You’ll see live updates here when the race starts at 9am ET.
race preview
With Red Bull taking six wins in six races heading into the season opener, it was no surprise that the subject of this week’s Spanish Grand Prix was the elephant in the room.
Could Red Bull become the first F1 team to win every race of the season?
“I think it can be done, but it is very unlikely that it will happen,” driver Max Verstappen said on Thursday, trying to be diplomatic in a season in which he was dominant. “There’s always going to be things that go wrong, retirements and other things. But purely in terms of pacing, I think that’s what it looks like at the moment.”
No F1 team has won all races in a single year, but McLaren’s closest came in 1988, when Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost teamed up to win 15 of 16 races. Verstappen (4 wins) and Sergio Perez (2 wins) won Red Bull this year with a 6-6 record. Predictions that Red Bull might take the lead, especially when Mercedes’ George Russell said in March that ‘Red Bull took the championship’, have been spot on so far.
In fact, Verstappen was so quick on Saturday’s first qualifying lap that the team called him out rather than trying to beat it. Red Bull signaled that other teams were once again battling for second place.
Viewing method
time: The Spanish Grand Prix starts at 9am Eastern time. (The global start time is here. )
tv set: The race will air on ESPN in the US, with coverage beginning at 7:30 a.m. and also streamed on ESPN+Eastern. Isn’t it the United States? Check out the complete list of F1 stations wherever you are. can be found here.
Sunday starting grid
Verstappen is in pole position. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz will join the front line. McLaren’s Lando Norris finished third.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who ranked 2nd in the season ranking, started 11th. Saturday had some slips and slides, and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso sits just ahead of him in eighth place. (The full points standings are below.) Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who muttered “I can’t believe it” as he left qualifying, ended up in a disappointing 19th place.
sunday storyline
change point With the seven teams undergoing technical upgrades, Sunday’s standings could change quite a bit. (A qualifier with some unusual names in the top 10 should have shown that no one really knows what’s going to happen.) Several teams roamed the narrow streets of Monaco like imperfect laboratories. For those who tested an upgrade package on an unusually narrow circuit. Sunday’s stage Barcelona Catalunya Circuitwill provide a more accurate test, which the team is looking forward to.
home track advantage Tens of thousands of Spanish fans gathered to cheer on compatriots Ferrari’s Sainz and Aston Martin’s Alonso. But unless the fans have advice on how Sainz and Alonso can snatch second place on the laps they are currently losing to Red Bull, the home track advantage may not be all that important.
Sneak peek? Monaco’s narrow streets provided the team with a rare treat last weekend. I got a glimpse under the other team’s equipment. In general he is a closely guarded secret in F1, as that view, the so-called floor of the car, can give teams unique aerodynamic advantages over their rivals. That’s also why teams never like to see a crane lift a car into the air, as it did after several crashes in Monaco. “Thanks to Sergio Perez, the whole of F1 got to see the legendary Red Bull floor,” says Sky Sports commentator Ted Kravitz. said after the race. “This is amazing and beautiful, especially when you compare it to the floors of Mercedes and Ferraris seen from a crane.”
Qualifier 101
The first rule of qualifying is “Don’t hit your teammate.”
last timeout
Verstappen led all the way in Monaco and won his fourth of six races. He won by almost 30 seconds without being challenged once.
Drivers’ Championship Standings
Verstappen extended his advantage over his Red Bull teammate to 39 points as Perez struggled at the back of the field in Monaco. He is 51 points behind Alonso in third, 75 points behind Hamilton in fourth and nearly 100 points behind Russell in fifth, which is a concern for other teams.
