2018 Spanish Grand Prix

Championship standings

Lewis Hamilton leads Sebastian Vettel by four points in the Drivers’ Championship. Ferrari lead Mercedes by four points in the Constructors’.

Previous race

Hamilton won in Baku after Bottas led but retired on the penultimate lap with a puncture. Vettel, running second to Bottas at the safety car restart, locked up on cold tyres at turn 1 and went wide, dropping to fourth. Räikkönen finished second, Pérez third.

Track changes

The circuit has been resurfaced over the winter, with a new run-off area installed at turn 12. Formula One cars broke the lap record during February testing on the new surface. Several drivers have been critical of the changes; Hamilton called the resurfacing “a waste of money,” saying the track had “lost its character.”

Car upgrades

Several teams introduce their first major chassis updates of the season, particularly Red Bull and McLaren. Ferrari trials halo-mounted rear-view mirrors with additional fins, which are controversial; stewards are investigating whether the fins constitute aerodynamic devices in an area where such development is banned. Ferrari are permitted to continue running the design in Spain given the impracticality of converting the chassis before the race.

Between-race developments

Williams appealed the three-place grid penalty given to Sirotkin for causing collisions on the opening lap of the Azerbaijani Grand Prix, arguing the penalty was disproportionate. The appeal was rejected: the stewards found Williams had presented no new evidence, and that other drivers’ ability to continue racing did not offset Sirotkin’s role in the incidents.

Entrants

Robert Kubica replaces Sirotkin at Williams for FP1, marking Kubica’s first appearance at a Grand Prix since the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He was absent from the sport after an arm injury in a 2011 rally accident.

Penalties

Sirotkin carries a three-place grid penalty from the Azerbaijani Grand Prix for causing avoidable accidents on the opening lap.

Practice

Hartley crashed heavily in FP3, snapping his car’s rear end in two. He was unable to take part in qualifying but was cleared to race.