Max Verstappen has skills and the machinery to contend for the championship but lacks the on-track backup to seal the deal.

Featuring GP Racing executive editor Stuart Codling. Lewis Hamilton had to work to turn his 100th pole to victory in Spain, and momentum is with the defending champion after three wins in four rounds. But could Max Verstappen have stopped him from claiming yet another Barcelona win?

George Russell remembers his 2019 F1® debut for Williams in Australia, reflects on the lessons learned from his memorable stand-in appearance at Mercedes, talks about his rivalries with peers like Lando Norris and reveals why he wanted a director role in the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association alongside Sebastian Vettel.

Unknown F1 driver Paul de la Rosa interviews disappointing wingman Valtteri Botarse. The Temple of Robstradramus registers as a religious organisation. Ex-Mercedes staff reserve all the good chairs at Red Bull Racing.

Lewis Hamilton has pulled off a daring dash to pinch victory from Max Verstappen and extend his championship lead.

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes-Benz beat Max Verstappen and Red Bull to victory at the Spanish Grand Prix with a strategic masterstroke after losing the lead on the first lap.

Pole winner Hamilton started alongside Verstappen on the front row of the grid, but the Dutchman got the better start to go side by side into the first turn. He had the inside line and used the full width of the track to force Hamilton to yield or risk damage to his front wing to seize first place.

The news got worse for Mercedes. Valtteri Bottas, starting from third, slipped to fourth behind Charles Leclerc, the Ferrari driver sweeping around the Finn’s outside through the long Turn 3 in a beautiful first-lap move to split him from the front-runners.

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Lewis Hamilton has pipped Max Verstappen to claim his 100th pole position in Formula 1 in a tight qualifying hour at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton scored his 100th Formula 1 pole position with a fine-margins victory over Max Verstappen ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.

Hamilton needed only one lap in Q3 to claim his record-extending pole. His first time of 1m16.741s put him at the head of the grid and ahead of title rival Max Verstappen by just 0.036s, and neither he nor the Dutchman was able to improve with their second attempts.

The Briton paid tribute to Mercedes, with which he’s scored 74 of his pole ton of poles since joining the team from McLaren.

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Max Verstappen will start what promises to be a hotly contested qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix as Barcelona’s fastest man after topping final practice ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

Verstappen’s best time of 1m17.835s was built largely on a purple middle sector, after which he was almost half a second up on Hamilton, before a fumbled exit from the chicane brought his advantage back down to 0.235s.

Hamilton’s best lap also left time on the table, similarly through the chicane. The Briton should have gained with his final flying lap on the soft tire but took too much of the tall yellow curb to improve his time.

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Valtteri Bottas opened the Spanish Grand Prix weekend with the fastest time of first practice at the modified Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The Finn’s best lap of 1m18.504s kept him ahead of Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen by just 0.033s, though the Dutchman was balked by Lance Stroll on his first flying lap on soft tires and had to make do with a second attempt. Verstappen also had a mid-session front wing change after picking up damage on the curbs through Turns 7 and 8.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton finished third and 0.123s behind his session-topping teammate, the Briton also on the soft compound.

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Lewis Hamilton leads Max Verstappen by a single point – can either establish a championship lead in May? I preview the upcoming Portuguese and Spanish grands prix with last year’s podcast guests Racer’s Chris Medland and F1.com’s Lawrence Barretto.