The drivers have had little time to rest after the Monaco Grand Prix, as this weekend's Spanish GP is already upon us. The Barcelona circuit is very familiar to the drivers, and in the first free practice session, all teams can immediately show where they stand. You can follow FP1 below via the liveblog.
F1 LIVE | FP1: Spanish Grand Prix
All drivers have already driven many hundreds of kilometres on the Spanish circuit, yet from this year on it will all be slightly different. The chicane in the last sector, before turning onto the straight, has been removed. Drivers now take the corner at full speed, which (in combination with DRS) should make overtaking easier. In addition, teams didn't visit Barcelona for pre-season testing in 2023.
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Official: Verstappen with updates, Aston Martin made lots of changes
Updates in Barcelona
Max Verstappen's RB19 features modified floor surrounds and a modified diffuser. Ferrari has changed a few things about the rear wing and, in addition, a new floor has been developed that will be driven. The sidepods have also been taken in hand. Aston Martin have mainly taken care of the front end of the AMR23, while Mercedes has tinkered with the diffuser and (as in Monaco) the sidepods.
The chances of rain in the first free practice is not that high. Weather forecasts say there is about a 10-15 per cent chance of rain.