The reigning Formula One world champion is a heavy favourite to achieve his fifth win from seven races so far in 2023 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, having kept his composure during Saturday’s dramatic qualifying session to easily put his Red Bull at the front of the pack with time to spare.
Home favourite Carlos Sainz will start as Verstappen’s closest challenger, with Lando Norris claiming a surprise P3 for McLaren. Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez is down in 11th.
Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will look to recover from a bizarre qualifying collision, while Charles Leclerc starts all the way down in 19th for Ferrari after failing to make it out of Q1.
Fernando Alonso is only eighth for Aston Martin, meaning Spanish hopes likely rest solely with Sainz trying to upset Verstappen.
How to watch the Spanish Grand Prix
TV channel: In the UK, today’s race is being shown live on Sky Sports. Coverage begins on Sky Sports F1 at 12:30pm BST and Sky Sports Main Event at 2pm. Free highlights are available on Channel 4 later in the evening at 6:30pm.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can watch online via the Sky Go app.
Live blog: You can follow the race live this afternoon with Standard Sport’s live blog.
