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Lap 50 out of 66: Max Verstappen increases his lead to 16 seconds as he has not encountered any opposition. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell from Mercedes are in second and third places, followed by Carlos Sainz in fourth and Sergio Perez, who started from the 11th position following a poor qualifying, is now in the fifth position.
(Update: Perez overtook Sainz to secure the fourth position.)
Race Preview
Red Bull has won all six Formula 1 races during the season so far, making it likely for them to pursue an unprecedented feat: winning every race in a single season. Max Verstappen, who dominates the season, said on Thursday, “I think we can, but that’s very unlikely to happen… purely on pace, I think at the moment, it looks like that.”
McLaren won 15 out of 16 races in 1988, coming close to clinching all races in a season. With Red Bull’s Max Verstappen winning four races and Sergio Perez winning two, their chances to run the table may turn out to be real.
Red Bull’s Verstappen was so fast during his initial qualifying lap on Saturday that his team called him out instead of trying to beat his time. The other teams, Red Bull signaled, were once again racing for second.
How to Watch
Time: The Spanish Grand Prix will begin at 9 a.m. Eastern time. (Global start times can be found here.)
TV: The race will be broadcast on ESPN in the United States, with coverage commencing at 7:30 a.m. Eastern time, and streamed on ESPN+ channel. A comprehensive list of Formula 1 broadcasters across the world can be found here.
Sunday’s Starting Grid
Max Verstappen will begin the race in pole position, while Carlos Sainz from Ferrari will start from the second position. Lando Norris in a McLaren will start the race from third.
Sergio Perez, who is in the second position in the season standings, starts from eleventh place following his poor performance in qualifying, and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso will start the race from the eighth position, just ahead of him. Charles Leclerc from Ferrari will start the race in the 19th position, frustrated with his performance in qualifying.
Sunday’s Story Lines
Changes: Technical upgrades by seven teams could shuffle up the order significantly on Sunday. Since qualifying put some unfamiliar names in the top 10, nobody knows what to expect. A few teams tested their upgrades on the narrow streets of Monaco, which was not ideal. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, this stage, will provide a more accurate test, which the teams are keen on.
Home-track Advantage: Tens of thousands of Spanish fans have turned up to support their fellow countrymen, Sainz from Ferrari and Alonso from Aston Martin. However, unless these fans can give some advice on how their heroes can make up the per-lap time they are surrendering to Red Bull, the home-track advantage may not count for much.
Sneak Peek? The narrow streets of Monaco presented an unusual opportunity for teams last week: a glimpse under other teams’ equipment. In Formula 1, the so-called car’s floor is generally a closely guarded secrecy, as it may have unique aerodynamic properties that give a team an advantage over its competitors. Teams dislike seeing cranes hoist their vehicles in the air, as was the scenario after several crashes in Monaco. The Sky Sports commentator Ted Kravitz stated after the race, “Thanks to Sergio Perez, the whole of F1 has seen the fabled Red Bull floor. It is a thing of wonder and beauty — especially when you compare it to the floors of the Mercedes and Ferrari, which we also saw on cranes.”
Qualifying 101
The first rule of qualifying has to be: Don’t hit your teammate.
Last Time Out
In Monaco, Verstappen led from start to finish, taking his fourth win in six races. He was never challenged, winning by nearly 30 seconds.
Drivers’ Championship Standings
Perez’s struggles in the back of the field in Monaco allowed Verstappen to extend his lead over his Red Bull teammate to 39 points. However, the significant gap that has emerged behind them — 51 points to Alonso in third, 75 to Hamilton in fourth, and almost 100 over Russell in fifth — is concerning to other teams:
