2024 Spanish Grand Prix Heroes and Zeroes

[Jericoke]

Heroes:

Max/RBR.  Max seems to be enjoying himself when the wins aren't absolute landslides.  I must admit I like this version of Max.

Norris.  Drove a great race, could've won with a better start (though I doubt it.  Max's RBR probably had more in it if they needed).  McLaren is running a very competitive program

Hamilton/Russel/Mercedes.  Probably too late in the year to contend for the top end of the championship, but certainly done a good job improving their on track performance

Alpine.  If you consider RBR, McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes to be the 'top of the field', then Alpine finishing as the best of the midfield is a fantastic advancement on their part.  Gasly was only three seconds off of RBR.

Zeroes.
With teams like Alpine and Mercedes making progress, teams like RB, Aston Martin and Williams look very poor in comparison. 

I don't really expect much from Haas.

I do wonder if the VW board is wondering what they've bought in Sauber.  Sure, they're not expecting the team without the Audi name to WIN, but they're trying to ensure the team has a solid foundation when they are Audi, and I don't see any of that.

Similarly, RBR has to wonder what they're paying Perez for.  They can't rely on McLaren and Ferrari to keep splitting points to let Max single handedly win the championship.

Piastri.  I always find it curious when a 'top' driver, in a 'top' car finds themselves down grid... and then drive like that's where they belong.  Piastri messed up qualifying... and then raced like he belonged in 7th place.  He's not the first driver to do that (either bad luck in qualifying, spun around during the start, dismal pitstop), I'm just curious about the phenomenon.  I get that passing is hard, but we've seen drivers like Alonso, Hamilton and Button in tough to pass rule sets still carve through the field after being stuck down grid.

[lkjohnson1950]

I wonder if the Red Bull and possibly the McLaren are more of a handful in dirty air. I say that because Max's engineer radioed him at the end of lap 2 and said time to go Max, you need to get him now. Sort of like if you stay in his dirty air the car won't be good with some deg on the tires. I'm sure it's much easier to take care of your tires out in front. And the Bull seems to slow after Max has to start lapping cars.