The developments of the single-seaters at the Barcelona reveal

The return to Europe is traditionally an opportunity for the teams F1 to bring the first major salvo of developments to their car after the first Grands Prix of the season.

On the Barcelona track, the formations will also be able to have a certain comparison with the data collected during the winter testing sessions.

“Coming back to Barcelona will be an opportunity to see how much we have improved the car since winter testing, Explain Esteban Ocon, Force India driver. It’s a track that shows your strengths and weaknesses because there’s nowhere to hide. It's all about aero performance and having confidence. »

“This will be the first big test in 2017, precise for its part Romain Grosjean. How the year goes will be primarily dictated by the updates and performance brought to the car.

I think the car that was on pole in Melbourne, if you take it to Abu Dhabi at the end of the year, I'm not even sure it would make it to Q2. The developments this year will be important. »

No more degradation of Pirelli tires

Between the winter runs and this spring event, the increased performance of the single-seaters, coupled with temperatures which could be milder, should place additional constraints on the Pirelli tires.

“The aerodynamic developments of the single-seaters, as well as the latest improvements which have been made to them for Spain, will generate a certain gain in performance, but a level of degradation following the same trend, if we compare with the winter tests. » recognizes Mario Isola, head of Pirelli Racing.

In anticipation, the Italian manufacturer has chosen to bring its three hardest compounds to its F1 range, namely the hard tires, which will debut in 2017, medium and soft.

A choice which, however, leaves some concerns for certain pilots, such as Daniel Ricciardo recently expressed it.