Nico Rosberg broke Lewis Hamilton’s monopoly on pole position in qualifying in Barcelona, and will start the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona at the front of the grid, with his Mercedes teammate just behind.
With Lewis Hamilton pulling away with a significant 27-point lead in the Drivers’ Championship, Rosberg will need to ensure that he maintains his position at the front and beat the Brit in order to start closing him down before it’s too late.
Rosberg moved ahead of Sebastian Vettel in the standings following a disappointing result for his fellow German at the Bahrain Grand Prix, with Vettel finishing in fifth behind third-place Rosberg and regular victor, Hamilton.
The Spanish crowd will be hoping Fernando Alonso -who won here in 2013 – can put in a good performance in what has been a poor season for him so far. But their hopes may be better placed in 20-year-old Spaniard Carlo Sainz – son of the double World Rally Champion of the same name – who impressed for Torro Rosso in qualifying to secure fifth-place in the grid. There was another impressive showing from 17-year-old Dutchman, Max Verstappen, also of Toro Rosso, who will line-up in sixth position.
2015 Spanish Grand Prix Grid
- Nico Rosberg – Mercedes
- Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes
- Sebastian Vettel – Ferrari
- Valtteri Bottas – Williams
- Carlos Sainz – Torro Rosso
- Max Verstappen – Toro Rosso
Prediction
It looks set to be another battle between the three usual suspects: Hamilton, Rosberg and Vettel. Of course, based on his supreme form this season, you’d back Hamilton (Evens at BetVictor) to do it again in Barcelona.
However, still without a title this season, you can be sure that Nico Rosberg will be desperate to get one over his teammate and force himself back into the reckoning for the Drivers’ Championship. The German will be itching for success here, but will he have the stubbornness and skill to hold off Hamilton?
If you like a fairy tale story, it may also be worth having a couple of quid on young Carlos Sainz securing a podium finish in his homeland at 33/1 (bet365).
Tip:
Nico Rosberg to win – 11/10 at SkyBet
Spanish F1 Race Details:
Track: Circuit de Catalunya
Start Time: 13:00 BST (14:00 local)
Laps: 66
Track Length: 4.6555km
Tyre Allocation: Hard (orange) and Medium (white)
Lap Record: Kimi Raikkonen – 1:21.670 (Ferrari; 2008)
