The 50th race for a Monegasque driver, an opportunity for Vettel to equal a pole record of Hamilton’s, and the last chance for Max Verstappen to become F1’s third-youngest polesitter. Here are the records which are up for grabs over the 2019 Spanish Grand Prix weekend!
THE NUMBERS AND MILESTONES:
This will be the 1002nd Formula 1 Grand Prix. It’s the 60th running of the Spanish Grand Prix, the 49th Spanish Grand Prix in F1’s history and the 29th Spanish Grand Prix to be held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The 17th lap of the race will be the 1,850th racing lap of the circuit during its tenure as host of the Spanish Grand Prix. If the race runs to the full 66-lap distance, the track will be one lap short of 1,900 total F1 racing laps.
The 2019 Spanish Grand Prix will be the 50th race to feature a Monegasque driver.
The records to beat:
Renault has the opportunity to equal Ferrari as the most successful engine manufacturer at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2019. Ferrari-powered cars have taken 12 wins so far, while Renault-powered cars have won 11 times. Meanwhile, Mercedes could become the most successful engine manufacturer at the Catalunya circuit this weekend. Renault-powered cars have won here ten times, while Mercedes-power has triumphed nine times.
Lewis Hamilton could take Sebastian Vettel’s record of most points scored at the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend. He’ll do so if he scores 9 points more than Vettel on Sunday. Elsewhere, Kimi Raikkonen could become only the fifth driver to reach 100 points scored in the Spanish Grand Prix, if he finishes fifth or above.
If a Mercedes driver takes pole this weekend, the team will equal Ferrari’s record total of pole positions at the track this weekend. Ferrari currently have seven poles to their name here, while Mercedes have six.
If Lewis Hamilton leads 13 laps of the race, he’ll become the driver to have led the second-most laps at the track, overtaking Mika Hakkinen. Hamilton has led 173 laps of the Catalunya circuit so far. Michael Schumacher’s record of 411 laps led at the track seems unreachable.
If Lewis Hamilton takes pole for the Spanish Grand Prix, he’ll become only the second driver to have taken four consecutive poles at this circuit – a record only bettered by Michael Schumacher, who took five poles in a row here between 2000 and 2004. Should he win on Sunday, Hamilton will be only the third driver, after Schumacher and Hakkinen, to take three consecutive victories at the track.
This weekend marks the last opportunity for Max Verstappen to become F1’s third-youngest polesitter. When we reach qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix, Verstappen will be three days older than Fernando Alonso was when the Spaniard took pole for the 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton holds the record for most Grands Prix at which a driver has taken pole position. He’s done so at 24 different events; a number which Sebastian Vettel could equal this weekend – he’s yet to take a pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Kimi Raikkonen could equal Rubens Barrichello’s record of seven non-classified results at the circuit should he fail to see the chequered flag this weekend.
A 1-2 result in qualifying for Mercedes would see them equal McLaren’s tally of front row lock-outs in F1. McLaren’s last front row lock-out came at the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix.