It was supposed to be the race that stopped Mercedes dominance, yet despite several teams bringing upgrades the Spanish Grand Prix was the same as all the others with Mercedes once again claiming the top one-two spots.
Here we take a look at the winners and losers of the upgrades
WINNERS:
Mercedes, Silver Arrows can do no wrong this season having finished every race in positions one-two position thus far. Both drivers and the cars seem to be working to optimum performance, no matter what ever Ferrari tries to throw at them they respond. Despite that, the team brought a new front win along with new mirrors and a new bargeboard arrangement, the latter aimed at improving the airflow around their unusual sidepods to the Spanish Grand Prix
LOSERS:
Ferrari upgraded their car with a new power unit, four weeks ahead of schedule and added some new aerodynamic components but this still didn't seem to help the embattled Italian team secure top place with drivers Vettal finishing outside of the top three spots for the first time this season finishing in fourth place with teammate Leclerc finishing just behind him in fifth position. Team principal Mattia Binotto claimed the upgrades worked "well below expectations" and proved to be "insufficient"
Despite the teams "disappointed" Binotto was quick to point out that its upgrades worked well but that the SF90 had clear flaws remaining.
WINNERS:
Red Bull was always going to be an unknown quantity this season having switched to Honda power during the off-season there has been little data on how the team would perform that being said the team has managed to hold to its own and whilst its upgrades for the Spanish Grand prix were relatively small they still managed to help push the team up onto the podium - whether this was because of Ferrari's dismal performance who can say! Christian Horner, team principal "I think we've have closed the gap to Mercedes and Ferrari since the beginning of the year. There are a few circuits coming up that hopefully should suit us, it's a long, long way to go in the championship. We just have to take it one race at a time -- we want to be fighting for the podium again."
LOSERS:
It appears the problems facing Haas is not just the car but a clash of drivers too. During the Spanish the Grand Prix Romain Grosjean was forced onto the run-off at turn two twice as he and teammate Kevin Magnussen fought over seventh place. The start of the season looked so promising for the American team, during pre-season testing Haas showed a lot of promise but sadly this has not materialized on track - Team Principal Guenther Steiner said in the build up to the race, all he wanted was a boring, straightforward 66 laps for his team with both cars finishing and - finally he got one.
LOSERS:
Renault had hoped that its new engine upgrades would reset their season - but sadly it didn't - if anything the car appeared to be going backwards at time with both drivers finishing outside of the top ten
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