A shocking Red Bull 1-2 victory propels Verstappen to lead championship following rollercoaster Spanish Grand Prix.
Podium Finishers
It was the Red Bull of Max Verstappen who crossed the finish line first on a spicy hot Sunday in Spain, despite polesitter Charles Leclerc’s early comfortable lead in the race.
Teammate Sergio Perez followed in second, setting Red Bull up for an idyllic 1-2 victory after what looked like an inevitable double podium for Ferrari in Sainz’s home grand prix. Perez secured an additional point for fastest lap after pitting for softs late in the race.
Questions were raised after team orders came through over the radio ordering Checo to let Max pass (but the favor wasn’t returned). Seems a little too early for team orders to me, with the Mexican driver being understandably upset over the call. One thing is for sure: there will definitely be some conversations about this behind closed doors.
It was a masterclass race for George Russell who finished P3 for the day, after expertly defending Max Verstappen throughout much of the race. It was an epic bout for sure – someone should add “British Minister of Defense” to George’s LinkedIn profile, although it should be noted Verstappen’s DRS was malfunctioning which surely didn’t make things easier for the Dutch Lion to pass.
Best of the Rest
Hometown hero Carlos Sainz finished P4, a solid recovery drive after a huge gust of wind caused him to spin out on Turn 4 (Verstappen spinning at the same corner with a much different faint). Although it was a day to forget for the Tifosi, Sainz continues his points scoring spree in Catalunya.
Lewis Hamilton showed a 7-time world champion worthy comeback finishing P5 for the day after a Lap 1 incident with Kevin Magnussen seeing him drop down to the bottom of the grid. Hamilton recovered up to P4 with a brilliant pass over Carlos Sainz, then being told to back down by the team with only a few laps remaining.
The Alfa Romeo of Valtteri Bottas finished a solid P6 for the day, losing out on soft-medium-medium strategy to soft-tyred finishers (Sainz, Hamilton).
Esteban Ocon made up 5 places with a brilliant (and dare I say, underrated) drive to P7 for the day with two soft-tyre stints in the scorching Spanish heat.
My driver of the day was Lando Norris, who drove his MCL36 to P8 despite suffering from tonsillitis. An applaud-worthy performance for the Brit who was silent on the radio, but clapped for himself following what he described as “one of the most difficult races of his career.”
Hometown Hero Fernando Alonso finished P9 for the day, a brilliant drive from P20. The pink and blue Alpine boys are surely proving themselves to be contenders in the epic midfield battle this season – well done!
Rounding out points for the day was the Alpha Tauri of Yuki Tsunoda, making up 3 spots mirroring Alonso’s soft-medium-soft-soft strategy. Four pit stops was fairly normal for the day – it WAS that hot!
Unexpected Surprises
The scorching Spanish temperatures and gusting winds gave fans an epic Spanish Grand Prix in what most expected to be a boring “processional” of a race.
Polesitter and leader Charles Leclerc looked primed for an easy victory on Sunday until his engine lost power on Lap 27. A miserable ending for the Monegasque as he heads to his home race.
After suffering a poor start, Sainz fell to fifth after suffering a poor start (seemingly anti-stall related) and dropped to P11 following a spin on Lap 7, which he thankfully avoided the barriers.
Max Verstappen also caught the tailwinds on Turn 4, dropping him from P2 to P4 on Lap 9.
The unseasonably soaring heat made tyre management and strategy of utmost priority, seeing some drivers pit four times in Catalunya.
Looking Ahead
It’s back-to-back races as the grid heads to the Historic Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo. Can hometown hero Charles Leclerc finally defeat his home race curse or will Verstappen extend his lead? Will fans see Mercedes rise in the title fight? The action begins on Friday, May 25.
