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Max Verstappen will go into the seventh race of the season in Spain this weekend, having significantly extended his championship lead with victory in last week’s race in Monaco.
The two-time champion’s victory in Monte Carlo, combined with Sergio Perez’s finish outside the points, means Verstappen is now 39 points ahead of his Red Bull team-mate.
Verstappen won here in Spain last year, led home Sergio Perez to a Red Bull one-two finish and looks good going into Saturday and finishing fastest in both Friday practice sessions.
When is it?
The 2023 Spanish Grand Prix runs from Friday, June 2 to Sunday, June 4.
What time do the sessions start?
Friday June 2
Always British summer time
Practice 1: 12:30 p.m
Practice 2: 16.00 hours
Saturday June 3
Practice 3: 11:30 am
Qualifying: 3 p.m
Sunday June 4
Race: 14.00 hours
What is the weather forecast?
The forecast, according to the Met Office, seems a bit unsettled. The maximum temperatures over each of the three days are around 22-23c, which is slightly lower than the monthly average and certainly well below the scorching temperatures we saw in 2022.
Sunny spells are forecast for Saturday and Sunday with some cloud cover each morning, with a chance of rain in both afternoons (about a 40 percent chance of light rain on both days).
Sunday is a little less certain of the two, although there is still a 40 percent chance of rain in the hours when the race is due to run.
What TV channel is it on?
Sky Sports F1 have almost exclusive live broadcast rights in the UK this year and even for the next few years with their usual excellent team.
Sky qualifying coverage starts at 2.15pm on Saturday and full race coverage starts at 12.30am on Sunday.
Channel 4 qualifying highlights are at 7:30pm on Saturday and race highlights at 6:30pm on Sunday.
What were the times after the second practice?
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Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1min 13.907sec
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Fernando Alonso (Spain) Aston Martin 1:14.077
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Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Haas F1 Team 1:14.177
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Sergio Perez (Mex) Red Bull 1:14.219
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Esteban Ocon (Fra) Alpine 1:14.242
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Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1:14.246
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Carlos Sainz Jr. (Spa) Ferrari 1:14.274
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George Russell (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:14.392
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Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:14.448
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Pierre Gasly (fra) Alpine 1:14.457
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Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:14.549
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Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren1:14.583
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Guanyu Zhou (Chn) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:14.585
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Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren1:14.694
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Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 Team 1:14.713
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Nyck de Vries (Ned) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1:14.785
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Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1:14.840
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Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin 1:15.010
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Alexander Albon (Tha) Williams 1:15.056
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Logan Sargeant (USA) Williams 1:15.415
What do we know about the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya?
For starters, the last sector chicane, which has been in place for several years, will not be used for the 2023 Grand Prix. This means the track has been shortened by around 18 meters and one of the worst corners in the F1 has been removed.
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circuit length: 4,657km
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First Grand Prize: 1991
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laps: 66
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race distance: 307,236km
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Race lap record: N/A
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Winner 2021: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
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Number of corners: 14
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Overtaking opportunities: This circuit has not been the best for overtaking for a long time. At the end of the straight and in the corner, the best chance remains and the elimination of that chicane can create a better overtaking opportunity than in previous seasons. There are a few other places, like in turn five. Turn 10 is no longer the possibility it once was – not even with the help of DRS – as it was transformed into a smaller and lighter braking zone.
What are the current positions?
Drivers: top 10
Constructors:
What are the latest opportunities?
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