Take a look at George Russell’s insane 2023 stat after finishing P3 in Barcelona ahead of Sergio Perez’s Red Bull

George Russell is the first driver to start behind a Red Bull and beat it to the checkered flag in 2023. The Briton started behind Sergio Perez at the 2023 Spanish GP and finished third in the race while Perez placed P4.

During the Spanish Grand Prix, Sergio Perez and George Russell found themselves starting side by side on the sixth row of the grid. However, Russell quickly gained an advantage over his rival at the beginning of the race, skillfully maneuvered through the traffic, and crossed the finish line ahead of Perez by a margin of 3.423 seconds.

Although this outcome hinted that Red Bull could be vulnerable this season, Max Verstappen swiftly dispelled any doubts with a commanding performance. The Dutchman dominated every session throughout the weekend, except for Q1, where he didn't need to push as hard as his competitors, allowing Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes to top the times.

In the race itself, Verstappen achieved his third 'grand slam' of his career, leading from start to finish, securing pole position, and setting the fastest lap.

While George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were certainly closer than ever thanks to the new upgrades to the W14, it remains to be seen if they can catch the Austrian team.

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton received an official warning for colliding during qualifying

In an intense twist of events during the qualifying session for the Spanish Grand Prix, a collision occurred between George Russell and his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton on the main straight.

As a consequence, both drivers and the team received an official warning from the FIA. In the final segment of Q2, both Mercedes drivers were seen accelerating down the pit straight, with Hamilton benefiting from the slipstream created by Russell.

However, as Hamilton pulled alongside his teammate, Russell seemed to alter his racing line, resulting in contact between their cars. A piece of Hamilton's front wing was propelled into the air, causing him to briefly decelerate and veer onto the grass.

Expressing his discontent over the team radio, Hamilton criticized Russell's actions and emphasized the potential hazard posed by his sudden change in momentum, which could have inflicted damage to the car of the seven-time world champion. He said:

"George just backed off. That’s really dangerous. I might have some damage on the car."

However, the team seems to have not suffered a drop in morale after the incident, with both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell making an appearance on the podium in Spain on Sunday.