Lewis Hamilton’s win streak was brought to a halt in the second Silverstone race of the season, so can the defending world champion make a return to winning ways in this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix?
Hamilton endured something of a nightmare start to the season as he failed to make the podium at the Austrian Grand Prix, but he responded in emphatic fashion over the next three races, turning pole position into victory on each occasion while also completing a pole position/fastest lap/race win treble in Hungary.
However, his most recent victory, in the British Grand Prix, did offer a glimpse of the disappointment that would come in last weekend’s 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at the Northamptonshire circuit. Hamilton had to contend with a wrecked tire during the final lap of the first race of the Silverstone double-header and had his tyre blown up any earlier he could have been pipped to the chequered flag by Max Verstappen. He held on to win though, but tyre issues plagued him once again a week ago and that presented Verstappen with the opportunity to finally claim his first race win of the season.
Verstappen took it and although he was able to limit the damage by finishing second, Hamilton admitted afterwards that he is ‘keeping an eye’ on the Red Bull man in the race to be crowned world champion this season. If the Dutchman can make it back-to-back wins on Sunday he will certainly send a message to the reigning world champion, but I expect it will be ‘business as usual’ for Hamilton and Mercedes at the Circuit de Catalunya, a track they have dominated at in recent years.
Hamilton has won this race in each of the last three seasons and has turned pole into victory in the last two. He has also recorded the fastest lap in two of those three victories, so I am backing the British star to shine on Saturday and Sunday to get back to winning ways in the best possible fashion.
Circuit Guide
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was first opened back in 1991 and that same year it hosted the Spanish Grand Prix for the first time. It has hosted this race ever since and it also serves as the track for winter testing, meaning drivers and teams are very familiar with the track. Since it was first opened the course has undergone alterations and the 2.892-mile track now features one of the longest straights in Formula 1 as well as a variety of different corners that can prove to be challenging when conditions are windy. Michael Schumacher is the most successful Formula 1 driver in the history of this circuit, winning the Spanish Grand Prix at Catalunya on no less than six occasions, while Lewis Hamilton is the most successful active driver having won the race in three consecutive seasons between 2017 and 2019 to take his career haul to four Catalunya victories.
Location: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
Number of Laps: 66
Lap Length: 2.892 miles
Lap Record: Daniel Ricciardo, 1 minute, 18.441 (2018)
Spanish Grand Prix Winners
YEAR | WINNER | TEAM | CIRCUIT |
1913 | Carlos de Salamanca | Rolls-Royce | Guadarrama |
1923 | Alberto Divo | Sunbeam | Sitges-Terramar |
1926 | Bartolomeo Costantini | Bugatti | Lasarte |
1927 | Robert Benoist | Delage | Lasarte |
1928 | Louis Chiron | Bugatti | Lasarte |
1929 | Louis Chiron | Bugatti | Lasarte |
1933 | Louis Chiron | Alfa Romeo | Lasarte |
1934 | Luigi Fagioli | Mercedes-Benz | Lasarte |
1935 | Rudolf Caracciola | Mercedes-Benz | Lasarte |
1951 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Alfa Romeo | Pedralbes |
1954 | Mike Hawthorn | Ferrari | Pedralbes |
1967 | Jim Clark | Lotus-Cosworth | Jarama |
1968 | Graham Hill | Lotus-Ford | Jarama |
1969 | Jackie Stewart | Matra-Ford | Montjuic |
1970 | Jackie Stewart | March-Ford | Jarama |
1971 | Jackie Stewart | Tyrell-Ford | Montjuic |
1972 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Lotus-Ford | Jarama |
1973 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Lotus-Ford | Montjuic |
1974 | Niki Lauda | Ferrara | Jarama |
1975 | Jochen Mass | McLaren-Ford | Jarama |
1976 | James Hunt | McLaren-Ford | Jarama |
1977 | Mario Andretti | Lotus-Ford | Jarama |
1978 | Mario Andretti | Lotus-Ford | Jarama |
1979 | Patrick Depailler | Ligier-Ford | Jarama |
1980 | Alan Jones | Williams-Ford | Jarama |
1981 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | Jarama |
1986 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus-Renault | Jerez |
1987 | Nigel Mansell | Williams-Honda | Jerez |
1988 | Alain Prost | McLaren-Honda | Jerez |
1989 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren-Honda | Jerez |
1990 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | Jerez |
1991 | Nigel Mansell | Williams-Renault | Catalunya |
1992 | Nigel Mansell | Williams-Renault | Catalunya |
1993 | Alain Prost | Williams-Renault | Catalunya |
1994 | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | Catalunya |
1995 | Michael Schumacher | Benetton-Renault | Catalunya |
1996 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | Catalunya |
1997 | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault | Catalunya |
1998 | Mika Hakkinen | McLaren-Mercedes | Catalunya |
1999 | Mika Hakkinen | McLaren-Mercedes | Catalunya |
2000 | Mika Hakkinen | McLaren-Mercedes | Catalunya |
2001 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | Catalunya |
2002 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | Catalunya |
2003 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | Catalunya |
2004 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | Catalunya |
2005 | Kimi Raikkonen | McLaren | Catalunya |
2006 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | Catalunya |
2007 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | Catalunya |
2008 | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | Catalunya |
2009 | Jenson Button | Brawn | Catalunya |
2010 | Mark Webber | Red Bull | Catalunya |
2011 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull | Catalunya |
2012 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams | Catalunya |
2013 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | Catalunya |
2014 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Catalunya |
2015 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | Catalunya |
2016 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | Catalunya |
2017 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Catalunya |
2018 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Catalunya |
2019 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Catalunya |