BARCELONA, Spain — Oscar Piastri secured victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, finishing ahead of teammate Lando Norris. The race also saw a notable incident involving Max Verstappen and George Russell towards the end.
Piastri`s flawless performance from the front extended his championship lead over Norris to 10 points, regaining momentum after Norris`s recent win in Monaco.
However, much of the race`s narrative revolved around the reigning world champion, Max Verstappen, who displayed both brilliant driving and controversial behaviour.
Early on, Verstappen showed great skill, challenging the McLarens with an aggressive three-stop strategy that put significant pressure on the papaya cars.
A late Safety Car period disrupted his race, as Red Bull fitted the less favored hard tyre, leaving him vulnerable to competitors behind.
At the restart, Verstappen nearly spun, lost a position to Charles Leclerc`s Ferrari after contact on the main straight, and then had further contact with George Russell`s Mercedes at Turn 1. Verstappen initially maintained his track position by using the Turn 1 escape road.
Following instructions to yield fourth place back to Russell, Verstappen seemed to slow down but then drove into the side of Russell`s car as the Mercedes drew alongside.
Russell eventually completed the overtake a few corners later.
Race stewards quickly penalized Verstappen with a 10-second addition to his race time, dropping him to 10th place. He also received three penalty points, putting him close to a potential race ban.
Verstappen declined to discuss the incident with the media. Russell, however, commented to Sky Sports that he had only seen such maneuvers in simulators or go-karting, not Formula 1. He added that the move felt deliberate and was unnecessary, noting that Verstappen finished 10th while he secured 4th. Russell expressed disappointment that such incidents continue despite Verstappen being an “amazing driver.”
Verstappen`s penalty elevated Nico Hülkenberg of Sauber to an unexpected fifth place.
Hülkenberg had overtaken Lewis Hamilton, who had a quiet race in the other Ferrari, after the Safety Car restart.
Isack Hadjar continued his solid season, finishing seventh ahead of Pierre Gasly from Alpine.
Local hero Fernando Alonso secured ninth place, earning his first points of the season. This was a positive for Aston Martin after Lance Stroll`s unexpected withdrawal the previous evening.
