Why Verstappen's 2023 Spanish GP win wasn't as simple as it looked

In the history books, Max Verstappen’s 2023 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix victory will appear another seamless and supreme performance, with shades of Lewis Hamilton’s 2020 triumph at the same venue. But digging a little deeper reveals it was far from straightforward for the reigning world champion, highlighted by a backdrop of intriguing action for the podium places

"I was just in a daze out there. I didn't even know it was the last lap at the end. That's how zoned in I was. I was ready to keep going."

This was not how Max Verstappen felt finishing the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix, but how the driver behind him last Sunday at Barcelona had three years earlier.

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.