Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has brought the 33rd edition of the FORMULA 1 AWS GRAN PREMIO DE ESPAÑA 2023 to a close in front of a total of 125,565 spectators. An edition in which Max Verstappen has written his name. The Dutchman took his third victory at the Catalan track today, which joins the group of his greatest moments along with those of 2016 and 2022. In this new era of Red Bull’s dominance, it seems that Verstappen does not want to give up his throne at the Circuit. In total, 292,488 people have enjoyed these four days at the track.
In addition to the victory of the reigning champion and leader of the championship, the Circuit has been responsible for turning the sporting panorama of the Grand Circus upside down. Leaving aside the energy drink team, there have been new surprise guests on a podium that until now has usually been occupied by the Aston Martins or the Ferraris. It is Mercedes, which today has given a coup of authority thanks to the second position of Lewis Hamilton and the third of George Russell. These results put them in second place in the manufacturers’ standings.
The race got off to an interesting start, with race direction warning of the possibility of rain. Also before seeing the green light, it was surprising to see Charles Leclerc take the start from the pitlane. The Ferrari driver, taking advantage of Saturday’s poor qualifying, changed suspension and gearbox.
However, those weather forecasts did not come true, leaving Max Verstappen in front at the start, almost parallel with Carlos Sainz. Although they maintained their starting positions, Lando Norris, with a visibly damaged car, was forced to make a premature stop in the McLaren pit garage due to a collision with Lewis Hamilton. An impressive Lance Stroll then took third place, followed by Lewis Hamilton. On lap eight, the Englishman overtook Stroll to hold on to second place and never let go.
Shortly after, George Russell overtook Esteban Ocon to move into the hunt for Hamilton and Stroll. With the start of the pit stops and the different strategies, Sainz dropped back to third, as did Stroll. At the halfway point of the race, Mercedes confirmed their great pace with Russell overtaking the Madrid-born Ferrari driver. With that move, the podium of the Spanish GP was closed. Russell took his first podium of the 2023 season today.
The Red Bull of Checo Pérez, who started from 11th position, progressively gained places, until he arrived at the gates of the podium. Once again, the RB19 showed a great pace which few rivals can match. In fifth position, Carlos Sainz saw the chequered flag, who, like his teammate Charles Leclerc, did not feel comfortable driving the Ferrari. Although the feelings were not the most positive, Sainz made the most he could and closed today that top 5 ranking, which is so important for the points.
Lance Stroll, despite his impressive start, faded as the laps went by. In the end, the Canadian settled for sixth position, under close pressure from Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard, like his team-mate, confirmed at the end of the race that they have not found the pace this weekend. The Aston Martin team will have to analyse the reasons why they were a few tenths off their rivals, although they were able to save the situation. Alonso remains third in the drivers’ standings, although Lewis Hamilton has cut a few points off him.
Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, who yesterday placed Alpine among the strongest, were unable to confirm those feelings today either. Ocon was eighth and Gasly tenth. Guanyu Zhou in his Alfa Romeo was in the middle of them. Charles Leclerc, who started from the pitlane, was very close to the points, in eleventh place. This result is another blow for Ferrari in the manufacturers’ standings, with only one of its cars scoring points.
Oliver Bearman is back on track in F2
Oliver Bearman and Prema Racing did it today. The pair won the F2 race, which was scheduled for a total of 37 laps. This is the second time they have achieved this result so far this year, although the overall standings do not quite reflect it due to some inconsistent results at the start of the season. In a very similar situation is Enzo Fittipaldi (Rodin Carlin), a driver who has been at the front since the beginning of the race and who, after a discreet result yesterday, was able to shine today thanks to a creditable second position.
Third in the standings was Victor Martins (ART Grand Prix), a driver who passed his exam at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with flying colours. The Frenchman took a double bronze medal, proving that he can give a lot to talk about this year. Martins also made a great comeback in the tight category, starting from seventh place.
Ayumu Iwasa (DAMS) just missed out on the podium, although he has to be credited for his effort. Iwasa had Frederik Vesti (Prema Racing), he fifth classified, close behind him in the final stage of the event. Only five tenths of a second separated the two drivers, both of whom pushed their tyres to the maximum to defend their positions, in the first case, and in the second, to win. Jack Doohan (Invicta Virtuosi Racing), a little further back, was sixth.
Home victory for Pepe Martí
The Campos Racing driver has climbed to the top of the podium with one of those unanswerable victories. And it is not because Pepe Martí started first and stayed at the front until the end. Moreover, the Catalan’s achievement has double merit, as he has achieved his first victory in a Sunday race (although he has won some sprint races) on his home track, in front of family, friends and fans. This result has made Martí move up significantly in the championship standings, placing him in second position.
Right from the start, Martí felt the pressure of Taylor Barnard (Jenzer Motorsport) and Franco Colapinto (MP Motorsport), drivers who were engaged in a titanic fight for second position. This gave Martí some peace of mind and he was able to build up a safe distance with them. As the laps went by and towards the halfway point of the race, Barnard began to lose pace and, consequently, some positions. Colapinto, however, maintained his level until the end, securing the second position on the podium.
Dino Beganovic (Prema Racing), a regular in the top 5 today, found his place in third. Gabriel Bortoleto (Trident) and Paul Aron (Prema Racing) were fourth and fifth respectively. The other home driver, Mari Boya (MP Motorsport) was also in the leading group, showing great driving skills. Boya finished sixth.
An event packed with activities
Attendees were able to enjoy a Fan Zone, located behind the Main Grandstand, with proposals and activities for all tastes. It was also the venue for the Fan Forum, a series of interviews with drivers from all categories over the course of the weekend. There were other areas of attention such as the Green Zone and the Kids Zone (in the Crater Forest area), the Pelouse Jove (at turn 4) and the Food Fest (in the old heliport area). At the end of the event and after the F1 race, fans were able to access the track thanks to the Open Track and enjoy DJ Melanie Ribbe, who livened up the activity from the podium.
A sustainable management of the Grand Prix
The Circuit promoted a wide range of actions within the framework of its 3C management philosophy (conscience, commitment and coherence) in sustainability, integrating the social, economic and environmental aspects. Under the slogan “Driving for a better future”, it works to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals of the UNEP Agenda 2030. These include the use of 100% renewable energy, the donation of food, the use of 0 km gastronomic products, waste management, sustainable forestry care of the Circuit environment or the use of circular economy to fund it with other sustainable actions.
