Oscar Piastri secured the victory at the Spanish Grand Prix ahead of Lando Norris, but it was the late-race battle between Max Verstappen and George Russell that will dominate headlines.

Charles Leclerc joined the McLaren team-mates on the podium, benefitting from a Safety Car in which Red Bull raised eyebrows as they put Verstappen on hard tyres.

Oscar Piastri extends championship lead with Spanish GP win

Pole-sitter Oscar Piastri made a great getaway off the line, before moving right to cover off Lando Norris. But Max Verstappen got in the mix and swooped past Norris into the middle of a McLaren sandwich.

George Russell went into Turn 1 in fourth place but was P6 by the end of lap 1, losing out to both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. His team-mate Kimi Antonelli went off the track and had to use the run-off area to rejoin the action in seventh place.

And he wasn’t the only one bailing out down the escape road; both Saubers and Franco Colapinto also off. Nico Hulkenberg returned to the action in 10th place and was noted for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, but the stewards ruled no further investigation required. Alex Albon received a broken front wing in the melee.

Russell: “These **** are moving under braking today! What’s going on?” Toto Wolff: “George, concentrate.”

Piastri and Verstappen scampered off into the distance, the Australian laying down fastest lap times as they pulled away from Norris before he also dropped Verstappen. Piastri led by three seconds on lap 9 into the 66-lap race.

Leclerc, meanwhile, was all over the back of Hamilton’s SF-25 and attacked into Turn 1, but Hamilton defended. Corners later, Ferrari issued the team orders and Leclerc was up into fourth.

A few drivers went for early pit stops including Hulkenberg, Oliver Bearman, Yuki Tsunoda , Sainz and Pierre Gasly.

Norris made it a McLaren 1-2 on lap 13 when, having closed in on Verstappen, he easily overtook the Red Bull driver into Turn 1. Verstappen didn’t even defend, and pitted at the end of the lap. He came back out in eighth place while Norris set about closing the gap to Piastri.

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In a spate of World Champion pit stops, Fernando Alonso went off at Turn 5 before pitting, Hamilton in a lap later. “That’s a long way to go,” he told Ferrari, who told him they were “protecting” the undercut. Hamilton asked again: “Why did you call me in so early?” Again, he was told it was out of concern about an undercut.

Norris came in from second place, five seconds down on his team-mate, on lap 22. He was back out behind Verstappen, 10s down. Piastri was in the next lap. He was 17s ahead of Verstappen, and came out six seconds down on the Red Bull. Verstappen, though, looked to be on a three-stop strategy to McLaren’s two.

Isack Hadjar, Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly raced for ninth place while behind them Albon, Liam Lawson, and Alonso were going wheel-to-wheel with Albon complaining about being pushed off, cutting down the escape road and suffering a broken front wing – his second of the race. The battle ended with Lawson P12 ahead of Alonso and Albon, the latter hit with a 10s penalty. Albon served his penalty – and retired the car.

Verstappen was back into the pits on lap 30 having complained: “F**king hell, it’s so hard to drive. Can’t brake when I’m mid-turning in low speed.” He came out in fourth place ahead of Hamilton, Piastri and Norris back up into 1-2. Norris was told Verstappen is on a three-stopper and the McLaren are “happy” with the plan.

Lawson’s next attack was on Oliver Bearman, this time the Racing Bulls did push a driver off. Despite being the fastest driver on the track, Verstappen complained he had “no clutch while upshifting, while Hamilton told Ferrari “the rear is nowhere”. Norris was told he needed to push a little harder.

And Red Bull noted the messages to the McLaren drivers, telling Verstappen: “McLaren are receiving the threat now Max, they realise they have to push on. It’s a long way to go.”

With 26 to go, Leclerc was the first of the front runners to make his final stop, Russell in the lap after. The Briton was less than two seconds behind the Ferrari driver in what was the fight for fourth. Hamilton was in on lap 47, but a slow left change dropped him behind Antonelli. Hulkenberg, fighting for a top-ten result, pitted from ninth and came out P10 before Sauber told Gabriel Bortoleto to give him ninth.

18 to go, Piastri was five second ahead of Norris who in turn was four ahead of Verstappen. And Verstappen pitted for fresh soft tyres and came back out P3, Norris in the very next lap and out two seconds ahead of the Red Bull driver. And then in came Piastri, In from first and out in first, four seconds to the good.

It was a race to the line with 16 laps remaining. Verstappen, though, was driving a “completely broken” RB21 – his words. Lawson and Bearman almost decided the race as they fought for position, not realising that Norris and Verstappen were coming up behind them. Bearman used the escape road, the “****ing idiots” were almost rear-ended by Verstappen and Norris came through by only 1.3s ahead of Verstappen.

Lap 55, Antonelli played his part in the podium fight – not by being involved but by bringing out the Safety Car. He went off at Turn 10 with his Mercedes in the gravel. Engine failure for the Italian. The leading trio all pitted as did those behind, Verstappen onto a hard and questioning why. Double stack for McLaren and Ferrari.

The race resumed on lap 61 of 66, Piastri backing up Norris and Verstappen to the point of almost sharing the same piece of tarmac. Piastri pulled away ahead of Norris, Leclerc challenged Verstappen into Turn 1 taking the position with Russell there as well. Verstappen went off the track and came out ahead of Russell, complaining that “he just rammed into me”. It was Russell who did it.

That battle gave the McLarens breathing room with Leclerc running third, 1.1s ahead of Verstappen, who had Russell 0.7s behind him. Hamilton was running in sixth.

Verstappen was told to let Russell through but as Russell tried to pass, there was contact between the two. “What the f**k!” said Russell. Russell’s W16 suffered damage.

Piastri and Norris raced to the chequered flag in a McLaren 1-2 ahead of Leclerc and Russell. Verstappen was fifth at the line but was slapped with a 10-second penalty that dropped him to 10th.

Hulkenberg made a late pass on Hamilton to finish fifth, scoring for the first time since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Hamilton, Hadjar, Gasly, Alonso and Verstappen completed the points.

Spanish Grand Prix result

1 Oscar Piastri McLaren winner
2 Lando Norris McLaren +2.471
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +10.455
4 George Russell Mercedes +11.359
5 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber +13.648
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +15.508
7 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +16.022
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine +17.882
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +21.564
10 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +21.826
11 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +25.532
12 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber +25.996
13 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing +28.822
14 Carlos Sainz Williams +29.309
15 Franco Colapinto Alpine +31.381
16 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team +32.197
17 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team +37.065

Did not finish

Kimi Antonelli Mercedes – power unit
Alex Albon Williams – crash damage

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