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In contrast McLaren and Mercedes GP have arguably maximised their potential in terms of results this year more so than at present their faster rivals. They both appear to be lacking outright raw pace of the Red Bull and Ferrari for now. So whilst they are pleased with the way things stand they cannot afford to be complacent and know that the task ahead will prove a tough one. Both teams will be hoping that the updates that they bring along can bridge the gap to their main rivals. Michael Schumacher has been particularly vocal in stating that his title hopes are not dead but are very much dependent on the development rate of his Mercedes car being greater than that of his rivals. Nico Rosberg has unquestionably been able to address the shortfalls of the Mercedes GP car more successfully than his illustrious team mate enabling him to outperform him at every race so far. The Mercedes team’s ability to address the car’s balance issues in terms of its tendency towards understeer and over working its tires will prove critical to the team’s chances for the rest of the season. But also may prove pivotal as to whether Michael can begin to deliver performances that can eclipse Rosberg.

McLaren prior to Barcelona seem to be in better shape with their car especially in race specification on full tanks. The problem with the McLaren that Martin Whitmarsh and Paddy Lowe have both alluded to is that the car is lacking the downforce levels of Ferrari and Red Bull in particular. The innovative F-duct that the team pioneered, which stalls the rear wing on the straights to increase straight line speed, has proved a significant aid in limiting these shortfalls. By running higher wing levels than their rivals they have been able to gain comparative levels of downforce to that of the Red Bulls but still not a match especially in qualifying. It has rendered the f-duct innovation rather less potent than it was designed to be in terms of an equalising effect rather than delivering an outright performance advantage. However the drivers are pleased with the fundamental balance that the car has which has none of the major aero instability issues that its predecessor was dogged by. The success of the team’s updates will need to be as prolific as last year especially as Ferrari and Mercedes will have their own versions of the F-duct in Spain. According to McLaren’s Chief Engineer for MP4-25 Tim Goss the team are bringing substantial aerodynamic changes to the front and rear wings as well as smaller more subtle changes elsewhere to the car. He firmly expects the upgrades to bring the extra levels of downforce needed to move the team forwards and is hoping for a front row start in qualifying.

So can McLaren or Mercedes find the extra performance needed or will Red Bull or Ferrari extend their advantage? We will just have to wait and see what the state of play is between the top four teams and who can come out on top. What can be said is that after four races the championship is perfectly poised and Barcelona is likely to prove a pivotal weekend in defining the championship battle for the rest of the season.

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