2023-06-04 16:48:05
Max Verstappen ALBERT GEA / REUTERS
The Dutchman went it alone to win in Barcelona ahead of the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
It seems so simple. Max Verstappen and Red Bull are simply above the pack this season. In Spain, the Dutchman signed the perfect weekend. He dominated the three free practice sessions, took pole on Saturday with disconcerting ease and paraded on Sunday to clinch his fifth success of the season, his 40th career victory, while setting the fastest lap in the race. The Batavian is simply untouchable. The Mercedes, they confirm their return to the fore with a double podium. Lewis Hamilton finished second, just ahead of George Russell.
This time the rain didn’t come to save the race
Last week, during a long boring Monaco GP, the rain came to reshuffle the cards over the last thirty laps. This time, the sky was not unleashed on Catalonia and Max Verstappen delivered a real demonstration. The hardest thing in the end was the start where Carlos Sainz, who started on softs while the RB rider was on mediums, tried his luck at the first corner but the Dutchman kept his position and then quietly flew towards another success. Behind, Sainz (5th) was unable to keep pace with the Batavian but also that of the Mercedes.
German cars are back in the foreground. They were the only ones to keep pace with Verstappen and the black car is improving race after race. Starting fourth, Lewis Hamilton easily clinched second place, 24 seconds behind the leader, and George Russell made a good comeback. Starting twelfth, the Briton finished third after a supersonic start in which he notably gained four positions. He did better than Sergio Perez, who started eleventh and finished fourth, a sign that the Mercedes is working.
The two Alpine cars in the points
No podium this time for the Blues. The Alpines lacked pace in the race. Esteban Ocon still collects four points with his eighth place while Pierre Gasly scores a point. Tenth on the grid, Gasly retained this place at the finish following a missed start and owes his place in the top 10 to the five-second penalty imposed on Yuki Tsunoda. Next appointment for F1? Canada in two weeks.
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