Verstappen took pole position, fastest lap, and the win in Spain.
It was quite literally a perfect weekend for Max Verstappen. There hasn’t been a single lap over the last three races where a Red Bull car hasn’t held the lead and it’s mostly been Verstappen ahead of the pack. The Dutchman has been absolutely dominant this season and he showcased that dominance all weekend, taking pole position, snagging the fastest lap, and winning the 2023 Formula 1 Spanish grand prix without ever falling out of the lead.
Every week, we wonder which team, if any at all, can challenge Verstappen and it’s rare that anyone can. Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton won Driver of the Day for the Spanish GP, as he came in second place, followed by his teammate George Russell in third. Admittedly, Hamilton and Russell did drive brilliantly, starting from 4th and 12thon the grid, respectively. However, despite their impressive performance, Verstappen lead the second place Hamilton by 24 seconds to finish the race.
Photo | Getty Images
Probably the biggest surprise of this 2023 season has been Aston Martin and its newly acquired Fernando Alonso. Both Alonso and Aston Martin have injected some life into this season by providing an underdog team that’s been on the podium in five of the first seven races. Unfortunately for us viewers, Aston Martin had a rough weekend, with Lance Stroll and Alonso finishing 6th and 7th, respectively. Hopefully, Aston Martin can bounce back in Canada in a couple of weeks.
Photo | Getty Images
Last year, Verstappen and Red Bull had the driver’s and constructor’s championship titles locked up with four races left in the season. Another team better hurry up and duplicate whatever aero wizardry Red Bull has going on underneath its cars or this season is going to end long before Late November’s final race in Abu Dhabi.
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