While Lewis Hamilton beat title rival Max Verstappen to victory in Portugal last weekend, the poor grip and difficult tire properties made it difficult to correctly judge whether Red Bull or Mercedes had the fastest car.
Mercedes, who have won two races so far this season, are on their way to this weekend’s race in Barcelona.
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes Trackside Technical Director, said: “We have a lot on our list to worry about.
“It can be pretty hot there. It’s a tarmac that gets pretty aggressive and gives the tires a tough time and we’ve just done two tracks that were pretty cold and it was pretty difficult to get the tires in the right window.
“Barcelona is a bit more like Bahrain because you always overheat and Bahrain was not a very friendly place for us in some ways.
“That will be the main thing we worry about.
“But to be honest, I think it’s going to be more of the same, you won’t be able to split that up [Red Bull and Mercedes]. You will not be able to read quali and you will not be able to read the race.
“I think it’s just going to be very, very tight and I think we’re going to get into it somehow.
“I think the whole year is going to be like this and you have to enjoy the competition and not feel too stressed about it because it’s going to be a long, tough year.”
Andrew Shovlin, Chief Race Engineer at Mercedes AMG, with Toto Wolff, Managing Director Ð Business at Mercedes AMG
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen was disappointed to have missed the win in Portugal after a weekend where he felt like Red Bull had never really got on his car. He believes the Spanish Grand Prix will give a better idea of where his team’s performance is against Mercedes.
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“I think we weren’t really happy with the grip in general all weekend,” said the Dutchman.
“Last year that [Portugal] It was a very difficult weekend for us and it still didn’t seem great for us. Let’s put it that way. It’s a little hard to judge to be honest.
“I’d rather wait one more time in Barcelona and see how the season will develop from the beginning of the season to this track.
“In terms of grip, this was a bit of a strange weekend – but of course we still have to improve and improve because we should be the fastest on every single track and in every condition – because the track is the same for everyone.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner agreed that after the Spanish GP, the teams should be able to properly assess how their cars are holding up against their opponents.
“I think we’re starting to get an idea of our strengths and weaknesses, although I’ve always said it would take four races,” he said.
“I think we have a pretty abnormal surface and extreme winds and cool conditions in Portugal. So when we have a pretty normal Barcelona you will likely see where our strengths and weaknesses lie.
“What we can see in every session is that it’s incredibly tight.
“I think the biggest winner for this is Formula 1. And if it goes like this with 23 races, it will be a piece of cake.”
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