Max back in Barcelona: 'An emotional moment'

Published on 29 May 2025 by Stefan Meens

This weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, sees Max return to the track where he celebrated his first Formula 1 Grand Prix victory, back in 2016. The reigning champion vividly remembers his first weekend with Oracle Red Bull Racing.

“The days prior to the race were pretty hectic; I’d just been promoted from Toro Rosso to Red Bull. I had to learn a lot of new processes in the simulation. But as soon as I got into the RB12, I felt comfortable, despite having to learn so much.”

Max started the race from fourth but quickly moved up into second when the two Mercedes collided and took each other out of contention. Due to a good strategy, Max earned the lead and fought off the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen to clinch his first win of his Formula 1 career.

Max: “I remember Christian saying on the grid to just have fun, score some points and have a decent race. And we sure did have a decent race. It’s one of those weekend I’ll never forget. When you reach F1, you dream of a podium or a race win. When it happened, it was very emotional.”

Back to future and previewing this year’s Spanish Grand Prix, Max is clear: “Hopefully we can be more competitive here, a bit like Imola. It is up to us to get the right balance in the car and get into the right window, so it’s comfortable for me to be on the limit. That’s what we’re aiming for.”

Regarding the stricter rules on flexible front wings, Max remains realistic: “I don’t think much will change, but hopefully it helps us a little. We need more than this to be at the front all the time.”

Contest GP Spain: win a by Max Verstappen signed Red Bull Racing 2025 cap!