Max Verstappen turned up the pace again to win the Spanish Grand Prix for the third time in his Formula 1 career.
The Red Bull driver led from start to finish and was never under threat from any of the racers around him. Even at the start, when Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz launched an attack on the Soft tyre, the Dutchman defended on the Mediums and never looked back.
Verstappen is in a league of his own in 2023 and has already amassed five wins from the season’s opening seven races.
“Yeah, good race that,” the driver said as he celebrated his 40th F1 victory.
“It’s a big pleasure to drive with a car like this. A win here, it’s incredible.”
Max Verstappen
Perez waves the Red Bull flag
Sergio Perez overcame a difficult qualifying to finish the race in fourth place. Starting in 11th, the Mexican fought up the order, almost mimicking Verstappen’s superior pace as he picked off the drivers.
It will be a good confidence booster for Red Bull’s other driver, especially since his last outing in Monaco was forgettable. Though Perez did not appear on the podium, it was damage limitation as Verstappen increased his points advantage to 53.
Elsewhere, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell proved that Mercedes’ updates work, with the two drivers finishing second and third.
Aston Martin did not have the best of weekends, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso finishing in sixth and seventh. The team will go back to the drawing board as they look to unearth where their phenomenal 2023 pace had gone.
Carlos Sainz, who started in second place, finished fifth for Ferrari.