2023 Spanish Grand Prix Takeaways
Max Verstappen got away with another dominant weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The Red Bull driver extended his lead at the top of the 2023 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship and is now 53 points ahead of teammate Sergio Perez.
While the 2023 Spanish GP was hardly this season’s most thrilling race, it illustrated several key performance movements from what we anticipate moving forward. That said, we cover essential storylines such as Max Verstappen’s incredible consistency and what to expect outside of Red Bull supremacy.
Key Takeaways from the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton collected his 11th podium in Spain and is now one behind Michael Schumacher's record
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 4, 2023
More stats and facts from Barcelona #SpanishGP #F1https://t.co/jFA5PA6tuN
Mercedes One-Two Finish
At a circuit that typically proves if a car is good or not, Mercedes rose above the rest and recorded its best weekend of the 2023 campaign. Although it’s clear that there’s work to do if they want to get closer to the RB19, both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell did well over the weekend. Russell qualified beyond Perez and beat the Mexican driver to third place on merit. Meanwhile, seven-time World Champion Hamilton closed his stint in P2.
Ditching the unique sidepods turned Mercedes’ struggles around into Red Bull’s closest competitors. The constructor admitted they stood by the zero sidepod design after their win in Brazil last season when it should have been scrapped for a more conventional concept.
Last weekend’s success makes many think about where Mercedes would be if they never pushed through with the zero sidepods having turned up to last season with mainstream blueprints. Nonetheless, there is finally promise and an end to the battle against inconsistent results. The race pace was on point as Hamilton and Russell sliced their way to a double podium finish.
The results mean that the pairing can introduce a more competitive edge. This season might be out of reach for the Brixworth-based team, but the W15 of 2024 will probably be one of the most anticipated machines of next season, especially as Red Bull’s cost cap penalty comes into play when the RB20 is in progress.
Lance Stroll and Zhou Guanyu Join the Action
The sophomore Formula 1 driver paired well with Alfa Romeo teammate Valtteri Bottas. He hit a new peak this season, which is something Zhou agreed with after the Spanish Grand Prix. While the Melbourne chaos allowed him to pick off some of the midfielders and away with two lucky points, last weekend was all about his talent. The 24-year-old showcased his talent and drove his way to ninth place.
Despite crossing the line in P10 with Yuki Tsunoda in front of him, the latter’s penalty forced the Alfa Romeo driver’s promotion to a well-deserved P9. He is now tied with Valtteri Bottas in the Drivers’ Championship with four points.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll recovered with a better weekend and finished in P6. Being under the constant pressure of veteran Fernando Alonso, he did well in a race where all the noise was about his teammate and the double World Champion.
Stroll went off to a great start and battled with Hamilton on the first lap. He ran third for eight laps before holding back to finish with the best possible position. Ultimately, it was a much-needed weekend for the Canadian driver, with P6 in the bag as heads to his home circuit in Montreal two weeks from now.
Tifosi’s Sweet and Sour Weekend
Leclerc suffered another poor qualifying for the third straight weekend leaving him out of position on the grid. The series of stressful races followed him after crashing in Miami and the Monaco impending penalty.
This time, it was an issue caused by his SF-23. Leclerc immediately left Q1, with the Monegasque complaining about a strange feeling of the car when tackling left-hand corners. He tentatively identified the strange feeling as the cause of the issue, and he could hardly do anything from P19. A points run would be a good result with his best chance of scoring pulling off a long first stint and hoping for a safety car appearance. However, the 25-year-old could only manage a P12 finish and a bump up to P11 following Tsunoda’s penalty.
Concurrently, Sainz held the fort and secured a front-row slot for race day. It was a chance the Spaniard took to bag the best position at home and his best of the season so far. It was a crucial moment for him as Ferrari needed a better weekend after what happened to Leclerc.
It was a solid weekend for Sainz overall. He needed a strong result to boost his confidence more than anything. Although a podium finish at home would be a reward, it was tough to go up against an improving Mercedes car and Perez putting him under pressure. He eventually crossed the line in P5 and secured favorable points for Ferrari over the weekend.
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