Spanish Grand Prix – 5 things we learned

Lewis Hamilton claimed his second victory in as many races at Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix to extend his championship lead over Sebastian Vettel.

Hamilton is now 17 points clear of his Ferrari rival who could manage only fourth place at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.

Here, Press Association Sport looks back at five things we learned from the opening leg of the European season.

Lewis back on top… but for how much longer?

Hamilton’s gallop around the Circuit de Catalunya was a return to the Hamilton of old. The Brit was sheepish after his fortuitous victory in Azerbaijan a fortnight ago, but not here: “I’ll sleep like a baby tonight,” he said with a wide grin. After securing his first pole position since the opening round in Australia, Hamilton followed it up with his most commanding display of the year, and his most emphatic since he won the United States Grand Prix back in October. Yet Hamilton’s win came with a degree of caution. F1 heads to Monaco next, and it was there where Hamilton endured his worst weekend of the year in 2017; 14th in qualifying, seventh by the chequered flag. Seventeen championship points is a healthy cushion, but Hamilton may very well need it if he suffers another horror show in the principality.

Should the alarm bells be ringing at Maranello?

Vettel could easily have followed up his wins in Australia and Bahrain with the maximum quota in China and Azerbaijan too, but for circumstances to unravel against him. Here in Barcelona, however, the German failed to trouble the top of the order all weekend, and that will be of grave concern to those at Ferrari. Vettel has been a master on his tyres this year, but Pirelli’s new, thinner tread – which was introduced here for the first time in Spain and will again be used in France next month and at the British Grand Prix later this summer – proved his kryptonite. “The bottom line is that we were not quick enough,” a rather glum Vettel conceded. Vettel led home team-mate Kimi Raikkonen in a Ferrari one-two last season at Monaco, and you fancy the Prancing Horse might need a repeat performance to provide them with the necessary hope that they can get the better of Hamilton and Mercedes.

Bottas doing enough to keep Mercedes on side

Valtteri Bottas appeared a dead man walking after he courted criticism for failing to make Vettel sweat in their battle for the lead back in Bahrain. The Finn, however, has responded strongly to that reproval. He would have won in China but for a safety car before seeing a certain victory in Baku derailed by a puncture. He then delivered a decent showing to finish second on Sunday. Mercedes are happy with what they are seeing, and the consensus within the team is that he will be offered a 12-month contract extension if he carries on in this fashion. That news will strike a hammer blow to Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo who is interested in teaming up with Hamilton at Mercedes next term.

Grosjean under fire for first-lap chaos

When Romain Grosjean moved from Renault to the then new American team Haas back in 2016 he hoped that the move would act as a stepping stone to joining Ferrari. But the Frenchman’s stock in F1 has never been lower after he sparked a massive three-way crash on the opening lap on Sunday. We have been here before. Grosjean was branded a “first-lap nutcase” by Mark Webber back in 2012, and was also banned for one race that year after he caused a huge shunt in Belgium. Grosjean sought out a psychologist and became a more rounded driver, but this year has seen a return to his former self. He has zero points in 2018. His team-mate Kevin Magnussen has 19. Grosjean can forget Ferrari. A fight to retain his seat at Haas is his more pressing matter.

British weather halts plans for historic race