RBS ambassador Sir Jackie Stewart reckons winning the Spanish Grand Prix can be as easy as 1-2-3. But after watching Ferrari find the right answer in Barcelona, he's not convinced the other teams got their race strategies to add up.
"When you plan your driver strategy at a circuit like Barcelona, where overtaking is so difficult, there are three main things you have to get right.
First of all, the start. The 'Make it happen' moment of the race was when Kimi Raikkonen made the perfect start and immediately opened up a gap. It also helped that Felipe Massa made a very good start too, and passed Fernando Alonso right away.
Secondly, choosing your fuel load. The car is fastest when it's at its lowest level of fuel, so you want to stay out for one, two or even three more laps than the cars you're racing closely with. On those laps, if you have a clear road, you have to push absolutely to the limit of your ability.
You need to get psyched up for this big push, and that 'psyching up' would probably start about four or five laps before. To get yourself in the right frame of mind, so that when the engineer says, "You've got to go now," you turn out your fastest laps.
That's how you make up ground and pass the driver in front of you. So it's absolutely vital to be able to turn on the hot switch – and not make mistakes, because if you overdrive on those hot laps, you could lose time.
The third issue applies when the safety car comes out, as it did in Barcelona. In fact, neither of the RBS-sponsored AT&T Williams drivers got it right. You'll hear on the radio when the safety car is about to go in. Then you've got to get right up to the back of the car in front, close enough behind that if he hesitates, as soon as you cross the start line you can get alongside, get on the inside line and maybe get ahead of him under braking for the first corner.
It's very important to be really aware of that, and most young drivers don't manage to do that very successfully. It's the old dogs who know the tricks.
You have to keep the pressure up all the time, and that's where fitness comes in. Even when you're a little tired, you've got to be able to lift yourself up, even though you don't feel like it, and start driving absolutely at the limit."
