Dutch driver Max Verstappen (Red Bull), a two-time F1 world champion, won the Spanish Grand Prix this Sunday, the seventh race of the season, with a Grand Slam, the third of his career.
Verstappen dominated every free practice session, was fastest in qualifying, led throughout the race and set the fastest lap of the race, completing 66 laps in 1:27.57.940 hours.
Britain’s Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) was second, 24.090 seconds behind Verstappen, while Briton George Russell (Mercedes) was third, 32.389 seconds.
It was the Dutch driver’s fifth win of the season, the 40th of his career, leaving him just one win away from Brazil’s Ayrton Senna, fifth most in history (Lewis Hamilton tops the list with 103 wins).
Starting from pole position, Verstappen opted for medium-sized tires rather than the soft ones chosen by most competitors, including Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), who started alongside him from the front row of the grid.
Sainz was still trying to attack the lead into turn one, but Verstappen defended the inside line and was not bothered by anyone else.
Lewis Hamilton got off to a good start, starting from fourth, passing compatriot Lando Norris (McLaren) and ending up behind Carlos Sainz before jumping to second.
Mercedes showed this Sunday that technical developments have forced the team to raise the bar and fall behind Red Bull (albeit by some distance from the Austrians).
The improvement was embodied in the recovery of George Russell, who, starting from 12th place, recovered six positions right at the start, reaching the lowest step of the podium.
Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) once again showed that he still needed something more to fight for the title, as he left 11th in the best car on the track, he only got to fourth overall position.
Sainz still retained fifth place in a race in which Ferrari again lacked competition and in which Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) didn’t even score in 11th place.
Canadian Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) beat his teammate Spaniard Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) who was only seventh for the first time this season, missing the podium for the second time this year and just after the best result (second). season.
Aston Martin will now have to respond to the evolution of Mercedes under the threat of losing its status as the second best team in the peloton.
With these results, Verstappen increased his lead in the championship. The Dutchman now has 170 points, 53 more than runner-up Sergio Perez. Fernando Alonso is third with 99 points, 12 more than Lewis Hamilton.
There are more than two differences between the first and second races, and only seven of the 23 races are disputed.
Constructors are dominated by Red Bull with 287 points against 152 for Mercedes. Aston Martin is third with 134 cars.
The next round of the Canadian Grand Prix will take place on June 18.