Verstappen back in a happy place for F1 triple header

Max Verstappen should be back in a happy place as Formula One kicks off a triple header of familiar European races starting with the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya this weekend.

Red Bull's triple world champion took the first win of his F1 career at the track outside Barcelona in 2016, when he was only 18 years old, and has triumphed on his last two visits.

Austria follows on the weekend after and then the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, all tracks Verstappen won at last year as he romped to the most dominant championship on record.

This year's race comes after the Dutch driver won a wet Canadian Grand Prix, after three races with different drivers on top of the podium, and the track will suit his car better with fewer worries about bumps and kerbs.

"It has a good mix of high and low-speed corners and we have historically driven well there so hopefully we can maximise the performance of the car this weekend," said Verstappen, who leads Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by 56 points after nine races.

"We are aiming to keep the momentum going from Canada, so we are looking forward to racing this weekend and hopefully have some good weather."

Verstappen has led the championship for more than two years, taking over at the top in Spain in May 2022 and staying ahead ever since.

Team mate Sergio Perez needs a strong race after two successive retirements but the Mexican carries a three place grid penalty from Montreal, a weekend he called a disaster.

"Sometimes you are forced to reset a little and we have done that since the last race," said Perez.

Red Bull are 49 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors' standings, with the Italian team seeking to bounce back from the shock of a double retirement in Canada after winning