F1 Spain, the race report
Pos. | Driver | Team | Laps | Gap | Fastest lap |
1 | M. Verstappen | Red Bull | 66 | 1:28:20.227 | |
2 | L. Norris | McLaren | 66 | +2.219 | 1:17.115 |
3 | L. Hamilton | Mercedes | 66 | +17.790 | |
4 | G. Russell | Mercedes | 66 | +22.320 | |
5 | C. Leclerc | Ferrari | 66 | +31.028 | |
6 | C. Sainz | Ferrari | 66 | +33.760 | |
7 | O. Piastri | McLaren | 66 | +59.524 | |
8 | S. Perez | Red Bull | 66 | +62.025 | |
9 | P. Gasly | Alpine | 66 | +71.889 | |
10 | E. Ocon | Alpine | 66 | +79.215 | |
11 | N. Hülkenberg | Haas | 66 | +1 lap | |
12 | F. Alonso | Aston Martin | 65 | +1 lap | |
13 | G. Zhou | Kick Sauber | 65 | +1 lap | |
14 | L. Stroll | Aston Martin | 65 | +1 lap | |
15 | D. Ricciardo | RB | 65 | +1 lap | |
16 | V. Bottas | Kick Sauber | 65 | +1 lap | |
17 | K. Magnussen | Haas | 65 | +1 lap | |
18 | A. Albon | Williams | 65 | +1 lap | |
19 | Y. Tsunoda | RB | 65 | +1 lap | |
20 | L. Sargeant | Williams | 64 | +2 laps |
And it’s 61. Max Verstappen wins at Montmeló for the third consecutive year thanks to another perfect race, where he passes Lando Norris at the start and then overtakes George Russell, who had managed a brilliant move in turn-1. The management by the Dutchman and the Red Bull pit wall was superb, both remaining ice-cold in their strategic moves against a McLaren and a Norris who instead show their inexperience and react too late to the world champions’ moves. The Brit stops perhaps too late in both the first and second pit stops, losing time in battle and giving the advantage of the undercut to the #1.
Norris, whose problems start with a bad start, finishes just over two seconds behind the Dutchman and well ahead of the two Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton completing the top-3. The seven-time world champion thanks a Mercedes strategy that does not reward George Russell with the choice of hard tires in the final stint—the same that Ferrari chose for Carlos Sainz—and secures the 198th podium of his career.
Mercedes, despite a pace that did not seem formidable, manages to hold off a Ferrari as gray as the clouds over Montmeló. The Red team is lifeless and never gives the impression of seriously contending for the podium: a setback that is not as severe as in Montreal but relegates the Scuderia to the role of fourth force, precisely in the weekend when several updates were brought. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc (today fifth ahead of Sainz) has also lost second place in the championship to Norris: without a change of course, it will be impossible to respond even in the constructors’ standings against the Woking team (now third at -40).
Rounding out the points zone are Piastri, Perez, and the two Alpines of Gasly and Ocon: the French team is very good at staying in the top-10 and resisting teams that theoretically have more weapons. Speaking of which, the disappointments of the day are Aston Martin (Fernando Alonso only 12th in front of his home fans) and RB, whose updates do not work at all.
F1 Spain, the live coverage of the race
You can relive the excitement of the Montmeló race with our live coverage.
Upcoming appointments
F1 returns to the track next week, when the Austrian Grand Prix is scheduled: the Red Bull Ring will be the stage for the third Sprint of the season, with FP1 scheduled for Friday followed by the Sprint Qualifying.
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