Max Verstappen kept Lando Norris at bay to win the Spanish GP and score his seventh victory this season. Lewis Hamilton finished third, making his first Grand Prix podium appearance this year.
- Verstappen wins, 2.219 secs ahead of Norris
- Red Bull driver extends title lead to 69 points
- Ferrari's Leclerc and Sainz at P5 and P6, respectively
Verstappen wins Spanish GP
Mercedes driver George Russell swooped into the lead at the start from fourth on the grid. But Verstappen wasted no time and pulled off a move down the outside of Turn 1 to take the lead on Lap 3. This early overtake helped the Red Bull driver seal victory, as Norris lost crucial time behind Russell.
McLaren tried to give Norris a fighting chance by pitting him later and putting him on the alternate strategy. And this almost paid off. Norris started closing in on Verstappen towards the race’s end, but ran out of time and had to settle for second place, 2.219 seconds adrift.
Norris did score an extra point for setting the fastest lap but admitted that he blew a shot at victory after his poor start. “I should’ve won; f***ed up the start,” the McLaren driver said on the radio.
Hamilton on podium
After pitting for soft tyres with 22 laps to go, Hamilton passed Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and his own Mercedes teammate Russell to land the final podium spot. Russell crossed the line in fourth place after complaining about his hard tyres in the closing stages. He was followed by the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Sainz in the P5 and P6, respectively.
Oscar Piastri ended up at P7 in the second McLaren car, while Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez climbed from P11 to P8. Alpine scored a double-points finish at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with Pierre Gasly at P9 and Esteban Ocon at P10.
2024 F1 championship standings
With another win added to his tally, Verstappen has extended his championship lead to 69 points over Norris. Leclerc has dropped to third, but he’s just two points behind Norris.
2024 F1 Spanish GP results
Dipan Sur
