Nothing impresses Verstappen
Nico Hulkenberg surprises with an empty tank
06/02/2023, 7:25 p.m
Max Verstappen does not allow tension to arise in Formula 1. The world champion dominates practice ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. The next victory seems only a matter of form. The fact that the competition is upgrading leaves the Dutchman completely cold.
The competition is upgrading, but Max Verstappen continues to rule unimpressed: The Formula 1 world champion and his Red Bull team defied the update fireworks of the competition in free practice for the Spanish Grand Prix. The sovereign world championship leader from the Netherlands set the best time of the day with 1:13.907 minutes ahead of local hero Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin/+0.170 seconds), who is aiming for his first Grand Prix victory in ten years.
Surprisingly, Nico Hülkenberg from Emmerich im Haas (+0.270) came third – apparently thanks to an empty tank on his best lap. Verstappen’s teammate and first World Cup pursuer Sergio Perez, who is already 39 points behind, did not get past fourth place (+0.312). In this form, the Mexican should lose further ground to the dominator from the Netherlands.
“Not a huge step, but it opens the door for us”
Seven of the ten teams brought new parts to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, especially for Mercedes and Ferrari the return to a classic racetrack should be an endurance test – according to the first findings, the big hit failed to materialize. Ferrari star Charles Leclerc was sixth, followed by his Spanish teammate Carlos Sainz. “It’s not a huge step, but it opens the door for us to go in a new direction,” admitted Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur.
The Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished eighth and eleventh in a close field of pursuers. Russell in particular repeatedly complained that his W14 jumped at high speed.
The drivers temporarily tested a tire prototype that will also be used in the race from the British Grand Prix in July. This is probably one of the reasons why these times should be treated with caution. All the cards are on the table in qualifying on Saturday (4 p.m. / Sky) and even more so in the race (Sunday, 3 p.m. / Sky and Sky Sport DE YouTube channel). Verstappen has the advantage of a fresh engine at the seventh Grand Prix of the year.
Pole position in Barcelona particularly valuable
Pole position is particularly valuable in Barcelona. In the 32 races so far at the Circuit de Catalunya, the eventual winner has started 23 times from first place. If you believe Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko, the race will be decided elsewhere. “Bringing the tires half the distance will be the main task. We will see maybe two or even three stops,” said the Austrian on Sky: “The driver has to balance speed and tire loads.” And in that, Marko proudly emphasized, Verstappen is a master.
The characteristics of the route just outside Barcelona have changed compared to the past few years. The chicane in front of the finish curve is no longer used. Instead, as in 2006, there are two fast right-hand bends onto the start-finish straight, which is more than one kilometer long. However, this also increases the demands on the material, in particular the left front tire and the wheel suspension are affected.