F1 Spanish Grand Prix live updates - media day

Piastri expects Verstappen threat in Barcelona

Oscar Piastri believes that McLaren should be wary of Red Bull and Max Verstappen at the Barcelona circuit, stating that its characteristics suit the team.

Verstappen won at both Suzuka and Imola, and was on pole in Jeddah; Piastri believes that the medium-high speed corners at the Spanish circuit should also bring Red Bull into play.

"I expect them to be quick. It's a layout that's similar in some characteristics to where they have been quick this year.

"All the higher speed circuits are generally where Max and Red Bull have been very strong, and this is another one of those circuits, so I expect them to be definitely in the fight this weekend and we'll see if there's any other challenges outside of Red Bull."

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images

Behind the line

To improve the drivers' visibility of their grid positioning, the yellow lines are currently being repainted to stop drivers straying too far beyond their box.

Lando Norris received a five-second penalty in Bahrain for straying beyond his grid box, as Sergio Perez did the same in Mexico last year.

Photo by: Jake Boxall-Legge

Leclerc: Even if Ferrari can't fully address 2025 problems, it doesn't hurt 2026

Charles Leclerc stated that Ferrari was still pushing along with improvements for its SF-25, with some continued adjustments and developments being made to the car through the year.

But even if Ferrari can't pull itself into contention, Leclerc is not worried that this would hurt 2026.

"This year and next year are so different that I think we won't be running into the same issues. 

"I'll be very surprised if that's the case because the car should be running in a very different place next year.

"We are still fully focused for this season, it's extremely important to understand and to fix it as soon as possible. So that's why we are so keen on trying everything possible to improve it."

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Photo by: Ferrari

Antonelli: Bottas helpful, perfection needed in close field battle

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has endured two difficult weekends in the current triple header, with his loss of power at Imola and then a crash at Monaco.

The Italian rookie reckons that having Valtteri Bottas at the team has been a key part in smoothing over any struggles through the year.

Antonelli on Bottas: "He's been really helpful and he's always there trying to give me advice, especially when he sees that you know I'm struggling a little bit.

"When he sees that I'm a bit in a struggle, he's always there trying to help me way out

On the gap between teams: "The gaps are so tight between teams, it's super tight and really the smallest of the difference. You put one foot wrong and you find yourself at the back.

"It's really important to stay on top of it and I think in these two weekends definitely, it hasn't been really the case."

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images

Around the grounds

Something that's pretty convenient about the Barcelona set-up is that the support paddock is pretty close to the F1 paddock - it's just a short hop over the fence, after all!

One person who'll have to make that hop a couple of times tomorrow is Victor Martins, who will drive for Williams in FP1 tomorrow. His usual F2 machine, also dressed in similar Williams colours, is currently receiving the customary pre-flight build and set-up ahead of tomorrow's action.

Photo by: Jake Boxall-Legge

Spanish GP pitlane abuzz with fan activity

The local fans have come down to the F1 pitlane to get a view of the teams' preparation for tomorrow, with the luckier ones getting their lap around the circuit.

Photo by: Jake Boxall-Legge

Alonso on Aston upgrades: Barcelona will give more of a read

Aston Martin introduced a series of updates at Imola as it hoped to improve its AMR25 after a tough start to the year. The team has shown improved qualifying results in the past two races.

Fernando Alonso believes that Barcelona will prove to be the updated Aston Martin's true performance litmus test, as he continues to search for his first points of the year.

"I think Barcelona will tell us a little bit more about the new package. Imola was a step forward for sure, but also we ran the medium tyres and that helped us in qualifying.

"And Monaco is such a special place and Saturday i obviously key part of the weekend and we put some good laps on Saturday as well.

"Barcelona with a more normal weekend we will discover where are we in terms of performance."

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images

Sainz, Alonso capture local interest in press conferences

Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso were both in the official press conferences - Sainz confirmed Albon's earlier suggestion that Williams would struggle at Barcelona, citing deficiencies in the longer-radius, medium-speed corners.

"If I would have to design a track for the FW47, it wouldn't look like Barcelona. We don't tend to like medium speed, long duration corners. But I'm hopeful that it's a track where we can also show the progress that we've done over the last few years."

Sainz on flexi-wings: "I wouldn't expect more than a one-tenth swing up or down through the field for each team, depending on how much you were flexing."

Carlos Sainz, Williams

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images

Gasly: Alpine lacking performance in bumpy tracks

After our own Stuart Codling asked Pierre Gasly if he considers mushrooms at the start of the day "a breakfast of champignons" (a joke he's made at least four times today already), the Frenchman's attention quickly turned to his dissection of the Monaco weekend.

Alpine, he says, lacks compliance and this affects the car when it comes to bumpy circuits like Monaco - hence the team's off-colour weekend.

Gasly on Alpine's weaknesses: "Just too slow in Monaco. Track-specific, it didn't work, especially in terms of ride, bumpy track, lacking mechanical compliance. I think we're aware. 

"Looking back, there's been a lot of work the last few days and past few days to see how we could have optimised in different ways. I think it just highlights that there is a weakness in this area for this type of track."

We imagine Gasly's expression after Codders' mushroom punnery (he's a fun guy, really) was something like this

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Colapinto on adapting to Alpine: "Really different to drive" versus Williams

Franco Colapinto gave his opinion on Alpine's A525, as he continues to develop his understanding of the French team's car and its quirks.

He says that modifying his driving is still a "work in progress", but believes that he's finding more with each opportunity.

Colapinto: "I think it's just a matter of time to know what's ideal with this car, what this car needs, where I need to improve my driving to help the car work better, what I need to do with the setup to make it a bit more suitable to my driving style.

"And, yeah, it's going well and I think it's going in the right direction. So, yeah, just keep focusing on that."

Franco Colapinto, Alpine

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images via Getty Images

Ocon: "Strange" that everyone's more vocal about Monaco

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

Photo by: Peter Fox / Getty Images

Ocon wants Monaco race weekend to return to normal: "I don't think it has opened up much more things, you know, doing the two-stop. So, I think we can probably come back on the normal race. Maybe this will open more the overcut possibility with people having graining like we saw in the previous years. 

"And having the one-stop back to normal. I don't think there will be possibilities to change the city. So, I'm happy with how it is in Monaco."

On social media complaints about Monaco: "It's very strange that this year in particular, so many people have talked about, oh, yeah, Monaco, no overtaking. But the last ten years, it was the same thing and nobody talked about it."

Hadjar thanked Lawson for Racing Bulls' hold-up play

Isack Hadjar, speaking about Lawson's effort to help the two VCARB drivers collect a hefty pay-day in Monaco: "Yeah, it was good, he did fantastic, he did really well to back off. That was planned, he did well. I thank him enough now.

"I mean, I didn't do much. I think you've asked Liam already. It's Monaco, it's not very hard to back anyone up. I think what was hard was just to find this idea. And it was to qualify next to each other. 

Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

"That was the hardest thing to do. So if we didn't have both cars in Q3, it wouldn't have worked."

Lawson on Monaco tactics

A week on from making Racing Bulls' day with his hold-up antics, ultimately scoring his first points of the year, Liam Lawson brushed off any disappointment from outside observers.

"We have a job to score as many points as we can and make the best strategy possible. We did nothing illegal, so it a very positive race from our side.

"I think it's not so much down to us, but more the nature of the track that makes it possible to do something like that."

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images

Sauber's new pixel livery

Sauber has a revised livery for this weekend at Barcelona, trading its usual gradient effect for a pixel-themed transition. Here's what we've seen in the flesh so far from the pitlane...

Photo by: Jake Boxall-Legge

Albon: Flexi-wing performance change "not that big" 

Alex Albon has warned that he expects Williams to find this weekend in Spain difficult, noting that the circuit's characteristics may not suit the FW47.

Speaking about how he expects the revised flex tests to go, the Anglo-Thai does not expect too much difference - even if Barcelona is one of the better circuits for the wings to work on given its range of higher-speed corners.

Albon: "It's a good track for it to work on, yes - so if I answer your question, I think it it's a sensitive track to that feeling. I don't know for other teams.

"I'm sure other teams have been on their simulator and done a before and after of the effects and seen the different balances that they've got from the car.

"I don't think you're going to see huge differences in terms of swings of performance, but for us it wasn't that big."

Alex Albon, Williams

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Bortoleto expects to feel flexi-wing changes 'less than other teams'

Sauber has continued to pursue its upgrade path with new additions to its C45 for Spain. One of these is in a stiffer front wing to fit the revised flex tests.

Gabriel Bortoleto spoke first today, first opening up on the team's new parts (which should be confirmed tomorrow) and how the revised tests will change things for the Swiss team.

Bortoleto: "I think a game-changer is a big thing in Formula 1, you know, an upgrade normally doesn't bring that much, but definitely we hope that it can be a step ahead of where we are right now, but then we need to see on track, when we put the car on track, and understand if it actually works or not. Hopefully it will be better.

"I don't know [how tests will affect us], we need to see. I don't expect it to be such a crazy thing, it will be a bit similar to everyone, but maybe we will feel it a bit less than the other teams."

Gabriel Bortoleto, Kick Sauber, Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal of Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Restrictions on flexi-wings

From this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix and beyond, the FIA's flex tests for F1's front wings will be tightened up to reduce the amount of permitted flex under load.
 
Under Article 3.15.4 of F1’s technical regulations, the flap areas of the front wings may deflect under load by no more than 15mm. This is now being reduced to 10mm.

Find out more here:

Formula 1

What F1 is clamping down on with flexi-wings at the Spanish GP

New tests will make it harder for teams to use front wings which flex under load, potentially reducing drag and improving top speed. We explain what’s involved – and why it’s only being introduced now

Live from the Spanish GP media day

Hello everyone, and welcome to our coverage of F1's media day at Barcelona. And we'll be bringing you insight and updates straight from the track, as we get stuck into the media sessions and the big talking point of the day: the new flexi-wing rules.

Haas VF-25, front wing

Photo by: Roberto Chinchero