Formula 1 returns for the Spanish Grand Prix, the seventh round of the 2023 F1 Championship, following a dramatic Monaco Grand Prix. The race weekend for F1 starts on Friday, June 2, and goes on till Sunday, June 4, with race sessions including three practice sessions and the qualifying session taking place over the weekend, apart from the main race. Red Bull Racing remains the dominant team in the championship, while two-time world champion Max Verstappen sits comfortably at the top of the Drivers’ championship standings.
Max Verstappen won the Monaco Grand Prix after qualifying first, with his effective lead in the race never really coming under threat from the rest of the field, including second-placed Fernando Alonso. The Spanish Grand Prix takes place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, a purpose-built circuit which has hosted the grand prix since 1991.
Support series races for F2 and F3 will also be taking place over the weekend at the circuit. Indian drivers Kush Maini and Jean Daruvala are currently placed fourth and ninth in the 2023 F2 standings, respectively. Maini is currently the highest placed rookie in the 2023 F2 championship, thanks to consistently finishing in the points throughout the initial rounds.
Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix 2023: How to watch in India
F1 fans in India will need to have the F1 TV app, along with the F1 TV Pro subscription, to watch the Spanish Grand Prix 2023 in India. All race sessions across the weekend, including support series races, can be watched on the app across all supported devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and smart TVs. You can also use multiple devices simultaneously to enable different viewing angles and statistics, which can be viewed along with the main broadcast feed.
Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix 2023: Timings in India
Practice 1: Friday June 2 5:00pm (IST)
Practice 2: Friday June 2, 8:30pm (IST)
Practice 3: Saturday June 3, 4:00pm (IST)
Qualifying: Saturday June 3, 7:30pm (IST)
Race: Sunday June 4, 6:30pm (IST)
Formula 2 Spanish Grand Prix 2023: Timings in India
Practice: Friday June 2, 2:35pm (IST)
Qualifying: Friday June 2, 7:25pm (IST)
Sprint Race: Saturday June 3, 5:45pm (IST)
Feature Race: Sunday June 4, 2:55pm (IST)
Formula 3 Spanish Grand Prix 2023: Timings in India
Practice: Friday June 2, 1:25pm (IST)
Qualifying: Friday June 2, 6:30pm (IST)
Sprint Race: Saturday June 3, 2:00pm (IST)
Feature Race: Sunday June 4, 1:25pm (IST)
Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix 2023: What to expect
Further increasing his lead in the 2023 F1 Championship thanks to a strong performance in the Monaco Grand Prix, Max Verstappen is ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez in the standings with 144 points. Perez, who had a forgettable race and finished outside the points in Monaco, is at 105 points behind the defending Drivers’ Champion. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso is in third place with 93 points, thanks to consistent podiums and points-scoring finishes in all rounds of the season so far.
The Spanish Grand Prix is the home race for two drivers in the 2023 season – Fernando Alonso and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. The former will hope for his first F1 race win since winning this same race in 2013, and his 33rd overall. The latter will hope to finish on the podium for the first time this season, as Ferrari has clearly struggled and remains behind Aston Martin and Mercedes in the standings.
This will also be the first race in the 2023 Formula 1 season to take place at purpose-built circuit in Europe, after the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May. The circuit has been a part of the F1 calendar since 1991, and the race in 2022 was won by Max Verstappen, who recently became Red Bull Racing’s most successful driver in terms of race wins.
