Max Verstappen topped off a dominant performance at the F1 2023 Spanish GP with the extra point for fastest lap.
The Red Bull driver led the race from start to finish as he comfortably conducted proceedings from the front, with neither of the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton able to mount a substantive challenge for victory.
The result extends Verstappen’s lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship over teammate Sergio Perez to 53 points with seven rounds of the 2023 season completed.
Mercedes improvement
Despite crossing the line some 23 seconds behind Verstappen in with Hamilton, Mercedes will likely take away a host of positives from the weekend in Barcelona, as their car looked significantly more on the pace than it has in recent races.
With the Brackley-based outfit securing a first double podium of the season following the introduction of upgrades and a new car design philosophy, the team have shown some semblance of their previous form.
However, it remains to be seen who, if anyone, can challenge the raw dominance of Red Bull and Verstappen, with even the team’s second driver Perez significantly off the pace of the champion.
Where is the next F1 2023 race?
With the F1 circus finished in Spain, the next race is the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix, which will be held at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal over the weekend of June 16-18.
