Max Verstappen returns to the scene of his first Formula One triumph on Sunday, hoping to pile more pressure on championship leader Lewis Hamilton in Spain after winning at Silverstone last Sunday.
The 22-year-old Red Bull driver has stood on the podium at the last four races and is now the closest challenger to Mercedes’ six-times world champion, with 30 points separating them.
Ahead of Sunday’s 3.10pm race, the Dutchman is wary of how the heat in Barcelona will affect racing conditions after tyre issues in the UK.
Verstappen says: “It’s a different track so let’s see how competitive we are against Mercedes and how the temperatures have an impact on everyone.
“The track at Barcelona is also quite hard on the tyres so I’m not sure how they will hold out in the heat.”
The tyres were decisive last Sunday, with Red Bull managing the softer compounds better than the Mercedes which suffered severe blistering, but there will be a return to harder rubber in Spain.