2022 Spanish Grand Prix Predictions & Race Preview
Track Preview
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmelo will host the sixth race in this year’s Formula 1 calendar. Since 1991, the race has been run on this track every season, and Lewis Hamilton has won every time in the last five years.
It is interesting to mention that Max Verstappen drove his first race for Red Bull in Barcelona in 2016 when he sensationally came to victory even though he started from the fourth position.
The track in Montmelo is characterized by the fact that there is not much space to overtake, so the result in the qualifying is very important for race classification.
The course length is 4,675 kilometers and the scheduled distance is 66 laps. Track in Barcelona will have 16 corners, while two DRS zones are planned for this race, but overtaking is realistic only at the main straight.
Can anyone surprise Ferrari and Red Bull in Spain?
In the first five races of the season, Ferrari and Red Bull have imposed themselves as the two dominant forces and it doesn’t look like that will change this season. Max Verstappen won three times, while Charles Leclerc recorded two triumphs.
Looking at the “second drivers” of the best teams, Sergio Perez has done a better job than Carlos Sainz so far. The Spaniard had bad luck in a few races and maybe it’s time to change that on his home track.
What is certain is that all teams bring upgrades for this race. Alpine and Aston Martin have announced big improvements from Spain, while Mercedes is also expected to bring a new package.
Progress is also expected by the best teams (Ferrari and Red Bull), so in Catalonia, we will see who has done the best job in the past period and who is able to correct the mistakes from the pre-season.
For some teams, this could be a real turning point in the season. If Mercedes, McLaren, or Alpine are not close to Ferrari and Red Bull in Barcelona either, it could very easily happen that they will soon shift their focus to developing cars for 2023.
Juri Vips gets his first F1 race weekend action in Spain 🤩
The @redbullracing junior will take the wheel of Sergio Perez’s RB18 in first practice#SpanishGP #F1 https://t.co/qOdQHVAkcR
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 19, 2022
Schedule
Friday
First free practice: 14:00-15:00
Second free practice: 17:00-18:00
Saturday
Third free practice: 13:00-14:00
Qualifying: 16:00-17:00
Sunday
Race: 15:00-17:00
Prediction
Pick: Valtteri Bottas in top6 – NO
Odds: 1.75
Bookmaker: 22Bet
Valtteri Bottas did a great job in the first five races of the season and surprisingly ranks eighth in the drivers standings. However, his car (Alfa Romeo) is objectively in sixth or seventh place in terms of quality, so it is not realistic to expect it to be continuously at the top8, not to talk about top6.
Bottas made the best result in Imola where he finished fifth, while in Bahrain he was sixth. He finished seventh in Miami and eighth in Australia. He did not finish the race in Saudi Arabia due to a malfunction.
Now, when upgrades will be brought by almost all teams and when Mercedes, McLaren, and Alpine should look better, it is not realistic that keep Alfa Romeo will keep themselves in top10 constantly.
Advices & Tips
Pick: Fernando Alonso in top10 – YES
Odds: 1.65
Fernando Alonso is the driver who has had the least luck so far this season and it’s time to change that. Had it not been for a series of unfortunate circumstances, he would probably now have at least 30 points in the championship, and instead, he collected only 2 points.
If he avoids a car breakdown, finishing in the top 10 should be the winning bet this weekend, and those a little braver can try with the option „Alonso to finish in the top 6“, the odds are 2.75.
Pick: Safety Car During Race – YES
Odds: 1.60
Since the cars are completely new this year and not all drivers have adjusted yet, mistakes are possible. We saw that in last few races.
The track in Barcelona has several places where due to a small mistake you can end up in the gravel which mostly leads to the exit of the safety car.
Pick: Carlos Sainz to win
Odds: 12.00
For the end, one crazy tip!
Carlos Sainz drives for Ferrari, one of two cars capable of winning races this season. He was most unlucky in the first five races and that sometimes has to change.
Sainz has never won race in his career and there is no doubt that it will happen sometime this season, it is just a question of when. Maybe Barcelona and his home track is the right place for something like that. Odds 12.00 is really a huge value for Sainz’s win. He will definitely end up at the top3.
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