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The Spanish GP qualifying is done and dusted and we have Charles Leclerc on pole for the fifth time this season. The track for the Spanish GP has yielded some pretty good races over the last few seasons, especially the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen for the lead in 2021.
So, what can we expect from the race tomorrow? Don't worry, we at Sportskeeda will be your guide on what to expect this Sunday. So, without further ado, let's jump straight to the predictions for the Spanish GP.
2022 F1 Spanish GP: Race Predictions
Prediction #1: Max Verstappen wins the race (Unless he has a DNF)
Max Verstappen's race pace that he showed yesterday should have everyone worried. The Red Bull driver was able to put together a consistent series of laps and unlike other teams, did not suffer the kind of degradation seen on that track.
Starting on the front row alongside Charles Leclerc's Ferrari puts Verstappen in prime position to take advantage of Ferrari's tire troubles. If there is a head-to-head battle between the two, expect the Dutchman to breeze past the Ferrari driver once again just as he has done in the last two races.
The only thing Verstappen needs to fear is his own car's reliability. He has already suffered two DNFs this season and faced another glitch during qualifying. He might be able to continue his record this season of either finishing the race and winning it, or retiring from it altogether.
Prediction #2: A Mercedes driver on the podium
Mercedes' race pace was very impressive in the Spanish GP FP2 yesterday. Its two drivers were even able to pull off a pace that was quicker than the Ferrari drivers.
George Russell has placed himself in a perfect position in the Spanish GP with an excellent lap to take advantage should either of the Ferraris suffer from tire troubles. Russell will be starting in fourth and all he needs to do is make up one place at the start. Can he get that done? It's not impossible by any means.
Prediction #3: Tyre degradation could yield an action-packed race
The ridiculously high track temperatures have resulted in an equally high tire degradation at this circuit. Although Ferrari appeared to have excessive degradation, it was not the only team that suffered from this, as other teams up and down the grid complained about this as well.
With the hard tire not proving to be a viable option for the track, it does appear that we might be destined for a two-stopper race tomorrow. As a result, varying levels of degradation are going to yield an action-packed race for the fans.
Prediction #4: Sebastian Vettel scores points
Sebastian Vettel's shock when he found out that he was eliminated in Q1 was an indication of the expectations the team had from the session. The German will be starting the Spanish GP near the tail end of the grid. With tire wear expected to be a factor along with Aston Martin's impressive long-run pace on Friday, we're backing Vettel to finish his race inside points.
Prediction #5: Mick Schumacher beats Kevin Magnussen and scores points in the race
It cannot be stated enough that driving a sub-optimal setup and learning your car throughout qualifying after missing FP3 was very impressive from Mick Schumacher. The German driver had the edge over teammate Kevin Magnussen on Friday but after losing the running in FP3, he was on the backfoot in qualifying.
It was visible that the Haas driver paced himself, reached Q3, and qualified in P10. Schumacher will start 2 places behind his teammate in the race and we predict the young German will not only be able to score points but beat his teammate as well.
