MAX VERSTAPPEN has won the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix and extended his lead at the top of the F1 driver standings.
Lewis Hamilton finishes runner-up, with teammate George Russell coming third, completing a double podium finish for Mercedes in Barcelona.
- Result: 1 Verstappen, 2 Hamilton, 3 Russell, 4 Perez, 5 Sainz, 6 Stroll, 7 Alonso, 8 Ocon, 9 Zhou, 10 Gasly, 11 Leclerc, 12 Tsunoda, 13 Piastri, 14 De Vries, 15 Hulkenberg, 16 Albon, 17 Norris, 18 Magnussen, 19 Bottas, 20 Sargeant.
- TV channel: Sky Sports F1
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Red Bull gives you wins
Max Verstappen will look to continue his world tour of Formula One wins as the calendar moves on to Canada.
Last year he had a titanic battle with Carlos Sainz, winning the race just 0.9 seconds ahead of the Spaniard.
The Dutchman will be looking for another win in Canada this season.
Credit: Reuters Nightmare for Norris in Spain
Lando Norris went into today’s race full of optimism following his third place on the starting grid.
When he came together with Lewis Hamilton, they day turned into a living hell for the McLaren driver.
Having to pit so early, Norris found himself in last position only four laps into the grand prix.
Credit: AFP Dutch driver claims clean sweep in Spain
Max Verstappen won the Spanish Grand Prix and also claimed the extra points for the fastest lap.
The Dutchman seemed to enjoy today’s victory.
He is now 53 points clear in the 2023 driver’s championship.
Credit: AFP Credit: AP
Spanish Grand Prix ‘driver of the day’
Lewis Hamilton was awarded the driver of the day award.
After starting the race fourth on the grid, Hamilton was able to improve upon it, finishing second.
Although he would have liked to be closer to Verstappen, Hamilton put in a great shift in Spain.
Credit: @F1 Spanish Grand Prix top ten
Here are the full list of drivers who got amongst the points today at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya:
Credit: @F1 Verstappen continues F1 dominance
It seems his competitors have given up on catching the Dutch driver as he clocks up his 40th Formula One victory.
He controlled the race today and was never under any pressure.
We hear the Dutch and Austrian national anthems which are becoming a regular fixture at the podium now.
Credit: AFP Mercedes step up to the plate
It was a good day for Mercedes at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
With Hamilton finishing second and Russell third, Mercedes pick up some much needed points.
This is what they were aiming for, to put some pressure on the Red Bulls.
Spanish Grand Prix results
As Max Verstappen wins the race some 24 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton in second place.
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
- Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
Max Verstappen wins Spanish Grand Prix
Lap 65/66 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
This has been another quiet day at the office for Verstappen.
No one has really challenged him at all today.
All of the top four drivers are on soft tyres for this final push.
Lap 63/66 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
Max Verstappen puts in the fastest lap of the day.
The Red Bull is now 19 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes.
Sergio Perez is given the order to go all out in his pursuit of George Russell.
Lap 61/66 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
Fernando Alonso is in seventh place, only 1.1 seconds behind his teammate Lance Stroll.
He tells his team on the comms that he is not going to overtake Stroll.
Verstappen is shown a chequered flag for breaching track limits.
Lap 59/66 – Verstappen leads, Russell third
George Russell can feel Sergio Perez breathing down his neck now.
He is only five seconds behind the Mercedes now.
Lando Norris, who started in third position, is currently in eighteenth place.
Not a good day for him.
Credit: Splash Lap 57/66 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
The only thing that could throw the cat amongst the pigeons now would be some rain before the end of the race.
Sergio Perez puts in a fastest lap as he looks to try and put pressure on George Russell.
With under ten laps to go it seems Max Verstappen is assured another grand prix victory.
Lap 55/66 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
George Russell is now 5 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton.
Sergio Perez has clocked the fastest lap in fourth place.
Carlos Sainz is two seconds behind the Red Bull now.
Lap 53/66 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
George Russell has gone from the hunter to the hunted now.
He holds third position with both Sainz and Perez looking to hunt him down.
Max Verstappen takes the opportunity to pit again.
As he re-enters the race, he still has a 16.2 second lead over Lewis Hamilton.
Lap 51/66 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
George Russell is gaining a second per lap on Sergio Perez.
He tells his team via the comms that he feels he can catch him.
Lewis Hamilton heads into the pits as does Sergio Perez.
Perez comes back out of the pits in fifth place.
Lap 49/66 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
George Russell clocks the fastest lap once again.
Perez, Russell and Sainz have their own mini grand prix as they battle for the final podium place.
As it stands, Perez has a 11.2 second lead on Russell.
Credit: EPA Lap 47/66 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
Kevin Magnussen clocks the fastest lap of the day.
Sergio Perez now moves into third as he takes George Russell.
Only Verstappen, Hamilton and Perez have pitted only once now.
Lap 45/66 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
Lewis Hamilton now has a 10.2 second lead over George Russell.
Max Verstappen keeps improving his times and extending his lead over the Mercedes cars.
Fernando Alonso takes the chance to pit once again and comes out in ninth position.
Lap 43/66 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
Carlos Sainz enters the pits and comes back out in sixth.
Charles Leclerc follows suit but re-enters the race in fourteenth place.
Fernando Alonso now moves into fifth position.
Lap 41/66 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
Charles Leclerc has worked hard to move into seventh place.
Fernando Alonso is in sixth position.
George Russell still holds the fastest lap of the day.
Lap 39/66 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
Verstappen has opened up a 15.4 second lead over Hamilton.
Russell is 9 seconds behind his Mercedes teammate.
Sergio Perez has moved into fifth position and looking to close in on Carlos Sainz.
Credit: Reuters Lap 37/66 – Verstappen leads, Russell third
Russell is putting in some fast laps as he looks to close in on teammate Hamilton.
His team tell him on the comms that his taking of Sainz was ‘solid work’.
Russell cheekily replies ‘just solid work?’
Lap 35/66 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton second
Russell is putting some pressure on as he overtakes Sainz on the bend.
Mercedes occupy second and third place now.
Verstappen continues to open up his lead and having pitted can more than likely continue until the end of the race without having to pit again.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
