Verstappen fends off Norris’s fierce challenge to clinch victory in Spain, while Hamilton secures a podium finish as both Alpine cars score points.
The return to Spain appeared to be an opportunity for Red Bull to regain its early season form. The Barcelona circuit, with a profile that could suit the RB20, which also received upgrades this weekend, seemed promising. Yet, the weekend, while not poor so far, did not showcase a dominant Red Bull.
Lando Norris clinched the pole position by just 20 milliseconds ahead of Max Verstappen. Mercedes F1 confirmed its progress, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell securing the second row. Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc ahead of Carlos Sainz, occupied the third row, marking a disappointment for the Scuderia.
The fourth row featured another complete team with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon. Oscar Piastri, who missed out in Q3, started ninth ahead of Fernando Alonso. The latter was eliminated in Q2 but moved up due to a penalty for Sergio Pérez, starting just ahead of the Mexican.
Valtteri Bottas was in the sixth row alongside Pérez, followed by Nico Hülkenberg and Lance Stroll, then Guanyu Zhou and Kevin Magnussen. The eighth row was held by RB F1’s Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo, who were ahead of Logan Sargeant on the grid.
Alex Albon changed engine parts and started from the pits, allowing him to also adjust his settings in hope of a recovery. However, with the ambient heat, the Williams FW46 was not comfortable.
14:45: And the temperatures are high this Sunday. While the air temperature is about 24 degrees, the track itself is at 41 degrees. Currently, there is no risk of rain for the race, but the wind is strong and blowing in all directions.
14:57: All drivers started on soft tyres, except for Alex Albon who opted for mediums. Pirelli had outlined various two or three-stop strategies, all starting on softs. The Thai driver was clearly hoping for a safety car to pit, a gamble that is not so evident in Barcelona.
Start: Both leaders got off to a great start but Norris tried to block Verstappen, only for Russell to leap from fourth to take the lead, and Verstappen to overtake Norris!
Lap 1: Piastri passed Ocon and Hülkenberg gained three places. Alonso lost two, as did Bottas, while Ricciardo was 19th after losing a position to Sargeant.
Lap 2: Russell failed to pull away at the front, and saw Verstappen and Norris remain close. Ricciardo immediately got past Sargeant.
Lap 3: Verstappen attempted an attack on Russell who shifted aside. Despite setting the fastest lap of the race at 1’19″857, Russell yielded the lead to the Dutchman, who passed on the outside.
Lap 4: Verstappen set a new fastest lap at 1’19″364, with Russell trailing by a second. Norris and Hamilton remained within a second, while the Ferraris lagged, with Sainz overtaking Leclerc.
Lap 5: Russell stayed a second behind Verstappen, with Norris and Hamilton following closely. Leclerc was unhappy about being attacked by his teammate and complained about the Spaniard closing the door, while Sainz felt he was hit by his teammate.
Lap 6: The gaps stabilized, with 1.2 seconds between Verstappen and Norris, and Norris and Hamilton still within a second. Sainz slightly closed the gap, bringing Leclerc and Gasly along. Stroll passed Alonso.
Lap 7: The incident between the Ferraris was deemed no further action, while Sainz cut the chicane. A move often sanctioned by the FIA, but inconsistency prevails. Bottas got past Alonso, who struggled to maintain a good pace and was under threat from Magnussen.
Lap 8: Verstappen had a 1.9-second lead over Russell, who now had a group of four cars behind him. Gasly was slightly off but stayed 1.6 seconds behind Leclerc, maintaining a one-second lead over Piastri. The latter was two seconds ahead of Ocon, with Hülkenberg 2.5 seconds behind the Frenchman. Pérez remained just outside the points.
Lap 9: Verstappen now widened the gap to 2.3 seconds over the Russell group. Alonso was struggling and had to fend off Magnussen. Zhou and Tsunoda were the first to pit.
Lap 10: Piastri attacks Gasly, unsuccessfully. Zhou and Tsunoda emerge on medium tyres.
Lap 11: Verstappen maintains a 2.5-second lead, and Magnussen pits to avoid being hindered by Alonso. The undercut seems powerful as Zhou and Tsunoda have passed him. Alonso overtakes Bottas, who pits.
Lap 12: Verstappen continues to extend his lead by one or two tenths per lap. Gasly is dropped from the group following Verstappen but is no longer under attack from Piastri.
Lap 13: Bottas re-emerges on soft tyres for a second stint with the fastest tyres.
Lap 14: Verstappen increases the gap to 3.3 seconds ahead of Russell, despite a scare in turn 7. Ocon and Pérez pit and rejoin in 14th and 15th respectively. The Frenchman is on mediums and the Mexican on softs. Magnussen is under investigation for a false start.
Lap 15: Gasly pits and, with the power of the undercut and a botched stop, comes out just behind Ocon. Alpine complicates its own situation.
Lap 16: Russell and Sainz also pit, Mercedes also fumbles the stop but the Briton emerges just ahead. Norris begins to close on Verstappen.
Lap 17: Hamilton pits and re-emerges ahead of Gasly and Ocon, immediately getting past Alonso. McLaren suggests Norris cover Russell, but he opts to chase Verstappen.
Lap 18: Verstappen pits and re-emerges fourth behind Leclerc and Piastri, and crucially Norris who takes the lead. Red Bull’s stop is completed in 1.9 seconds!
Lap 19: Norris sees Verstappen closing, but the Briton moves aside and stays in front. The aim is clearly to have fresher tyres towards the end of the race, or perhaps benefit from a safety car, but it seems a difficult strategy to execute. Hamilton overtakes Sainz on the verge of contact.
Lap 20: Hamilton sets the fastest race lap at 1’19″307, while Sainz claims his opponent should let him pass as he was pushed. But, as with Leclerc, Sainz had moved into his rival at the time.
Lap 21: Norris inevitably loses time to Verstappen, leading to speculation about McLaren’s strategy since Piastri follows suit. Verstappen quickly dispatches the Australian.
Lap 22: Piastri pits and rejoins in 11th, just behind Hülkenberg’s Haas. The strategy doesn’t seem to work, at least for the Australian, and could also cost Norris dearly. His engineer informs him he has lost positions to Russell, Hamilton, and Sainz, but he is now off-cycle by six laps, which is a good thing.
Lap 23: No investigation into the incident between Hamilton and Sainz. Piastri overtakes Hülkenberg for tenth place. And Norris pits at the end of the lap.
Lap 24: Norris emerges sixth while Leclerc continues and leads the race. Leclerc then pits.
Lap 25: The Monegasque re-emerges behind Gasly, in seventh place, leaving Verstappen in front with a 5.4-second lead over Russell. Hamilton is 1.3 seconds behind, and Sainz is 2.2 seconds from the Briton. Norris is 1.3 seconds behind Sainz.
Lap 26: Sainz complains: “I don’t understand why there’s a rule if it’s not followed”, carefully forgetting the leniency he benefited from when cutting the chicane as he passed Leclerc… Norris sets the fastest race lap at 1’18″503.
Lap 27: Norris overtakes Sainz. Leclerc queries his team about why he is on Plan A, and his engineer responds that it was the chosen strategy.
Lap 28: Verstappen has a 6.3-second lead over Russell. Piastri passes Pérez for ninth place. The Mexican’s soft tyres are 14 laps old and appear to be struggling.
Lap 29: Norris closes to within a second of Hamilton. Further back, Piastri attacks Ocon and takes eighth place from the Frenchman.
Lap 30: Verstappen complains of “inconsistent” tyres but holds a 6.9-second lead over Russell and remains among the fastest on track. The second wave of pit stops begins at the back of the pack, with Bottas and Magnussen, among others. The latter also serves a 5-second penalty for his false start.
Lap 31: Verstappen widens the gap while Norris now challenges the Mercedes. This is the sole battle in a field with clear separations.
Lap 32: Norris overtakes Hamilton, while Pérez pits. The Mexican re-emerges in 14th position on medium tyres.
Lap 34: Piastri overtakes Gasly, as Pérez becomes the fastest on track, having passed Alonso.
Lap 35: Verstappen holds an over 8-second lead, and Norris attacks Russell, overtakes him, but is then overtaken by the Mercedes. Ultimately, Norris prevails with an inside pass after a splendid fight!
Lap 36: Hamilton now goes on the offensive against Russell, who pits at the end of the lap, as does Sainz.
Lap 37: Russell rejoins in sixth and Sainz in eighth, both on hard tyres.
Lap 38: Ocon and Stroll pit and return to the track on hard tyres.
Lap 39: Russell records the fastest lap of the race at 1’18″367. Both he and Sainz are significantly faster than Pérez and his medium tyres. Gasly pits and rejoins in tenth.
Lap 40: The Frenchman overtakes Zhou, whose mediums have slowed after three laps. Ocon passes Ricciardo for 12th place. At the front, Verstappen leads Norris by 6.6 seconds, who is marginally closing the gap.
Lap 42: The gap between Verstappen and Norris is 5.5 seconds. Zhou pits and rejoins well outside the points contention.
Lap 43: Norris is closing tenths by tenths, and he is extending his lead over Hamilton, who is 5.9 seconds behind the Briton. Leclerc is 3.2 seconds ahead, leading Piastri by 12 seconds. Russell, having made his second stop, complains about the hard tyres.
Lap 44: Verstappen’s lead over Norris is down to 4.3 seconds. McLaren’s strategy might involve shifting to soft tyres or using good pace to close in before the stop and attack in the last stint. Hamilton pits and rejoins in seventh with soft tyres!
Lap 45: Verstappen pits! The Red Bull driver rejoins in third place also on soft tyres. Norris is pushing hard, setting the fastest first sector, quickly beaten by Hamilton.
Lap 46: Norris stays out while Verstappen begins to regain time. The gamble seems risky for McLaren, but their engineers must have simulations supporting this move. Russell overtakes Piastri, and Hamilton passes Sainz.
Lap 47: Norris continues as his engineer presents various scenarios. The driver appears uncertain: “I’m questioning. It depends if we’re here to finish first or third.” Hamilton sets the fastest lap of the race at 1’17″809. Piastri pits and rejoins in eighth.
Lap 48: Norris and Leclerc pit! They both rejoin on softs, and Norris is eight seconds behind Verstappen. The timing might have been better if aligned with Verstappen’s second stop. Leclerc rejoins sixth behind Sainz.
Lap 49: Hülkenberg incurs a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Norris immediately begins to close on Verstappen, gaining 1.1 seconds in his first full lap after stopping, reducing the gap to 6.8 seconds. It’s the fastest lap of the race for the Briton at 1’17″377.
Lap 50: Pérez makes a third stop and rejoins on soft tyres just behind the Alpines.
Lap 51: Verstappen is warned that Norris is attacking hard and not conserving his tyres. Behind, Hamilton has closed to within six-tenths of his teammate. At the front, the gap is 6 seconds between Verstappen and Norris. Pérez passes Ocon, and Tsunoda receives a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
Lap 52: Norris sets the fastest lap of the race at 1’17″115, and the gap is 5.7 seconds between him and Verstappen. Hamilton overtakes Russell for third place.
Lap 53: Hamilton extends his lead over Russell by more than a second. Verstappen’s engineer instructs him to push as Norris has closed to 5.3 seconds and is not conserving his tyres.
Lap 55: Leclerc closes in on Sainz, while Verstappen extends his lead to 5.9 seconds over Norris.
Lap 56: Sainz moves aside, allowing Leclerc through as he is significantly faster on the track.
Lap 57: Ferrari urges Leclerc to quicken the pace, as he is 5 seconds behind Russell, gaining roughly eight tenths of a second per lap.
Lap 58: Norris reduces the gap to Verstappen to less than 5 seconds, but it seems unlikely he’ll catch the Dutchman and his Red Bull. Ricciardo overtakes Magnussen for 16th place.
Lap 60: The gap between Verstappen and Norris stabilizes. Norris persists, but it’s improbable he’ll overtake Verstappen outright. Albon loses control of his car in turn 4 and after a detour through the gravel, is puzzled by what happened.
Lap 62: The gap between the two leaders is 4.1 seconds. Leclerc is rapidly closing in on Russell, trailing by only 2.5 seconds with 5 laps remaining. It’s likely to come down to the final lap. Further back, Pérez is catching up to Gasly, who is clinging to eighth place for now.
Lap 63: Norris narrows the gap to 3.9 seconds. As at Imola, he’ll be close to Verstappen at the chequered flag. Leclerc is within two seconds of Russell, and Pérez is also less than two seconds behind Gasly.
Lap 64: Norris is slowly gaining, and Leclerc is 1.5 seconds behind Russell. The same gap exists between Gasly and Pérez.
Lap 65: With the penultimate lap underway, Norris is 2.7 seconds behind. Verstappen has little room but seems to be managing his lead well.
Final lap: Verstappen maintains a 2.3-second lead as he starts the final circuit. Leclerc is within a second of Russell, and Pérez closes to within a second of Gasly. The Mexican makes a move and overtakes Gasly.
Finish: Verstappen wins by 2.2 seconds over Norris, who remains consistently close behind the Dutchman and also claims the fastest lap of the race. The Briton reflects on having “lost it all at the start” and believes he “had the car to win.” Hamilton climbs to third place, his first podium of the season.
Russell finishes fourth, just 0.389 seconds ahead of Leclerc. Sainz comes in sixth ahead of Piastri and Pérez, while Alpine scores another three points with Gasly and Ocon in the top 10. Hülkenberg finishes 11th ahead of Alonso, followed by Zhou, Stroll, Ricciardo, Bottas, Magnussen, Albon, Tsunoda, and Sargeant. All 20 drivers who started the race finished.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Dif | Stops |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 66 tours – 1h28m20.227s | 2 |
| 02 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | +2.219 | 2 |
| 03 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes W15 | +17.790 | 2 |
| 04 | George Russell | Mercedes W15 | +22.320 | 2 |
| 05 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-24 | +22.709 | 2 |
| 06 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari SF-24 | +31.028 | 2 |
| 07 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | +33.760 | 2 |
| 08 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | +59.524 | 3 |
| 09 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A524 | +62.025 | 2 |
| 10 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault A524 | +71.889 | 2 |
| 11 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | +79.215 | 2 |
| 12 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 13 | Guanyu Zhou | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 14 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 15 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 16 | Valtteri Bottas | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 17 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 18 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW46 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 19 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | +1 lap | 3 |
| 20 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes FW46 | +2 laps | 2 |
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