who rejoins the track narrowly ahead of Grosjean. Rosberg is confused when his engineer Tony Ross calls him into the pit lane at the end of lap 21 for the hard compound tires because he believes he would have a new set of medium compound tires. He rejoins almost four seconds behind his teammate Hamilton, who is told by radio to increase the gap over the next 20 laps. On lap 24, Räikkönen attempts to pass Grosjean on the right into the first corner for fifth, but he runs deep, and Grosjean keeps the place. He tries again into the same turn on the next lap and passes Grosjean, whose motor–generator unit kinetic partially fails. On lap 25, Vergne retired in the pit lane with a broken exhaust. During the same lap, Grosjean locks his tires into turn ten and allows Alonso to challenge him. Alonso uses DRS to pass Grosjean on the inside for sixth before turn one on lap 26. At the front, Hamilton struggles with first over- then understeer on his car. Massa makes his second pit stop for the hard compound tires on lap 28, meaning Vettel's aerodynamics cannot be affected by other cars negatively. Vettel catches Grosjean by lap 32 but enters the pit lane for his second pit stop to switch onto the medium compound tires because he believes he cannot pass the latter on the track. He rejoins the race in 14th. Two laps later, a front-left brake failure puts Kobayashi onto the turn one run-off area but avoids hitting the wall. He enters the pit lane to retire from the event. Ferrari brings Alonso into the pit lane on the 35th lap in response to Vettel's earlier pit stop. 

 

He emerges in tenth, just ahead of Massa. Alonso overtakes Magnussen into turn one with DRS for ninth on lap 36, and Vettel passes Massa for eleventh on the next lap. On lap 40, Massa uses DRS to pass Magnussen for tenth before the first turn. At the end of lap 42, Hamilton ignores an instruction from Mercedes to enter the pit lane and asks for further adjustments to his front wing to counter a possible oversteer with a new set of tires. He enters the pit lane on the following lap for the hard compound tires, but the stop is problematic: Hamilton's pit crew has difficulty installing the right-rear wheel, and he is stationary for 4.3 seconds. Rosberg leads for two laps before his second pit stop for the medium compound tires on the 45th lap. He begins gaining on his teammate Hamilton, who questions the decision to bring him into the pit lane before Rosberg. On lap 49, Pérez passed his teammate Hülkenberg for ninth. Three laps later, Vettel entered the pit lane for his second pit stop. Alonso responds by making a pit stop for the medium-compound tires a lap later. As Alonso exits the pit lane, Vettel overtakes him on the outside for sixth into turn one. An oversteer for Räikkönen leaving turn nine slows him on the back straight and allows Vettel to pass him braking at the turn ten hairpin for fifth. Rosberg is less than a second behind his teammate Hamilton by lap 59 and uses DRS. However, Hamilton is within a second of Button entering the final corner and uses DRS to cancel out Rosberg's pace. It is around this point Hamilton switches to a higher-powered engine mode forbidden for use by Mercedes to improve his performance and keep Rosberg behind. As Rosberg returns to DRS range on lap 62, Alonso overtakes his teammate Räikkönen between turns three and four for sixth after a short duel. Later that lap, Vettel passed Bottas on the outside for fourth at the turn ten hairpin. Hamilton locks his wheels braking for turn ten and runs wide on lap 65, allowing his teammate Rosberg to attempt an unsuccessful pass. He leads Rosberg by six-tenths of a second on the final lap, who attempts a pass with DRS but locks his tires at turn ten, allowing Hamilton to take his fourth win in succession in 2014 and the 26th of his career. Ricciardo comes third for his first career podium finish, and his teammate Vettel is fourth. Bottas comes fifth, and Alonso and Räikkönen are sixth and seventh. Grosjean earns Lotus' first points of the season in eighth. 

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Pérez and Hülkenberg complete the top ten. The final finishers are Button, Magnussen, Massa, Kvyat, Maldonado, Gutiérrez, Sutil, Bianchi, Chilton, and Ericsson. Mercedes dominates again: first Hamilton, second Rosberg. And that was expected. What, however, appears terribly clear is that the superiority of the Anglo-German cars is embarrassing: just a few more laps, and the two cars could have lapped everyone. The British driver secured his fourth consecutive victory and the 25th in his career, now relegating his formidable teammate to a supporting role. Third is Daniel Ricciardo in the Red Bull, ahead of his teammate Sebastian Vettel. This is somewhat miraculous considering that Vettel, due to a gearbox change, started in fifteenth position but made a spectacular comeback. With this victory, Lewis Hamilton takes the lead in the championship standings (now at 100 points), surpassing Nico Rosberg, who is now trailing at 97 points.

 

"It's encouraging to have won in Spain. Like in Bahrain, I felt really good after the victory, but I know what I have, and it shouldn't have been such a close fight. That's what I'm working on. The Grand Prix where I finished ahead, like Malaysia and China, should be (always) like that. In Spain and Bahrain, he was faster. Even though I finished the race in front, and it's positive because I know I can perform well under pressure, but in the end, he was faster. I'm not negative; it's just that I'm a perfectionist. Most people would say: Yeah, I won the race. Even if the other was right behind, I won the race. But I should have been faster. It shouldn't have been so tough. As I said, I'm seeking perfection. It's not that I'm not happy. I had a fantastic day in Spain, a fantastic weekend, even though I struggled in qualifying and almost lost (the pole). But I managed to pull out a really good lap and got the pole. That's a really positive aspect, but it was a risky lap. In the race, I managed to stay ahead, and I did a great job. But I want to do better, and that's what I want to achieve".

 

The British driver continues:

 

"It's been a long process. Obviously, last year, when I asked to change something, it took time because everyone was focused on another goal, which was the pursuit of more aerodynamic load. And I think all this took a considerable amount of time. Michael had a different driving style than mine and different needs. In fact, he used a different setup and seating position. I believe that Michael and Nico had taken the same path in search of balance, while I need slightly different things, so I think I've created a kind of hybrid setting. Nico met me halfway, so now we need the same things from the car. Last year, we worked on the simulator analysing data regarding the force applied to the pedal during braking, the master cylinder, the position of the components, different materials, focusing on every setting of the system. For example, I asked to go beyond and develop different software, which I now use and has helped me with the new type of brakes and everything else".

 

Speaking about his teammate, Lewis Hamilton says:

 

"I wasn't fast enough today, Nico was faster than me. I struggled a lot with the balance; I had to rely a lot on my engineers to understand the gap and where I could find time or make adjustments. I kept moving the levers up and down trying to find some extra time; fortunately, Nico was behind because he was faster than me this weekend".

 

For Lewis Hamilton, it's his first victory in Spain:

 

"Obviously getting my first win here after trying for eight years, really difficult to sum up with words, the feeling when you come to a race and get a result like this. I've never had a car like this or an advantage like this over everyone else. Nico did a fantastic job today; he was very fast. It was really hard to keep him behind, and I'm grateful that I managed to do it. I feel incredibly fortunate not only for myself but for all the guys in the team for all the work they've done for years and since I arrived. For me, being able to enjoy every moment, every step of the way is really great. Today our boss was here, so it was very nice because every time he came last year, we always had a bad race, so it was really important to have a good race for him to try to get rid of this bad luck, this negative tradition, he thought he brought. So I'm really happy for the team for what we did today".

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On his part, Nico Rosberg simply says:

 

"Lewis is just a human being, with his strengths and weaknesses, and I know what I can do".

 

And regarding Lewis Hamilton's superiority, the German driver admits:

 

"Did he mentally destroy me? I think I'll have to fight with this aspect".

 

But Toto Wolff reassures him, saying:

 

"We have a problem with Nico's car. It seems to be related to the clutch. We expected some improvement in Barcelona, but the updates didn't work as we expected. At this point, we need to review this whole special project for Monaco because it will be quite crucial there".

 

And the Ferraris? A disaster. They finished with gaps more suitable for a mountain stage than Formula 1. One minute and twenty-seven seconds behind the Mercedes. Thirty seconds behind the Red Bull. Eight and a half seconds behind Williams. Raikkonen was lapped by both Hamilton and Rosberg. Alonso sixth behind Bottas. Pat Fry says:

 

"This challenging weekend for both the team and the drivers concluded with a less-than-spectacular race, where unfortunately we lacked the pace to gain positions compared to the grid lineup. Given the difficulty of overtaking on this circuit, the start could have made a difference, but the positions remained more or less unchanged throughout the field. While fuel consumption did not pose significant problems, tire degradation heavily influenced the race from start to finish. Behind the two Mercedes, lap times among various teams were very similar, and as a result, the likelihood of executing or falling victim to undercuts, along with traffic management, prevailed over strategic choices. Certainly, the gap to the leaders is not a surprise, and it doesn't discourage us from the work ahead to improve our car. Now, we will try to make the most of the two testing days scheduled this week here in Montmelo to continue developing the F14 T, aiming to provide our drivers with a more competitive package". 

 

Fernando Alonso adds: 

 

"This year, the gap to Mercedes is incredible. We need to focus on securing second place in the championship, if possible. Mercedes is in a different league. I think we need to work better and have a better car at Ferrari. We have the potential, we have talented people, so we can do it together. We can do it this season. It will be tough since we are so far behind, not just us, but everyone. But we are only in the fifth race of the championship, and our task is to make things difficult for Mercedes because when they have a big advantage, they don't put their mechanical side under pressure. We would have liked to fight for first and second place, but unfortunately, today we weren't fast enough; in the end, we followed different strategies, and I managed to pass him. We would have preferred to fight for first and second place, but we haven't closed the gap, and we need to do it in the next couple of races. Certainly, here in my home race, I would have liked to do better, but I knew from the start that it would be difficult; we had a pace too slow compared to the leaders, and not being able to recover at the start didn't help. The gap that separates us is not news, and today's result confirms that our opponents are strong both in terms of performance and reliability, but as long as mathematics allows, we want to believe and do our best to recover".

 

The Spanish Grand Prix, traditionally used as a benchmark to understand the true value of the cars, has delivered its verdict: the F14T is a total failure, and the 2014 season risks being the worst for Ferrari in the last twenty years. From 1994 (Berger at Hockenheim) until now, it had never happened that Ferrari did not win at least one race. This circumstance, seen from this gloomy Spanish afternoon, seems destined to occur: it is really not clear how such gaps can be recovered by the men from Maranello, who - excluding Marco Mattiacci - are the same ones who produced this disaster. But the record low is likely to be a secondary problem for Ferrari. 

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The real drama is the image because Formula 1 represents the primary promotional vehicle for the Italian company.

 

"A strategic sector that is fundamental for us".

 

Explains Montezemolo. And with the World Championship already finished after the fifth race, the rest of the season is turning into a slow agony. It already happened last year when, halfway through the season, Scuderia Ferrari decided to stop developing the car to prepare for the redemption of 2014. Thus began a dramatic series of humiliating races, hosted in countries considered strategic for the luxury and automotive markets. This year, it's happening again. Redemption has not occurred. On the contrary, if possible, the technical gap from the top has become even more insurmountable, with the aggravating factor that there is no Red Bull in front, but Mercedes' competitors. Just take a few steps in the paddock, where a mocking hand places the motorhomes of the two teams next to each other, to get an idea of what is happening. In Ferrari, the atmosphere is very tense. And apart from the drivers, forced by the FIA, not a single responsible person is willing to show their face, answer a question, or explain what is happening. Luca Montezemolo has disappeared. Marco Mattiacci, who has seen him? Pat Fry is somewhere having tea. James Allison is perhaps in Maranello studying the 2015 car. They say it's not a team in disarray; certainly, if there is leadership, at this moment, it is well hidden. A few metres away, instead, it was the festival of interviews. Toto Wolff, the team principal, explained to BBC and Sky the usual story - well-concocted by marketing - that the secret of success is hidden in the Brixworth factory and in synergy with the parent company in Stuttgart, alluding to the fact that the technological splendours of the 1.6 turbo engine mounted on Hamilton and Rosberg's cars are essentially the same that will soon end up under the hoods of road cars, available in dealerships. The real problem, Ferrari's great fear, is that scenes like this, with Maranello's cars being lapped by Mercedes, may be repeated every Sunday until the end of the season, in front of the world's most relevant markets, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Russia. And that, in short, the Formula 1 World Championship could turn into the greatest commercial ever made by an automaker.

 

"I have to clarify something with the team".

 

On the day of Mercedes' triumph (fifth consecutive victory, four consecutive one-two finishes) at the Montmelo circuit, with Lewis Hamilton stronger than teammate Nico Rosberg and poised to win the World Championship already on the fifth day, and the Ferrari disaster, with Kimi Raikkonen lapped and Fernando Alonso only sixth, the first controversy of the season erupts within the Maranello team. Complaining is none other than Kimi Raikkonen, visibly penalised compared to Fernando Alonso by a strategically incomprehensible choice. The case explodes during the race, with a radio communication in which the Finn asks who is responsible for the choice of condemning him to two stops (Alonso made three).

 

"Not that it would have made a big difference, considering that we still ended up far from the others. But indeed, I would like to clarify this matter".

 

Raikkonen's impression is that the team decided to adopt two different strategies and chose to give him, who was ahead at that moment, the second choice. Alonso, when questioned, says:

 

"They told me that Sebastian Vettel was on a three-stop strategy, so I decided to go for three stops as well".

 

Many, last year, upon hearing the news of Raikkonen's hiring, had predicted moments of tension like these. 

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But no one had anticipated that two of the world's strongest drivers would quarrel over sixth place. The Spaniard explains:

 

"At the moment, this is the maximum we can aspire to, and it will be the same in Monaco as well. Mercedes is in another category, and Red Bull is also ahead of us. We have nothing left but to stay focused and work as much as possible. Despite all the problems we have, we are still third in the Constructors' World Championship".

 

After the Spanish Grand Prix, Ferrari is restarting from a week of double work, concentrated between Maranello and Barcelona, ​​where the fifth test session of 2014 will take place with Kimi Raikkonen. President Montezemolo emphasised on Friday in Montmelo that the work done so far has not lived up to Ferrari's ambitions, and it is from this dual commitment that he wants the team to restart, with the intention of boosting the performance of the F14T after a challenging start to the season. Marco Mattiacci, the team principal of Scuderia Ferrari, is, of course, involved in these issues. A month after taking office, he continued his work of analysis and evaluation of the team and its working methods.

 

"Today, we are all aware of the situation we are in and that an immediate change of pace is needed; at the same time, we are practical people, we believe in hard work, and we set challenging goals. I like to speak with facts; we have two extremely motivated and combative drivers and a cohesive team that has fully shared and supported the idea of ​​opening and building a new winning cycle".

 

If Spain highlighted some of the F14T's shortcomings, the technical corrections on which the team's engineers are working are equally clear, with method and without hysteria, both for the short term and to set development programs for future races. The two test days at the Montmelo circuit will be useful to continue with the update plan, along with behind-the-scenes work in Maranello, hoping that the team's double commitment will soon pay off. On Tuesday, May 13, 2014, the Formula 1 day was divided between the track, with tests at Montmelo, and the courtroom: Bernie Ecclestone's position becomes more serious, as he is charged with corruption in Munich. It is a complicated day for Kimi Raikkonen in Barcelona. The Finn is forced to return to the pits after a few turns due to a power unit failure and then returns to action in the afternoon. On the agenda, revised due to the long wait required for the replacement of the power unit and then the floor following a spin in turn 4, are some chassis tests, performed with Soft and Medium tires. Raikkonen will be on the track again on Wednesday, the second and last day of testing. The fastest is, surprisingly, Max Chilton, driving the Marussia. The drivers find a wet track and significantly lower temperatures than during the race. Chilton, at the end of the day, with the track in better condition, set a time of 1'26"434. He is followed by 0.227 seconds by Charles Pic's Lotus, which uses Soft tires for its best time. Lewis Hamilton, long leading the timesheet, settles for the third-best time, 0.240 seconds behind, but using Medium tires. Fourth time for Kimi Raikkonen, 0.5 seconds behind. Meanwhile, the position of Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone worsens, as he is on trial in Munich for corruption related to the sale of the majority of the Circus rights to the Cvc investment fund. 

 

The main accuser of the British manager, banker Gerhard Gribkowsky, in his deposition, tells the court in detail of a previously unknown attempted corruption, for $80.000.000. Bernie Ecclestone, according to Gribkowsky, offered to pay that amount during a meeting in Singapore. According to Gribkowsky, Ecclestone gave the impression of knowing many people in the Asian city, including the police president: that would have been an initial attempt to verify the banker's corruption. Ecclestone, still present in the courtroom, has the deposition of Gribkowsky translated word for word, shaking his head several times. According to the Briton, the money transfer between the two would have been the result of blackmail: the former BayernLB banker, the institute that managed the Circus rights after the end of tycoon Leo Kirch's empire, had threatened to report Ecclestone to the British tax authorities for a millionaire evasion. The Munich prosecutor's office accuses Ecclestone of bribing the banker with $44.000.000 to secure the sale of Formula 1 rights to Cvc in 2006. Gribkowsky has already been sentenced in a previous trial to eight and a half years in prison for corruption and embezzlement related to the same case. The BayernLB is also involved, seeking €400.000.000 in compensation from Ecclestone: the Bavarian institute is convinced that, without the agreement between the two, it would have sold the rights at a significantly higher price.


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