BARCELONA: Formula One’s European season kicks off in Spain this weekend with Lewis Hamilton on a roll and ready to wrest the championship lead from Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg.
Hamilton has never won a grand prix in Spain but, after racking up three successive victories for the first time, the 2008 world champion can break new boundaries at the Circuit de Catalunya on Sunday.
“I’m in a good place right now and I’m hoping that this will be the year,” said the Briton, who is four points behind Rosberg despite winning three races to the German’s one.
“The circuit is fantastic, our car has performed well so far and I’m really looking forward to a good race.”
Rosberg was on pole in Spain last year but has also never won there. Barcelona, the fifth round of the 19-race season that ends in Abu Dhabi in November, could also see the first big shake-up of the pecking order after the opening ‘flyaways’ in Asia and the Middle East.
The return to the sport’s European roots, and its most fervent fans, sees the teams back in their palatial paddock ‘motorhomes’ and represents something of a fresh start.
All the teams plan to bring upgrades and Renault, who power Red Bull and their four times world champion Sebastian Vettel, are confident they can bring much more to the party after a difficult start to the season.
“There are significant improvements to the software that should further enhance driveability and therefore overall performance,” said Remi Taffin, Renault’s head of track operations.
“With three weeks between China and Spain we’ve made a huge amount of progress and in fact this race may well show that the ‘engine race’ is a lot closer.”
If that is the case, then predictions that Mercedes will run away with the season could be premature.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso won in Spain last year, from fifth on the grid, and arrives buoyed by his first podium appearance of the season in China last month.
The Spaniard, who also won his home race with Renault in 2006, can expect an improved car and huge support from the local crowd but Mercedes have not been standing still either.
The dominant team, who have taken every pole position so far and won every race, have also been working flat out to make their car even better.
“Our aim must be to increase the advantage we enjoyed in China,” said Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff. AFP
