Max Verstappen recalls his first victory in Formula 1 at the Spanish Grand Prix, as the sport prepares for the race in Barcelona. The Red Bull team, after facing a series of challenges, managed to recover in Montreal. However, they found themselves involved with competitors such as Ferrari, McLaren, and even Mercedes. Nevertheless, Verstappen expressed his determination to surpass himself to the maximum during the race weekend in Barcelona.
The three-time world champion fondly remembered his past experiences on the circuit. It was on this same circuit, in 2016, that he achieved his first victory in Formula 1. Verstappen emphasized that the Barcelona layout consists of a combination of high and low-speed corners, which historically favors the Red Bull team.
Subsequently, Max Verstappen stated that the Milton Keynes-based team aims to optimize the performance of their RB20 car during the race weekend. He hopes to maintain the momentum gained in the previous race in Montreal. Additionally, Verstappen humorously expressed his desire for better weather conditions in Barcelona compared to those experienced in the previous race.
In contrast to Verstappen’s positive perspective, Sergio Perez had a disappointing weekend in Montreal. The Mexican driver was eliminated in the first qualifying session (Q1) and ended up retiring from the race due to a collision with Pierre Gasly in wet track conditions.
Perez, however, expressed enthusiasm for the Spanish Grand Prix. He described the race as a homecoming feeling due to the warm reception from the crowd. The Mexican driver stated that he is familiar with the Barcelona circuit and believes that the RB20 car can have an admirable performance during the weekend. Perez hopes for a successful race weekend and aims to achieve a solid result for himself and the team.
As the Spanish Grand Prix approaches, Red Bull remains the favorite team for the weekend. Max Verstappen’s exceptional form suggests that he can dominate the race if he can extract the full potential of the RB20 car. On the other hand, Sergio Perez needs to deliver a consistent performance without making mistakes in order to silence his critics.