Sebastian Vettel predicting exciting wheel-to-wheel action this weekend in Barcelona

Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel has said that he believes the Spanish Grand Prix could be more exciting this year compared to past editions thanks to the new regulations in the sport.

The German travels with the rest of the F1 circus to familiar territory this weekend as we leave the inaugural Miami Grand Prix and head to a circuit that has been on the calendar for three decades.

Indeed, it’s a track the drivers know well thanks to it also being a regular venue for winter testing, and that means that this weekend is also a good opportunity for the teams to see just what progress they have made with their cars since pre-season.

The new rules so far appear to have generated the closer racing they were intended to deliver, too, with some exciting battles over the first five races of the year.

And, that said, Vettel is expecting that trend to continue at the Circuit de Catalunya, despite the track earning a bit of a reputation over the years for delivering dull races.

Speaking to the Aston Martin media team ahead of the weekend, the four-time world champion had this to say:

“Barcelona will showcase a lot of the behaviour inherent in these 2022 cars; the lower-speed corners will be a physical challenge, while the faster sections will be about bravery and trusting in the ground-effect.

“Passing has usually been tricky here but I think these cars have shown they’re much better at going wheel-to-wheel, so I think it will be a different race to previous Spanish Grands Prix.”

Certainly, the hope will be that Vettel is right and the feeling will be that if the new rules can spice up the Spanish Grand Prix then they are certainly working a treat.

Vettel himself will be aiming to earn points this weekend, meanwhile, after