Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Max Verstappen should be back in a happy place as Formula One kicks off a triple header of familiar European races starting with the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya this weekend.
Red Bull's triple world champion took the first win of his F1 career at the track outside Barcelona in 2016, when he was only 18 years old, and has triumphed on his last two visits.
Austria follows on the weekend after and then the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, all tracks Verstappen won at last year as he romped to the most dominant championship on record.
This year's race comes after the Dutch driver won a wet Canadian Grand Prix, after three races with different drivers on top of the podium, and the track will suit his car better with fewer worries about bumps and kerbs.
"It has a good mix of high and low-speed corners and we have historically driven well there so hopefully we can maximise the performance of the car this weekend," said Verstappen, who leads Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by 56 points after nine races.
"We are aiming to keep the momentum going from Canada, so we are looking forward to racing this weekend and hopefully have some good weather."
Verstappen has led the championship for more than two years, taking over at the top in Spain in May 2022 and staying ahead ever since.
Carlos Sainz Photo: Clay Cross/ Photosport
Team mate Sergio Perez needs a strong race after two successive retirements but the Mexican carries a three place grid penalty from Montreal, a weekend he called a disaster.
"Sometimes you are forced to reset a little and we have done that since the last race," said Perez.
Red Bull are 49 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors' standings, with the Italian team seeking to bounce back from the shock of a double retirement in Canada after winning with Leclerc in Monaco.
The race will be Carlos Sainz's last at home with Ferrari, the Spaniard moving on at the end of the season to make way for seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton, and he may have a real chance to win.
"The Spanish Grand Prix should see us return to being competitive, with the same level of performance we have demonstrated throughout the season prior to the Canadian Grand Prix," said team boss Fred Vasseur.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, preparing for his 21st home race, will also have plenty of fans.
Mercedes and McLaren should be in the mix, with the former more positive after George Russell's pole position and third place in Canada -- the team's first podium of the campaign.
"We have new parts coming in Barcelona. That should help us, so I would very much hope that we can continue this positive trajectory," said team boss Toto Wolff, whose drivers were second and third at the circuit last year.
McLaren have been on the podium in the last five races, Lando Norris taking a win and three second places while Oscar Piastri was second in Monaco.
"The track has its challenges...but I think we're in a good position to maximise our performance and get the most out of the car," said Norris.
Britain's Oliver Bearman, tipped for a race seat next year, will take over Nico Hulkenberg's car at Haas in Friday's first practice.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull racing at 2023 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Spain, Circuit de Catalunya. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Formula One statistics for the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya, round 10 of the 24 race season:
Lap distance: 4.657 km. Total distance: 307.236 km (66 laps)
2023 pole position: Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Red Bull One minute 12.272 seconds
2023 race winner: Verstappen
Start time: 1300 GMT (1500 local)
Race lap record: Verstappen 1:16.330 (2023)
Spain
The 14-turn Circuit de Catalunya is hosting what will be the 54th world championship Spanish GP.
Lewis Hamilton has won the Spanish GP six times (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021), a record he shares with Michael Schumacher.
Other past winners on Sunday's grid are Fernando Alonso (2006, 2013) and Verstappen (2016, 2022, 2023).
Verstappen took his first F1 win in Spain.
The winner at the Circuit de Catalunya, which has a mix of fast and slow corners with two long straights, has started on pole 24 times in 33 races.
The only drivers to win in Barcelona and not start on the front row were Schumacher (third on the grid in 1996), Alonso (from fifth in 2013) and Verstappen (fourth in 2016).
Alonso and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz are the only Spanish drivers in the race.
Ferrari are the most successful team at the Circuit de Catalunya with eight wins. Since 1951, the Italian team have won 12 times in Spain.
Championship lead
Verstappen has led the championship for a record 48 successive races dating back to Spain in May 2022 and arrives in Montreal 56 points clear of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc after nine rounds.
Red Bull are 49 points clear of Ferrari.
Wins
Verstappen has won six of nine races this season, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz triumphant in Melbourne, McLaren's Lando Norris in Miami and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in Monaco.
Ferrari are the only team to have had two winning drivers this season.
Hamilton has a record 103 career victories from 341 starts. He has now gone 54 races without a win, a run dating back to 2021.
Red Bull won 21 of 22 races last year, with Verstappen victorious in a record 19, and have won 37 of the last 42.
The team have won 119 races and are fourth in the all-time list of winners. Ferrari lead with 245, McLaren have 184 and Mercedes 125.
Verstappen has won 60 grand prix and is third on the all-time list. Michael Schumacher is second on 91.
Pole position
Hamilton has a record 104 career poles, his most recent in Hungary last year.
Verstappen took the first seven poles of the season, equalling Alain Prost's 1993 record, and eight in a row including the last race of 2023 -- equalling Ayrton Senna's 1988-89 record.
Leclerc ended that run with pole in Monaco and George Russell was on pole for Mercedes in Canada.
Podiums
Verstappen has 105 career podiums, Hamilton 197.
The Red Bull driver set a record of 21 podiums in a season last year but Michael Schumacher remains the only driver to have stood on the podium in every race of a season (2002).
Verstappen has been on the podium seven times this season.
Milestone
The race will be Sainz's last outing with Ferrari in front of his home crowd. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso will be starting his 21st home grand prix.
-Reuters