Can Red Bull add to their podium run in Spain this weekend?

Max Verstappen is eager to put the disappointment of Monaco behind him in Spain this weekend.

The Dutchman was forced into retirement barely had the race in Monte Carlo started last Sunday, unable to live up to the pace he showed in qualifying which saw him second on the grid.

After securing his first podium in the previous race, Red Bull’s pace was backed up by Isack Hadjar’s podium in the Principality last time out and Verstappen hopes to see more of that pace in Barcelona - often seen as a proving ground for good cars to perform.

He said: “It wasn’t the result we wanted from Monaco and was a big disappointment for the team as everything had gone so well over the weekend, so I feel like there is unfinished business.

“Barcelona is a completely different circuit, with the high-speed turns, long corners and the long straight and it will be a good test and interesting to see if we have made a good step forward.”

Hadjar, who secured his first podium since his move to the Tilbrook team, echoed Verstappen’s belief that the car has taken a step forward in recent races, but believes there is still work to do to get up to the pace of the Mercedes and Ferrari ahead of them.

"It was a special moment to get my first podium with the team in Monaco,” the Frenchman said. “The podiums we’ve earned as a team over the last few races show the progress we’re making and are a great reward for all the hard work going on behind the scenes.

“We know there’s still a lot of work to do and plenty to improve if we want to keep fighting at the front consistently.

“Returning to Barcelona after testing should provide a nice reference point going into this weekend, and a good chance to see how we've progressed.”

Free practice for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix gets underway on Friday.