The Spanish local hero Fernando Alonso came closest to him in the Aston Martin (+0.170), Nico Hülkenberg in the Haas finished third ahead of Sergio Perez’s second Red Bull.
In the first practice, Verstappen was 0.768 seconds ahead of Perez, Alonso then came closer to him in the late afternoon. “Max has a lightness and is on an incredible high. Listening to his tire analysis after practice is incredible. We’re very happy,” said Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko on ORF.
The Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were only sixth and seventh, respectively, while the Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton only finished eighth and eleventh.
Red Bull remains dominant
Verstappen showed no weakness at the start in Catalonia. Five days after his victory in Monaco, the two-time champion left no doubt that he could win again on Sunday. He had already done so in the previous year and in 2016. Seven years ago he had triumphed in his first start for Red Bull in Spain – and that at the age of only 18 years and 228 days. In the five years between his victories, Hamilton ended up at the top in the Mercedes, who did not make the top ten on Friday.
“A Formula 1 car comes to life here,” said Verstappen about the course on the outskirts of the Spanish metropolis. After the street circuit in Monaco, it’s back to a real racetrack where a lot of engine power is required. It doesn’t seem possible for the competition to put Red Bull under serious pressure again. “Apparently we can do it,” said Verstappen when asked whether his racing team could win all 22 World Championship races.
Verstappen limited on Thursday: “It is very unlikely because something can always go wrong. There will also be routes where not everything fits.” At first glance, that shouldn’t be the case in Spain. According to Verstappen, Red Bull did not bring any technical upgrades with them. Before the seventh round of the season, the Dutchman comfortably leads Perez by 39 points, while Alonso in the Aston Martin follows twelve more points behind him.
Alonso dreams of a home win
The 41-year-old, third in the World Championship, is the surprise driver of the season. “So far we have achieved many third places and a second place in Monaco. What’s missing now is a win,” said Alonso. More than 100,000 fans will probably be there on Sunday, most of them will be cheering for the two-time world champion. Ten years ago, the national hero was at the top of the podium at the same place for the last time, when he drove his Ferrari to first place.
