Continued from part one…
5. 2016 Spanish Grand Prix
The Spanish Grand Prix isn’t always the most exciting race weekend of the season but the 2016 edition brought something really very special. There was a real buzz when we arrived in Barcelona because Red Bull had taken the bold step of promoting 18-year-old Max Verstappen to the main team, swapping seats with Daniil Kvyat who’d been moved down to Toro Rosso. Max was immediately impressive, right on teammate Daniel Ricciardo’s pace until Q3.
Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton collided on the very first lap, taking both out of the race and making it instantly a Red Bull versus Ferrari battle. I was working with Channel 4 as pitlane reporter and it soon became clear that Red Bull was going to split its strategy. Ricciardo took the lead when the dominant Mercedes were out but Verstappen was doing a great job of matching his pace despite the dirty air.
The team then put Ricciardo on a strategy requiring him to do an extra stop for fresh tyres and then overtake the Ferraris, while Max had to manage his tyres and soak up the pressure in the lead. Watching this teenager drive a faultless Grand Prix with Kimi Raikkonen, a driver who raced against his father Jos, sitting on his gearbox for most of it was just amazing. For Max to win on debut with the big team was a true fairytale story.
