Grosjean runs upgrade alone in tactical move by Haas

Romain Grosjean will benefit from using the Haas team's upgrade package in Friday’s opening practice at the Spanish Grand Prix while teammate Kevin Magnussen sticks with the older specification.

The American team has chosen to make a tactical split in introducing its upgrades to try and evaluate their benefit as they bid to overcome a struggle with tyre performance.

Team boss Gunther Steiner explained: “We will run one car on the 'old' spec and one on the new spec, so we have something to compare.

"If we've got issues at least we can compare them.

"Then we hope that we can evaluate and convert the second car on Friday night if everything goes to plan.

"We've got all the parts. We consciously wanted to have a back-to-back and not to confuse us more with the tyre issue."

The update package includes a new floor, front wing, barge-board and mirrors.

Steiner added that he felt Haas would not be the only team seeking to find a solution to tyre performance with a new package at the Circuit de Cataluna.

"We are not the only ones, but maybe we are affected more than other people, I fully admit that," he said.

As the opening race of the 'European season' after four continental flyaway races, the Spanish event will see most teams introducing an array of new packages on their cars.