ed Bull are once again the favourites for the seventh round of the 2023 Formula One season, which takes place in Barcelona on Sunday.
The Spanish Grand Prix was the scene of Max Verstappen’s first-ever win in F1 but he had to wait until last year to end Lewis Hamilton’s five-race winning streak around this particular circuit – a feat he is expected to repeat on Sunday after sealing pole position once again.
Fans at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will no doubt be throwing their weight behind Fernando Alonso as he looks to continue his charge up the grid, following a fifth podium of the season in his Aston Martin at Monaco. However, he could only qualify in eighth place this time around.
Spanish supporters will also want to see a better showing from Carlos Sainz, who has failed to reach the podium in 2023 amid a pretty torrid time for Ferrari. He will start the race on the front row, behind Verstappen, but team-mate Charles Leclerc is 19th out of 20 runners after being eliminated in Q1 in a disaster for the Scuderia.
Verstappen has finished inside the top two for every race this season, winning four of them, and has a 39-point lead over team-mate Sergio Perez as he looks to once again assert his dominance in the F1 championship.
Lando Norris grabbed a surprise top-three starting slot for McLaren in Saturday’s dramatic qualifying session, while Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were involved in a bizarre collision that proved costly for both Mercedes drivers.
What time is the Spanish Grand Prix?
The full session schedule is as follows (all times BST):
- First practice: Friday, 12.30pm
- Second practice: Friday, 4pm
- Third practice: Saturday, 11.30am
- Qualifying: Saturday, 3pm
- Race: Sunday, 2pm
Spanish Grand Prix weather forecast
There is a mix of sunny weather and light rain scheduled for Barcelona on Sunday.
22 degrees is expected to be the top temperature, with a 30 per cent chance of rain during the course of the race.
How to watch the Spanish Grand Prix
TV channel: The full weekend will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with race coverage on Sunday starting on Sky Sports F1 at 12.30pm BST and Main Event at 2pm. Free highlights are available on Channel 4 at 6.30pm.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can tune in online via the Sky Go app.
Live blog: You can follow every minute of the race with Standard Sport’s live blog.
