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The Spanish Grand Prix is the venue which traditionally kicks off the European leg of the F1 calendar.
There is little to chose between the top teams right now in terms of performance. We are in one of the closest F1 seasons, with Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes tied neck and neck in the front of the field, while the midfield teams are covered by little under a second.
After the recent developments, including Red Bull's harakiri at Baku and Alonso's win in the WEC season opener, it remains to be seen what chapter unfolds this weekend in what promises to be an extremely close season.
#1 The development wars begin in earnest
Barcelona is a circuit with which the teams are intimately familiar considering the countless laps run in pre-season testing over the years.
This weekend gives the teams an opportunity to assess their development since the pre-season tests. Teams have historically brought significant upgrade packages to this race as part of their in-season development.
It will be interesting to see how this affects the pecking order with teams like Mclaren and Force India, who didn't start the season very well, getting a chance at redemption.
#2 The Pirelli curve-ball
After acquiring special permission from the FIA, Pirelli is bringing modified tires with a tread that is 0.4mm thinner in an effort to make racing more unpredictable.
This is going to have a significant impact on the pecking order after the tire issues most teams faced since the start of the year.
Which team will this roll of the dice favor and will this end up being the decisive moment in the championship this year?
#3 Internal Dynamics at Red Bull
The team dynamics at Red Bull have been altered irrevocably after Baku. It remains to be seen how Christian Horner and Co. deal with the aftermath, and if the team still continues to favour Max Verstappen.
Daniel Ricciardo has shown with his win in China that he is no slouch when it comes to side by side racing and we will definitely see gentle hints if he is still a crucial part of Red Bulls plans of winning the championship.
#4 The early start to the Silly Season
A lot of high profile drivers will be without a contract at the start of next year. High profile names include Fernando Alonso, Daniel Ricciardo, and Carlos Sainz.
Some teams are starting contract negotiations early and it awaits to be seen how things pan out, considering the recent developments with Ricciardo and Alonso.
Renault, in particular, has started off negotiations about a long-term deal with Sainz.
#5 Possible Red Bull Honda linkup?
Red Bull has been flirting with Honda about a possible works deal with an initial round of talks held at Baku, being described as positive.
Further talks are planned at Barcelona and it remains to be seen how the situation plays out.
