Spanish F1 Grand Prix: Max Verstappen Records Dominant Win In Barcelona Ahead Of Lewis Hamilton

Barcelona: Max Verstappen started from pole to complete his fifth victory of the season at Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday and extended his Formula One Championship lead to 52 points. It was Red Bull’s seventh win in as many races.

The Dutchman finished ahead of the Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and George Russell who finished second and third respectively at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez finished fourth despite starting 11th.

With this win, the 25-year-old recorded his third win in a row and 40th in F1. He also got a bonus point for the fastest lap. “It is a big pleasure to drive a car like this and it showed on a day like this,” Verstappen said. “Hopefully we can keep it up throughout the year.”

Sainz had to settle for fifth after being passed by the Mercedes cars and Pérez’s Red Bull. Home favorite Fernando Alonso disappointed the legion of Spanish fans by finishing a season-worst seventh place, right behind teammate Lance Stroll. As expected given the superior speed of the Red Bull, the 66-lap race was largely decided in the 595-meter run from the starting line to Turn One.

Sainz tried to get the jump on Verstappen from the off by starting on a faster, although less durable, tire than the polesitter. Sainz was side-by-side with Verstappen after the long opening straightway going into the first turn, but the Red Bull fended off the Ferrari to stay in front.

Esteban Ocon was eighth in an Alpine ahead of Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu and Pierre Gasly in the other Alpine to round out the top 10.