2014 Spanish Grand Prix

Championship standings

Rosberg leads the Drivers’ Championship with 79 points, four ahead of Hamilton in second. Alonso is third with 41 points. Hülkenberg holds fourth on 36, with Vettel fifth on 33. Mercedes lead the Constructors’ with 154 points, Red Bull second on 57, Force India third on 54.

Previous race

Hamilton won in China to make it three victories in a row, leading every lap from pole. He and Rosberg crossed the line first and second, while Alonso recovered from a mid-race strategy call to take third — the first Ferrari podium of 2014. The race result was officially declared at the end of lap 54 after the chequered flag was shown one lap early due to a marshalling error.

Car upgrades

Several teams bring aerodynamic revisions to Barcelona. Red Bull have added a duct near the rear tyres to redirect airflow and improve underfloor efficiency, and fitted Vettel with a new chassis. Ferrari revert to a single-pillar rear wing support on the centreline to reduce airflow disturbance and increase downforce. Force India debut new rear wing mainplane and endplates on both cars. McLaren have altered the rear bodywork to house a revised rear suspension arm, with new front wing endplates. Sauber introduce a modified front wing, new sidepod fins, revised engine cover and deflectors. Lotus bring new engine mapping, updated cooling and a revised rear wing.

Track changes

Following last year’s race, the kerb on the approach to turn one was renewed with asphalt behind it extended. The kerbs at turns nine and twelve were replaced and the artificial grass beside them extended. The 7-metre gravel trap at the outside of turn eleven has been replaced with asphalt.

Entrants

Giedo van der Garde drives Gutiérrez’s Sauber in FP1 for the third time in 2014. Felipe Nasr uses Bottas’s Williams for FP1 for the third race in succession.

Tyre choices

Pirelli brings the white-banded medium compound as the prime and the orange-banded hard as the option.

Practice

Hamilton was fastest in FP1 with a 1:27.023, 0.868 seconds clear of Button in second. During the session Sutil lost control at turn nine, van der Garde’s brakes failed on approach to turn one (he avoided the wall), and Vettel stopped at turn six with a damaged wiring loom — restricting him to no running in FP2 while the team repaired it. Hamilton set the day’s fastest lap in FP2 at 1:25.524 on medium compound tyres, with Rosberg second. Chilton locked his tyres and got stuck in the turn four gravel trap and later in turn five. In FP3, Rosberg set the fastest time at 1:25.887. Chilton again got stuck in the gravel at turn five.