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Team ratings Spanish GP | McLaren and Ferrari disappoint badly
Qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix was a special one, as the top six included six different teams (although Pierre Gasly later received a grid penalty). A day later, however, the pecking order was a very different one at the drop of the flag. Which teams rose above themselves, and which teams underperformed? GPblog shares the ratings.
Red Bull Racing - 9.5
Max Verstappen was half a second faster than second place in qualifying, and that could have been as much as seven to eight-tenths had he finished his final run in Q3. The two-time world champion's lead in the race was 25 seconds, showing just how dominant the RB19 is. There was little to complain about Red Bull's strategy, and with two lightning-fast pit stops (2.07 seconds and 2.28 seconds), the pit crew had everything in order as well. The only reason that it did not become a one-two (or at least a double podium finish) is mainly due to Sergio Perez himself.
Mercedes - 9.0
Mercedes were on the podium with two drivers for the first time in 2023, so there was a 'maximum' score for the first time in Spain. Indeed, Toto Wolff and his team themselves say out loud that victory is simply not possible if the Red Bulls just do their thing. The updates on the W14 seem to be working well, and they take second place in the constructors' championship, overtaking Aston Martin thanks to the results in Barcelona.
Ferrari - 4.5
Ferrari were on the front row of the grid with Carlos Sainz, but that was their high point of the weekend. Sainz slumped through the field as his SF23 (again) burnt through its rubber. Qualifying with Charles Leclerc was a drama anyway with a P19, but the fact that he didn't even manage to finish in the points is pretty painful for the team from Maranello.
Aston Martin - 7.0
Aston Martin was not on the podium for the second time in seven GPs. Home hero Fernando Alonso threw away his chances of a good starting position by damaging his floor in his out-lap in qualifying, and a day later, the pace was again not there in the AMR23. Alonso finished seventh behind teammate Lance Stroll. They are fine points for Lawrence Stroll's team, but the fact that things went less well in Barcelona (which is seen as a real benchmark for many racing teams) is probably disappointing for the team itself as well.
Alpine - 7.0
No new podium finish for Alpine, but two drivers in the points again. Without the six-place grid penalty for Pierre Gasly, one car might have finished ahead of the Aston Martins. The French formation seemed to have the pace but still scored 'only' five points in the race. Incidentally, had it not been for Yuki Tsunoda's time penalty, Gasly would not have even finished in the points.
McLaren - 5.5
Admittedly, Lando Norris' qualifying in his MCL60 was impressive, with a third-place finish to their name. However, the young Briton threw away his chances by crashing into Lewis Hamilton, but that is not why McLaren scored so low. The team simply lacked race pace, and it is questionable whether the sixth place would've been possible for Norris. Oscar Piastri started from P9, drove lost and finished ingloriously in a lowly 13th place.
Alfa Romeo Racing - 8.0
The Alfa Romeo team doubled their points total thanks to a strong race by Guanyu Zhou. The Chinese driver crossed the line in ninth place, taking two important World Championship points, but what was going on with Valtteri Bottas and his car? The Finn finished 19th (!), while the C43 was apparently good enough for points. Where did it go wrong with the second car (or driver?)
AlphaTauri - 7.0
AlphaTauri initially seemed to be the team that would go from two to four points in the constructors' championship, but the aforementioned five-second time penalty for Yuki Tsunoda (after defending too fiercely against Zhou) threw a spanner in the works. A pity, as the Japanese driver was having a rock-solid weekend. The AT04 seems to be getting a bit more competitive, but Nyck de Vries, once again, failed to come through and remains pointless.
Haas - 4.5
It's a bit of a repetitive story. In qualifying, the Haas F1 car is willing, but as soon as it has to drive with a full tank, their pace drops off. The American racing team made multiple pit stops early in the race, and Nico Hulkenberg quickly dropped all the way through the field from seventh place. Kevin Magnussen finished at the back.
Williams - 3.5
Alexander Albon and Logan Sargeant knew prior to the race that it was going to be tough given an 18th and 19th starting position, and both drivers barely made an appearance during the race. Too slow, obviously.