Max Verstappen rode very well to win the Spanish Grand Prix last Sunday but may have been a bit lucky that Charles Leclerc couldn’t fight him all the way back as he retired with engine problems.

Verstappen also had the disability of a DRS system that stopped working. Some are lucky, some are not.

Sergio Perez won the Driver of the Day award after fighting his way to the front of the Grand Prix, only to be asked by the team to let Verstappen through, to reclaim the world championship lead.

I thought George Russell was also a contender for Driver of the Day, finishing third after a very good display of his skill and determination throughout the race.

He really raised Mercedes’ hopes for better results to come.

Carlos Sainz had mixed fortunes but eventually recovered to beat Lewis Hamilton at the nine-second line.

They finished fourth and fifth respectively, with Valtteri Bottas just behind Hamilton in sixth place.

Bottas really lifted the Alfa Romeo team with excellent driving at virtually every race, eclipsing teammate Zhou Guanyu in the process.

The two Alpine Renaults, who finished seventh and ninth, had a poor weekend with everyone expecting a lot more from Fernando Alonso at his home circuit.

He finished ninth after starting near the back of the grid for an infraction.

Sandwiched between the Alpines was Lando Norris after a very difficult ride with health issues, he should be back near the top soon.

Yuki Tsunoda was in the last scoring position just behind Alonso in his Alphatauri Honda.

The race had been very demanding on the tires due to the high track temperatures and the teams had to change their strategies for, in most cases, three stops.

The circus has a short cross-country hop to Monte Carlo for the crown jewel of the Monaco Grand Prix racing season in just seven days.

As usual in Monte Carlo, qualifying plays a vital role because overtaking is so difficult in the winding confines of the circuit around the houses.

Concentration at very high levels for long periods without relaxation time is the order of the day.

It all adds up to a momentous challenge where success is so expensive and prestigious.

I will be reporting from Europe for the next races and am in the process of arranging a press pass for Silverstone. I consider myself a lucky man.

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