#SpanishGP Qualifying: @Max33Verstappen storms to 24th-career pole. #F1

Spanish GP Pole – Reigning world champion Max Verstappen stormed to his 24^th-career pole in a weather-affected qualifying at the Spanish GP ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and McLaren’s Lando Norris who were second and third respectively.

In Q3, Verstappen held provisional pole setting all purple sectors with a solid initial flying effort of a 1:12.272 with a fresh set of C3 softs and was 0.924 seconds clear of Hamilton in second and Haas F1 Team’s Nico Hulkenberg was a further 0.957 seconds adrift of the Dutchman in third.

Verstappen did not complete his final flyer as it was enough to keep the pole, as home favourite Sainz shot onto the front row alongside the championship leader, with a hot-lap featuring personal bests in all three sectors, edging out former team-mate Norris, who placed third for McLaren.

The followed Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who currently face two post-qualifying investigations by the stewards for impeding both flyers of Sainz and Verstappen in separate incidents in the opening segment.

Mercedes’ Sir Lewis Hamilton looked to be Verstappen’s main threat for pole position after he was sitting second after his initial Q3 flying lap on used softs, but the Briton could not improve enough in the final sector and ended up fifth with his best effort.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll ended qualifying in sixth and in-front of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon who was seventh and Hulkenberg who took eighth, as the latter completed just one Q3 run – offset from the rest of the pack.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso had trouble with a damaged floor to his AMR23 racer, wounding up ninth as McLaren’s Oscar Piastri completed the top ten.

In the second qualifying stage, which was topped by Verstappen, his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez missed out on a Q3 appearance by 0.051 seconds and ended up 11^th.

Perez took an excursion into the turn five gravel trap having touched the slippery kerbs on the outside line going into the downhill long left hander ahead of his final hot-lap of the segment.

The Mexican had enough time to complete a last flyer and was just in the top ten, but other improving around him meant he was under threat of being eliminated.

Perez scored personal bests in all three sectors, but it was not enough to oust Hulkenberg’s effort and was Q2’s biggest casualty.

Mercedes’ George Russell qualified in 12^th and ahead of Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu who was 13^th with the former being in the wars with his Silver Arrows team-mate.

Russell moved over on team-mate Hamilton ahead of his final Q2 run. Whilst Hamilton made his way through despite not setting a last effort and having his right-side front wing endplate knocked off in the contact, Russell was eliminated as his last effort was affected – the incident also involved Russell passing Sainz on his inside on a cool down tour and Hamilton gaining a big slip-stream to close in on the other Mercedes.

The incident is also currently under investigation by the stewards.

Scuderia AlphaTauri pairing Nyck de Vries and Yuki Tsunoda followed in 14^th and 15^th respectively

In the opening segment, which was topped by Hamilton, the session began with drops of rain falling, but the action only lasted a few moments as the slippery conditions caused several drivers to have off-track moments.

The aforementioned Alonso shot through the gravel at the exit of the final corner and picked up floor damage, whilst Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas spun at turn 12 losing the rear of his C42 racer in the previous turn 11 kink – a few moments after de Vries done his.

Williams Racing’s Alexander Albon also went off into the turn five gravel trap and with stones over a few points of the track, the session was red flagged and had a ten-minute delay.

Alfa Romeo’s Bottas was the quickest of the Q1 eliminatees in 16^th and ahead of Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen who took 17^th.

Williams Racing pairing Alexander Albon and Logan Sargeant were 18^th and at the rear respectively as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was the shock eliminated driver of the session, wounding up a low-19^th saying to his team “unbelievable”.

You can see the full Formula 1 AWS Gran Premio De Espana 2023 Qualifying Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2023/races/1211/spain/qualifying.html

2023 Spanish GP Qualifying – The Top Three

2023 Spanish GP Pole – Max Verstappen, #1, Oracle Red Bull Racing – RBPT-Honda, RB19, 1:12.272:

“The car was really good, qualifying started off a bit tricky with the weather but by Q3 the car was on rails. Very enjoyable to drive today. I love the track, I love the fans, I have some great memories here.”

2^nd Place – Carlos Sainz, #55, Scuderia Ferrari, SF-23, +0.462:

“I needed it! Even getting through Q1, Q2, putting in a good lap with only one set of tyres in Q3 – it was one of the most tricky qualifying sessions I can remember. I felt like I was driving very well, I was pushing everything, and I didn’t leave anything on the table today.”

3^rd Place – Lando Norris, McLaren Racing-Mercedes, MCL60, +0.520

“I’m surprised to be here but an amazing job, P3, almost P2! A home race for Carlos [Sainz] so I thought I’d give him a tenth. I’m very happy, difficult qualifying but always in these tricky ones we seem to do well.”

In the earlier damp FP3 session it was reigning world champion Verstappen topping the time-sheets ahead of Red Bull team-mate Perez with Hamilton third for Mercedes as Ferrari’s Sainz and Aston Martin’s Alonso rounded out the top five. You can see the full Formula 1 AWS Gran Premio De Espana 2023 Free Practice 3 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2023/races/1211/spain/practice-3.html

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#F1 AWS #SpanishGP 2023 Preview.