Max Verstappen conquered his third consecutive victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, marking the 61st victory of his career. Verstappen’s dominance was evident from the beginning, as he overtook George Russell early on and maintained control of the race.
Lando Norris, who started in pole position, encountered a setback when his McLaren dropped to third place in the first lap. The entire field followed Pirelli’s prediction and started the race with soft compound tires, except for Alex Albon’s Williams, which opted for the medium compound.
Verstappen’s strong start allowed him to overtake both Norris and Russell, with Russell also making an impressive move to secure second place. As a result, Lewis Hamilton dropped to fourth place, with the two Ferrari drivers right behind him in fifth and sixth places.
Nico Hulkenberg made a remarkable start, gaining three positions and moving up to ninth place. Sergio Perez remained in 11th place, while Fernando Alonso dropped two positions, falling to 12th place.
Verstappen was advised to overtake Russell early in the race, and he successfully used the slipstream and DRS to position himself for the pass. Despite Russell’s attempt to defend his position, Verstappen skillfully maneuvered around the outside to take the lead on the third lap.
Charles Leclerc initially led among the Ferrari drivers, but Carlos Sainz managed to overtake him at turn 1, despite briefly going off track. Both drivers expressed their frustration over the team radio, with Leclerc claiming he was squeezed and Sainz arguing that his teammate made contact with him.
Alonso’s home race worsened when Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas used the DRS to overtake the Aston Martin on the main straight.
Verstappen continued to increase his advantage, maintaining a difference of over two seconds ahead of Russell, who led a group of drivers from second to sixth place.
Several drivers made pit stops to change their worn soft tires for the more durable medium compound, including the Haas and Sauber drivers, as well as Yuki Tsunoda in the RB car.
Perez failed to gain any advantage from his starting position, leading Red Bull to make the decision to bring him to the pits in an attempt to gain positions.
Red Bull’s choice proved successful, as Alpine’s attempt to cover Perez resulted in a slow pit stop for Pierre Gasly, causing him to fall behind his teammate.
Mercedes also faced pressure in the pits, as Russell had a slow pit stop, allowing Sainz to get close to him as they exited the pits and approached turn 1.
Hamilton then made his pit stop on the following lap and emerged behind his teammate and Sainz’s Ferrari. Verstappen did the same on lap 17.
Sainz faced intense pressure from Hamilton, forcing him to defend his position on the uphill to turn 4, to prevent Mercedes from overtaking him and retaking sixth place.
Hamilton closed in on Sainz and made a successful overtaking maneuver on the inside of turn 1 on the next lap, causing the Ferrari to be squeezed against the curb and lose ground.
Oscar Piastri was not involved in the podium fight and his strategy of running longer left him unable to defend against Verstappen’s overtaking, allowing the Red Bull driver to move into the top three.
Piastri used his fresher tires to overtake Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas at turn 10, regaining a points-scoring position. Meanwhile, Norris made a pit stop from the lead on lap 23.
Leclerc was the only driver in the leading group who had not yet made a pit stop, but he eventually entered on lap 24 and returned to the track in seventh place.
Sainz was informed that there would be no investigation into his battle with Hamilton, much to his disappointment. However, his focus turned to Norris approaching from behind.
With the advantage of fresher tires, Norris easily overtook Sainz using DRS on lap 27. Leclerc also managed to pass Gasly for sixth place without much difficulty.
Perez began to struggle with his soft tires, allowing Piastri to overtake him with the help of DRS, moving up to ninth place. He then passed Ocon on the following lap, securing eighth place.
Hamilton was unable to get DRS on his teammate Russell, which left him vulnerable to Norris. In a burst of speed, Norris overtook Hamilton on the main straight and secured third place.
On lap 35, Norris patiently waited for an opportunity to overtake Russell. He made his move on the outside of turn 3, but Russell quickly retaliated in turn 4.
However, Norris executed a clever maneuver in turn 5, taking the inside line in the next corner and securing second place. Meanwhile, Verstappen had already opened up a 9.1-second advantage.
Russell’s battle with Norris brought Hamilton right behind his teammate. However, Mercedes intervened to prevent a potential collision as the leading car headed for the pits.
Hamilton was informed that he would have a close race with Russell in the end. However, the seven-time champion only entered the pits on lap 43 to switch to soft tires.
Verstappen did the same on lap 44, and McLaren emphasized to Norris that this moment would be crucial in the race, as he stayed out on track and took the lead.
Thanks to the superior pace of his soft compound tires, Hamilton quickly overtook Sainz and began to close in on his teammate, who was unhappy with his hard tires.
Both Norris and Leclerc made their second pit stops on lap 47. Norris returned with a gap of approximately eight seconds behind Verstappen.
Perez made a third pit stop to make a final attempt with soft tires. He comfortably overtook Esteban Ocon and moved up to ninth place.
With each passing lap, Hamilton steadily reduced the gap to Russell. On lap 52, he made an impressive overtake around the outside of turn 1 and secured third place.
Similarly, Leclerc was significantly faster than Sainz, leading Ferrari to issue team orders and swap their positions in an attempt to chase down Russell in fourth place.
Despite starting in second position, Verstappen managed to secure a 2.2-second advantage over Norris, ensuring a strong finish. Norris secured second place once again, while Hamilton claimed his first podium of the season with a third-place finish.
Russell had enough speed to withstand the late challenge from Ferrari, with Leclerc finishing closely in fifth place. Sainz crossed the finish line at a considerable distance in sixth place, driving the other Ferrari car.
Piastri’s seventh-place finish helped McLaren reduce the gap to Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship. Perez made a late overtake on Gasly and recovered to eighth place.
Esteban Ocon secured another points finish for Alpine, with both of their cars finishing in the top ten for the second consecutive weekend, extending their advantage over Williams.
© 2024
A great sports event took place last weekend, which attracted the attention of thousands of fans around the world. The event was marked by exciting moments and incredible plays that kept the spectators on the edge of their seats. Teams from different countries competed fiercely to achieve victory and leave their mark in the history of sports.
One of the standout teams was the home team, which showed exceptional performance throughout the tournament. They demonstrated impressive skills and unwavering determination to win. With their well-planned strategy and talented players, they won the sympathy of the audience and became the favorites to take the trophy home.
However, the competition was fierce, and other teams also showed remarkable performance. Foreign teams brought their best plays and challenged the hosts in each match. The rivalry between the teams was evident and created an electrifying atmosphere in the stadium.
In addition to the thrilling matches, the event also featured a series of parallel activities to entertain the spectators. There were music shows, dance performances, and even a food area with a variety of delicious options. Fans made the most of all the attractions and made the event an unforgettable experience.
In the end, the home team managed to conquer first place, taking the trophy home and making their fans proud. It was a well-deserved victory after weeks of dedication and hard training. The players were hailed as heroes and received warm applause from the crowd.
This year’s sports event was a resounding success and left a lasting mark in the world of sports. Fans are looking forward to the next edition and can’t wait to see what surprises and emotions it will bring. It will be an unmissable event for all sports lovers.
