2014 Spanish Grand Prix – The Grid: Mercedes stays on course, Ricciardo and Bottas lying in wait

After the qualifying sessions held on Saturday, the editorial team offers you a summary of the starting grid.

Two penalties to report: the first, a 10-place penalty for Jean-Eric Vergne after being released from the pits with a poorly attached wheel that came off upon returning to the track during FP2, and the second a 5-place penalty for Sebastian Vettel for changing his gearbox following its failure in qualifying.

The tires

The hard (orange) and medium (white) tires will suffer on the Catalan track, which is particularly abrasive and where the fast turns and curves put significant stress on the tires. However, it rained this Sunday morning in Catalonia, and a more moderate temperature can be expected at the start at 2:00 PM. Nevertheless, it remains highly likely that a three-stop strategy could be the winning combination, especially for the top 9 drivers who will start on medium tires.

The forces at play

At the front, nothing new: both Mercedes are on the front row, confirming they won’t weaken in this exercise and in the race for titles. Similarly, Lewis Hamilton once again outpaced Nico Rosberg, but this time on the dry. The victory should be between the two men unless a too-tight battle escalates or a double technical problem occurs, which seems, at the time of writing, quite unlikely.

Behind, it was long believed that Red Bull and Ferrari would be the direct pursuers of the Silver Arrows, but at the time of Q3, Sebastian Vettel had to step aside, leaving Daniel Ricciardo solely responsible for the pursuit. Similarly, the Ferraris were relegated to 6th and 7th positions, allowing Valtteri Bottas’ Williams (4th) and especially Romain Grosjean’s surprising Lotus (5th) to secure a good starting position. It remains to be seen if it can be maintained or, who knows, improved.

**Starting grid of the Spanish Grand Prix /f1/news/17578-spain-qualifying-hamilton-stuns-rosberg-grosjean-surprises-.html**