Verstappen keen to ‘see what we can do’ from P3 on grid in Spain as he admits McLaren will be ‘tough to beat’

Max Verstappen is poised for a challenging Spanish Grand Prix from third on the grid, openly admitting that McLaren appears "tough to beat" after their dominant qualifying performance. Despite lacking pace compared to McLaren throughout the weekend, the Red Bull driver managed to secure P3, matching George Russell's lap time but placing ahead by setting his time first. Verstappen described his qualifying as extracting the maximum from the RB21, acknowledging that third was where they "should be." He conceded that overnight changes weren't enough to challenge for pole position, but remains optimistic about his race pace for Sunday. While he'll give his all, Verstappen anticipates a formidable battle against the front-row locking McLaren duo, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. The four-time Spanish GP winner will need to leverage every bit of his experience to turn a podium start into a victory in what promises to be a gripping race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.