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Spanish Grand Prix: F1 race start time, weather, odds and how to watch

Luke Slater
·3-min read
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W13 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on May 22, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain - Getty Images/Joe Portlock
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W13 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on May 22, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain - Getty Images/Joe Portlock

Max Verstappen heads into this weekend’s seventh race of the season in Spain having significantly extended his championship lead with victory in last week’s race in Monaco.

The double-champion’s victory at Monte Carlo, combined with Sergio Perez’s finish outside of the points, means that the Verstappen now leads his Red Bull team-mate by 39 points.

Verstappen won here last year in Spain, leading home Sergio Perez for a Red Bull one-two finish.

When is it?

The 2023 Spanish Grand Prix runs from Friday June 2 until Sunday June 4.

What time do the sessions start?

Friday, June 2

All times British Summer Time

Practice 1: 12.30pm
Practice 2: 4pm

Saturday, June 3

Practice 3: 11.30am
Qualifying: 3pm

Sunday, June 4

Race: 2pm

What is the weather forecast?

The forecast, according to the Met Office, appears to be a little unsettled. The maximum temperatures across each of the three days is around 22-23c, which is a little lower than the monthly average and certainly a good chunk less than the searing temperatures we saw in 2022.

Currently Friday and Saturday are forecast to have sunny spells with some cloud each morning, with a chance of rain in both afternoons (around a 40 per cent chance of light rain both days).

Sunday is a little less certain, though still carries a 40 per cent chance of rain in the hours the race is due to run.

What TV channel is it on?

Sky Sports F1 have near-exclusive live coverage rights in the UK this year and indeed for the next few with their usual excellent team.

Sky’s qualifying coverage starts at 2.15pm on Saturday with their full race coverage from 12.30pm on Sunday.

Channel 4’s qualifying highlights are at 7.30pm on Saturday with their race highlights at 6.30pm on Sunday.

What do we know about the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya?

Well, first things first, the chicane in the final sector which had been in place for some years will not be used for the 2023 grand prix. This means the track has been shortened by around 18 metres and one of the worst section of corners in F1 has been removed.

  • Circuit length: 4.657km

  • First grand prix:  1991

  • Laps: 66

  • Race distance:  307.236km

  • Race lap record: N/A

  • 2021 winner:  Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

  • Number of corners:  14

  • Overtaking chances:  For a long time this circuit has not been the greatest for overtaking. At the end of the back straight and into turn one will remain the best chance and thanks to the removal of that chicane could provide a better opportunity for overtaking then in previous seasons. There are a couple of other places, such as into turn  five. Turn 10 is no longer the opportunity it once was – even DRS assisted – since it was reprofiled into a smaller and lighter breaking zone.

What are the current standings?

Drivers: top 10

Constructors:

What are the latest odds?

  • Max Verstappen 4/11

  • Sergio Perez 3/1

  • Fernando Alonso 10/1

  • Charles Leclerc 28/1

  • George Russell 33/1

  • Lewis Hamilton 33/1