Lewis Hamilton drove aggressively and overtook rivals, generally with obvious ease. George Russell gained a number of locations by zipping up the pit lane firstly and held off a late problem from Sergio Pérez. It was a fantastic day for Mercedes.
And they completed 2-3.
Once once more, Max Verstappen of Red Bull raced away from the Formula One subject within the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on Sunday, profitable the pole, and then on race day by no means holding any place however first. His closing margin was 24 seconds.
With 5 wins in seven races (and two seconds), he’s on his strategy to his third straight Formula One title, barring a significant shock.
Any drama needed to be discovered additional again in a race with out main incidents or crashes. In addition to the showy performances by the Mercedes, Pérez, Verstappen’s teammate, raced as much as fourth after beginning eleventh because of a foul qualifying.
Expected rain, which could have made issues fascinating, by no means actually got here.
Late within the race, Verstappen was warned about straying off the course on some turns, however even had he been penalized, it might very seemingly have been 5 seconds, not almost sufficient to take the race away.
As they’ve for weeks, his rivals and their groups shall be shaking their heads and questioning how they will probably cease him.
Watch Verstappen Not Lose the Lead
Not as soon as. All day.
Where the Race Turned
When Verstappen took the pole? When he began the race with out incident? When he had a problem-free pit cease?
Truthfully, at no level did Verstappen ever look as if he would lose this weekend.
Best Days, Ranked
1. Verstappen. See above. And each different race.
2. Mercedes. After an iffy begin to the season, and an embarrassing collision between its two drivers in qualifying Saturday, virtually every little thing went proper on race day. It was the primary double-podium of the yr for the workforce.
3. Pérez. He made up for a foul qualifying day, and a spin off the monitor, by racing his method as much as fourth.
What They’re Saying
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“I had the harder compound. I knew the start was maybe going to be a bit tricky.” — Max Verstappen, like all of us looking for some drama.
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“What a result for our team. We definitely didn’t expect the result we had today.” — Lewis Hamilton
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“I think they’re a bit too quick at the moment. We’re working on it. If not, maybe next year.” — Hamilton, life like about Red Bull.
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“I thought it would rain at one point, but it was sweat from my hair.” — George Russell.
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“It was just a misunderstanding, a lack of communication in the garage during an intense moment so no one is to blame.” — Mercedes workforce principal Toto Wolff, dismissing a qualifying collision between Hamilton and Russell. Spoiler: Someone was guilty.
Drivers’ Championship Standings
Verstappen’s lead is now 53 factors. Expect that to extend.
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