REPORT: No luck at the Spanish Grand Prix

Neither Alex nor Logan could build on a disappointing Saturday, as the Grand Prix brought little joy amidst difficult circumstances in Barcelona.

Alex started from the pit lane after changing his power unit under parc fermé overnight, promoting Logan to P19 on the grid.

Alex also used the opportunity to go for an alternative strategy, starting on the medium tyres while the rest of the field began on softs.

That meant he could run two stints on the quicker soft tyre, which allowed him to get past Logan and finish above Tsunoda – but there was precious little further joy beyond that.

It was a disciplined, consistent performance from both drivers – but the characteristics of the Circuit Catalunya-Barcelona did not suit the FW46 on this occasion.

"We wanted more this weekend," Alex's reaction began. "On the one hand, the car has made a huge step forward compared to last year and we made the right choices throughout the race.

"At the same time, this track is a bit of reality check.

"On a more traditional track, our lack of downforce and extra weight combined with high winds and track temperatures held us back.

"With the midfield getting stronger, it's clear we've got work to do. Looking ahead, Austria and Silverstone should suit us much more."

Logan continued our post-Spanish GP reaction by saying: "That was one of the toughest races of the year.

"The degradation was accumulating so quickly that it felt like I was managing the tyre from lap one on every stint.

"It’s been a difficult weekend for the team. Like last year, we struggled in Barcelona but had strong performances in Austria and Silverstone, so we’ll look to move on and bounce back at the remaining races of this triple-header."

Sven Smeets, Sporting Director, concluded by commenting: "We had a very difficult afternoon as we lacked the pace to be able to fight for a good finish.

"We will work hard to understand why we lacked pace as some of the Free Practice sessions showed signs of improvement in comparison to last year.

"The track was hotter than anticipated and the wind played a part in our low performance.

"From tomorrow onwards, we will be turning our focus towards Spielberg as it should be a track that suits us better.

"It’s very tight in the midfield and every point counts, so we’ll have to be on top of our game in every race until the end of the year."