Event: Spanish Grand Prix
Track: Catalunya Circuit

The absurdity of the 2023 F1 Calendar: A case for sustainability and efficiency

Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing leads at the start during the 2023 F1 Grand Prix of Spain

Weather: dry  22°C
Tarmac: dry  32°C
Humidity: 65%
Wind: 2 km/h N
Pressure: 1001 bar

Max Verstappen scored his 40th F1 race win today. The Dutch driver won the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix for the third time. It also was his eight race win of the 2023 season. The Red Bull driver started from pole and drove to victory unthreatened. It was the 99th race win for Red Bull Racing.

2023 Spanish F1 GP Race Report

Max Verstappen from Red Bull delivered a phenomenal performance at the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix, claiming his third consecutive victory this season, while extending his lead in the championship. The Dutchman's performance was dominant, leaving no doubts about his supremacy on the track.

In the backdrop, Lewis Hamilton had a commendable comeback, grabbing the second spot on the podium, closely followed by George Russell, who managed to secure third.

Fans came in droves to cheer on the home favourites, Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso, but were instead treated to a Red Bull masterclass, complemented by a rejuvenation of form from the Mercedes duo.

Verstappen concluded the race 22 seconds ahead of Hamilton, a substantial lead to say the least. However, the battle for the third spot was a tighter contest, with Sergio Perez falling short in his attempt to outdo Russell.

Race Highlights

On Lap 64, we saw a fervent pursuit between Russell and Perez, with a gap of 4.5 seconds separating the two. With three laps remaining, it was a thrilling contest as Russell strived to pull away, saving tyres while Perez chased relentlessly.

On the 63rd lap, Yuki Tsunoda was handed a time penalty, pushing him from ninth to twelfth place, with Zhou Guanyu securing a couple of points and Pierre Gasly joining fellow Alpine driver Esteban Ocon in the top 10.

Leclerc had a tough race, struggling with pace throughout. He could only manage P12 with DRS over Gasly, but even a point could bring some consolation after a tough weekend.

On the 57th lap, Perez began closing the gap to Russell. His tyres were eight laps older and the Red Bull's DRS was certainly potent. Zhou's claim of being forced off the track by Tsunoda on the 56th lap was another controversial moment.

Tsunoda put up a fight against Ocon for the eighth spot, while Gasly in P11 was not far off. Zhou's DRS on AlphaTauri also added to the intrigue of the race.

On the 52nd lap, we saw an exciting duel between former teammates Alonso and Ocon. Ocon tried to block Alonso, which might have been seen as controversial, but Alonso managed to overtake him without any contact.

As the race progressed, Verstappen communicated to his team about struggling with his front brakes and overheating. However, the Dutchman still had a comfortable lead of 16 seconds.

Towards the end, Verstappen had a warning for exceeding track limits, but he still comfortably led the race by 15 seconds. Piastri and Charles Leclerc were in the points, but yet to stop a second time, suggesting a potential issue with the Ferrari.

All in all, the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix was an exhibition of Verstappen's masterclass. Despite minor controversies and stiff competition, Verstappen maintained his poise and delivered an exceptional performance.

Sainz ended the race at home in fifth place, followed by Lance Stroll in sixth. Alonso secured the seventh spot, while Ocon managed eighth. Tsunoda, after a penalty, settled for the twelfth spot, with Gasly rounding out the top 10.

With this win, Verstappen looks set to have a strong season, and fans can look forward to more exciting races ahead.

Classification 2023 Spanish GP

PNoDriverTeamTimeLapsGridPts
11Netherlands Max Verstappen
Austria Red Bull01:27:57.94066
1
26
244United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton
Germany Mercedes01:28:22.03066
4
18
363United Kingdom George Russell
Germany Mercedes01:28:30.32966
12
15
411Mexico Sergio Pérez
Austria Red Bull01:28:33.75266
11
12
555Spain Carlos Sainz
Italy Ferrari01:28:43.63866
2
10
618Canada Lance Stroll
United Kingdom Aston Martin01:29:01.26066
5
8
714Spain Fernando Alonso
United Kingdom Aston Martin01:29:02.06766
8
6
831France Esteban Ocon
France Alpine01:29:07.18266
6
4
924China Zhou Guanyu
Switzerland Alfa Romeo01:29:09.81866
13
2
1010France Pierre Gasly
France Alpine01:29:11.47066
10
1
1116Monaco Charles Leclerc
Italy Ferrari01:29:12.35966
19
0
1222Japan Yuki Tsunoda
Italy AlphaTauri01:29:13.35666
15
0
1381Australia Oscar Piastri
United Kingdom McLaren01:28:02.21565
9
0
1421Netherlands Nyck de Vries
Italy AlphaTauri01:28:03.26765
14
0
1527Germany Nico Hülkenberg
United States Haas01:28:15.23765
7
0
1623Thailand Alex Albon
United Kingdom Williams01:28:25.64865
18
0
174United Kingdom Lando Norris
United Kingdom McLaren01:28:28.33065
3
0
1820Denmark Kevin Magnussen
United States Haas01:28:36.02065
17
0
1977Finland Valtteri Bottas
Switzerland Alfa Romeo01:28:47.88365
16
0
202United States Logan Sargeant
United Kingdom Williams01:28:49.61765
20
0

Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri #22 received a 5 sec. penalty for forcing another driver off the track.

Fastest lap: 1:16.330 min by Max Verstappen, Red Bull (#1) on lap 61 @219.641 km/h

2023 Spanish F1 GP Results
FP1 2023 Spanish F1 GP
FP2 2023 Spanish F1 GP
FP3 2023 Spanish F1 GP
Quali 2023 Spanish F1 GP
Start grid 2023 Spanish F1 GP

✅ Check out 2023 Spanish GP Photos
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3 F1 Fan comments on “2023 Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix Results

  1. Jere Jyrälä

    As expected, a dominant win for Max, but the race overall was decently good for Montmelo's standards & generally, with variable strategies.
    Most overtaking moves into T1 were probably down to car & tyre advantages rather than the high-speed penultimate corner or DRS effectiveness per se, given Circuit de Catalunya is still, after all, among the least overtaking-friendly circuits, probably among the five worst for overtaking as a whole.

    Reply
  2. shroppyfly

    Are the Mercs that improved, Are the Whole Ferrari team useless, you can go on and on and on, really doesnt matter, Max was sublime

    Reply
  3. shroppyfly

    Also involved in having a cracking weekend was the Fia with there $10000 fine for one of the teams, Guess who? lets just say the team involved said , Everyone back at the factory is doing a great job..!

    Reply

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