Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton (L), Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen (C) and Mercedes’ British driver George Russell have a good time on the rostrum after the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix race on the Circuit de Catalunya on June 4, 2023, in Montmelo, on the outskirts of Barcelona.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Max Verstappen gained the Spanish Grand Prix from pole place on Sunday to stretch his Formula One championship lead to 53 factors and continue Red Bull’s sweep of the season with the staff’s seventh success in as many races.
Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was second for Mercedes, however a distant 24.090 seconds behind, with staff mate George Russell finishing the rostrum on a cloudy however dry afternoon at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s closest rival in a season that appears positive to crown the dominant Dutch 25-year-old for a 3rd time, completed fourth after preventing again from eleventh initially.
The win was Verstappen’s fifth of the season, third in a row, third in Spain and the double world champion’s fortieth in Formula One.
The man who took the primary grand prix win of his profession on the Spanish circuit in 2016 and in addition triumphed final 12 months, secured the bonus level for quickest lap to cap a day of domination.
“It’s a big pleasure to drive with a car like this. I think it showed again today,” stated Verstappen, who fended off Ferrari’s house hero Carlos Sainz initially in the one problem of an in any other case easy afternoon.
“I had the harder compound so I knew the start would be a bit tricky. Going around the outside at Turn One is always quite difficult but luckily nothing happened.”
Verstappen was additionally proven a black and white flag for exceeding monitor limits late within the race however the danger of a 5 second penalty was hardly going to bother somebody to this point up the highway from the remaining.
“Well done Max, that was mega. Very well controlled, even though you went over the white lines a few times,” stated staff boss Christian Horner.
McLaren’s Lando Norris, who began third on the grid, suffered a damaged entrance wing on the primary lap after contact with Hamilton and had to pit, plunging down the order and ending seventeenth.
The type of the Mercedes drivers, with a re-designed automobile after a disappointing begin to the season, offered a major speaking level.
Mercedes moved up to second within the championship on 152 factors to runaway Red Bull’s 287 and with Aston Martin dropping to third on 134.
“Mega job guys, mega job,” stated Hamilton over the radio. “Thank you so much to everyone back at the factory, continuing to push. This is a real showing for all your hard work. Let’s keep pushing.”
Russell went off into the gravel on his means to the grid, the place he lined up twelfth, however his automobile was undamaged and his tempo sturdy.
“It definitely feels better,” he stated of the automobile. “You are just putting in those lap times and comparing it to the guys around you — the Ferraris and Astons — and you are going quicker and quicker.”
Sainz was fifth with the Aston Martins of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso sixth and seventh.
Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was eighth, Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou ninth and Pierre Gasly, who certified fourth earlier than a six-place grid penalty, took the ultimate level for Renault-owned Alpine.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who began from the pitlane after a nightmare in qualifying left him on the again row, completed eleventh.
