Sauber is one of those teams that has made big changes over the past few weeks, and driver Pedro de la Rosa is confident the Ferrari-powered outfit can compete.
"For the Spanish Grand Prix, we will also have a new aero package in place," he told reporters. "I'm sure at the end of the race we will either be close to or in the points."
Think about that statement for a second. It is a bold one.
Over the past two grand prix events, Sauber drivers have combined to tally 15 total laps, and in the first four races this season, they have one finish. In fact, Sauber is the only team that also competed in 2009 that has not collected a single point this year, and it can be argued that the team has thus far been the worst of the 12 in competition. A team that is also in contention for that dubious honor, HRT, can at least claim a race where both Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna crossed the finish line (Malaysia). There are a few bright spots for Sauber, however. Kamui Kobayashi did qualify ninth on the grid in Malaysia, while de la Rosa's only finish of the season (Australia) was just five seconds behind the final point earner.
A few drivers must have had this race on their radar early in the season. Obviously, Fernando Alonso would love to win again in his home country. Alonso was victorious at Catalunya with Renault in 2006 -- by nearly 20 seconds over his closest competitor. He is a strong favorite to win again this year. A victory would catapult him to first or second in the standings. His Ferrari teammate, Felipe Massa, likely has been ready for this race since the conclusion of last year's. Massa and Ferrari were at the end of an embarrassing miscalculation in which the Brazilian had to slow toward the end of the race due to a very low fuel level. As a result, that allowed Alonso to catch and overtake Massa in the closing laps, with Massa winding up sixth.
Rubens Barrichello set the fastest lap of the Barcelona race last year and dominated the early stages, but had his hands tied after having to pit three times compared to teammate Jenson Button, who pitted only twice en route to the win. Barrichello likely will have his sights set on points this year, however, as he is with a Williams team that has not won since 2004, the longest spell in the team's history.
Speaking of fastest laps, the notable award continues to yield little in regards to early-season wins. Just like each of the past two seasons, the driver who notched the quickest lap of the race has gone on to win that race just once in the first four events (Alonso at Bahrain). Only once in the past six seasons has the fastest lap of the race translated into a win more than one time in the first four events; that was back in 2007, when three of the first four races saw the driver with the fastest lap also cross the line first. Spain likely will not alter that trend, as just two of the past five winners at Catalunya have also posted the quickest lap of the grand prix. As always, speed is nothing without good strategy and sound reliability.
The Circuit de Catalunya brings with it several challenges. It is really the first track on the schedule this season with even mild elevation changes, and is comprised of a number of high-speed corners, including the third turn. Teams find themselves making choices between speed and grip, and while the front stretch is very long, the rest of the track requires a setup that favors high downforce. It is essentially a nice transition track in regards to downforce, as the next race on the calendar, Monaco, requires incredible amounts of grip.
When team setups are just right at Catalunya, however, it is very evident, as the last four years have indicated. Since 2006, the podium each year has featured two drivers from the same team, meaning that race setups are especially crucial here, and if a competitive team nails it, both of its drivers likely will be on those top three steps.
Teams with two drivers on podium, last four seasons at Catalunya
Year -- Team -- Finish
2009 -- Brawn -- 1-2
2008 -- Ferrari -- 1-2
2007 -- McLaren -- 2-3
2006 -- Renault -- 1-3
