Spanish Grand Prix: Mercedes in charge

Hamilton looks a weak favourite

Mercedes have dominated the build up to Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix, claiming a one-two in practice, and did so leaving main rivals Ferrari for dust.

Preparation for the Barcelona spectacle wasn’t short of drama either, with Fernando Alonso suffering engine failure early in the first round of practice, sending his McLaren-Honda into a heart-stopping spin. The smoke may have cleared, but the cloud hanging over the team remains, and they aren’t expected to do anything different when it matters.

Mercedes dominate in practice

Coral traders have kept a close eye on the first couple of runs around the track, but it did little but confirm their thinking, that Mercedes, and indeed Lewis Hamilton, is where the smart money goes here. The British hero of F1 has suffered his share of heartbreak this season already, finishing second behind Sebastian Vettel in Austria in week one and the same again in Bahrain.

That was nothing to the former world champion’s anguish last time out in the Russian Grand Prix however, a race won by teammate Valtteri Bottas, as the Brit ended no better than a disappointing fourth, rounding off what had been a miserable week.

Hamilton remains jolly for title

The Stevenage-born driver now goes second in the drivers’ championship, 13 points behind Vettel, with only one win to show for his efforts so far. Bottas is 10 points behind in third, and victory in Spain would blow the title race wide-open.