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The 2022 Spanish Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, May 22, 2022, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmeló, Spain. Officially known as the Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio de España 2022, it is the 62nd edition of the Spanish Grand Prix and the sixth round of the 2022 Formula One World Championship. After the fifth round, the Miami Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc leads the Drivers' Championship with 104 points, 19 ahead of Max Verstappen in second, and Sergio Pérez in third, 19 points behind Verstappen. In the Constructors' Championship, Ferrari leads Red Bull Racing by 6 points, while Mercedes trails by 62 points. In the weeks ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, the FIA decides to reduce the number of races in the season from 23 to 22. This decision aligns with the previous season's record number of races. Initially, 23 races were scheduled for the 2022 season, a record-breaking total for Formula 1. However, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Grand Prix, originally scheduled for September 25, was suspended. Shortly after, the FIA officially cancelled the event and terminated the contract for future Russian Grand Prix races.
The FIA issues a statement confirming the legality of the Aston Martin updates introduced to the car, which had attracted attention due to their resemblance to Red Bull Racing's design. The FIA clarifies that the new components did not violate the technical regulations. As the Aston Martin appeared visually similar to Red Bull Racing, Helmut Marko, states:
"We are looking at an incredible copy. We are working to understand how a clone of our car came to be. Copying is not forbidden in Formula 1, but we should not forget that seven people recently moved from Red Bull to Aston Martin, Dan Fallows was made an offer that was disproportionately high in salary. There is some evidence that we are looking at in detail, evidence that data has been dumped. After all, is it possible to make such a faithful copy of our car without having any documentation and then also be able to run it?"
The FIA issues a statement declaring that:
"Both teams cooperated fully with the FIA in this investigation and provided all the relevant information. The investigation, which involved CAD checks and a detailed analysis of the development process adopted by Aston Martin, confirmed that no wrongdoing had been committed, and therefore the FIA considers that the Aston Martin aerodynamic upgrades are compliant. Article 17.3 specifically defines and prohibits Reverse Engineering, i.e. the digital process of converting photographs (or other data) to CAD models, and prohibits IP transfer between teams, but equally, this Article permits car designs getting influenced by those of competitors, as has always been the case in Formula 1. In the analysis, we carried out we confirmed that the processes followed by Aston Martin were consistent with this Article's requirements".
For Sebastian Vettel, the changes concern the second unit related to the energy recovery system, while the Red Bull mechanics are working to install the third unit relating to the exhaust system on Pérez’s car. A further modification is carried out on Lewis Hamilton's car a few hours before the test sessions, as well as on Leclerc's car, on which the second gearbox and the second transmission were installed. In both cases, drivers are not penalized on the starting grid, as the new components fell within the maximum number permitted by the technical regulations. Remaining in the pre-race technical field, the Federation releases a statement, confirming the legality of the updates introduced by Aston Martin. The FIA emphasises how the design of the new components, which resembles that used by Red Bull Racing, did not violated the provisions.
The McLaren team and the mental health charity Mind also announce a fundraising challenge, with the aim of raising 59.000 pounds ahead of the British Grand Prix week. At Mercedes, the Team Principal, Toto Wolff, states at the start of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend:
"With the third quickest car underneath us, we extracted the maximum points possible in Miami. Considering George's start position, it was a great recovery drive, helped by when the Safety Car was deployed. But the timing was unfortunate for Lewis who was strong all weekend and on course to score P5 without the neutralization of the race. I've no doubt that over the course of the season, a little luck will eventually go his way. During Friday practice, the car showed flashes of its true potential. We continued experimenting with set-up, fitted some new components and that's provided us answers and indications of which direction to go in. A huge amount of hard work has been going on in the factories to unpick the data from Miami and turn it into improvements for Barcelona. Having run there in winter testing, albeit with a car that has evolved a lot since then, it will be a good place to correlate the information we have on the current car and we're hopeful that we'll make another step forward. The track itself is a good all-rounder, so it really puts every aspect of the car to the test. It's never been a great track for overtaking so it'll be interesting to see how these new-shape 2022 F1 cars impact the on-track spectacle in Spain. In basketball terms, we head to Barcelona at the end of the first quarter of the game. We know that once we translate the learnings we've made into track performance, there's still a lot of the game left to play".
Carlos Sainz Jr. gives several statements to the microphones of the journalists: The track for your home race is very well known to all the drivers, given that it has regularly been used for winter testing. What are its main features and which section do you like best?
"This is definitely a track that we know very well and I think all drivers enjoy it. The track layout offers a mix of high, medium and low speed corners that makes it challenging to get the right balance of the car throughout an entire lap. I think turns 3 and 9 are the most thrilling ones. At turn 3, a long high speed right hander, we maintain a lot of G force from entry to exit and turn 9 is a great uphill high-speed corner that we expect to take flat out, at least in Qualifying. The track has a lot of character and I look forward to driving this new car here in race conditions".
Sainz Jr. arrives in Spain from the race in Miami where you secured your best qualifying performance and your ninth career podium. What is your goal for the Spanish Grand Prix?
"The goal, as in every other race weekend, is to extract the maximum out of our car and try to win the Grand Prix. The fact that it´s my home race makes it even more special because of all the fans and the support we get there, but in terms of goals, we need to always push and fight for the best result possible".
This is another race where a full crowd will once again be allowed in and the Grada CS55 grandstand will be open. What do you expect from your fans and what do you plan to do for them?
"After two years with little or no fans at the track I´m very happy that this year the circuit is completely sold out. Being able to have Grada CS55 again is also very important for me, as it has become a great tradition and it allows me to interact a bit closer with my fans. However, I know we will receive massive support from every grandstand at the track and I can guarantee the fans maximum effort from myself and from the entire team, to give them plenty to cheer about! Hopefully we can have a great racing weekend in Spain and everyone can enjoy the thrills of an F1 race".
During the first practice session on Friday, May 20, Charles Leclerc sets the fastest time, although it was slower than the time recorded by Lewis Hamilton during the pre-season testing. The Monegasque driver narrowly outpaces his teammate, Carlos Sainz Jr., by less than a tenth of a second.
Max Verstappen finishes third after encountering traffic in the final sector during his fastest lap, preventing him from improving further. The Dutchman is focussing primarily on finding the optimal set-up for the race. The Ferrari cars struggle on hard tires. Behind Verstappen, George Russell is fourth, followed by Fernando Alonso in fifth and Lewis Hamilton in sixth. Meanwhile, Jüri Vips, the Estonian driver, replaces Verstappen for the first part of the session in the second Red Bull Racing car to test the steering wheel after the issues Verstappen experienced in the previous race. In the second practice session on Friday, Leclerc remains the fastest, although his time is slightly slower than in the first session, due to headwind along the main straight, which affects his car’s performance. Ferrari demonstrates good one-lap pace, but appears less consistent during race simulations. Both Mercedes cars finish in second and third positions, with George Russell just 117 thousandths of a second behind Leclerc, and Lewis Hamilton only a few hundredths behind his teammate. Mercedes and Red Bull noth show improved race car balance, performing well over long runs in race conditions. Lando Norris completed only six laps,after damaging the floor of his McLaren by hitting a curb. Shortly afterwards, Valtteri Bottas, previously sixth, is forced to retire due to an engine issue. After the Friday Session, Mercedes Driver George Russell says that the massive degradation would be the primary focus in preparing for the qualifying and the race:
"In Miami we were quickest on Friday, here we're second but the car is definitely reacting differently.. We don't have the porpoising on the straights which is great but we're still experiencing it here and there through the corners which ultimately, we need to dial out. Red Bull still look very strong and the team to be reckoned with at the moment. I see no reason why we can't be as close, if not a little closer, to the front throughout the weekend. With the differences in power modes, it is difficult to tell where we are on true pace, Ferrari and Red Bull looked to be in their lowest power modes. Degradation was massive for everyone and that's going to be make-or-break in the race on Sunday so that'll be our focus tonight".
His Teammate, 7-times World Champion Lewis Hamilton, expresses satisfaction with the progress of his Mercedes:
"I'm super happy with the progress and a massive thank you to the team back at the factory for all the hard work, refusing to give up and continuing to push. We're not the quickest yet but I think we're on our way. It's the first time we've driven down the straight without bouncing; we still have some, but it's way better. We're starting to eke into the potential of the car. It remains tough out there but much nicer to drive than it has been before. We've brought a few upgrades and we now need to fine tune them. We have a lot of data to go through to position the car, I think we can get it into an even better place for tomorrow to hopefully tap on the heels of the guys in front. Degradation is going to be key here, with these tyres you can't attack, attack, attack - they require a lot of management in these temperatures".
“Ferrari’s updates look to be working nicely on Friday in Spain, but so do Mercedes’ ones. What can those two teams, plus the likes of Red Bull, Alpine, Aston Martin and the rest, achieve in qualifying on Saturday?”
Charles Leclerc says that they will need to analyse the latest data to identify areas of improvement on this track:
"Our qualifying runs don’t look bad, but we have some work to do, in particular on our race pace and on tyre management. The stints we did on the Soft compound felt better than those on the Mediums. Tonight, we will analyse our latest data to find where we can improve on this track, as the conditions are very different to the last time, we were here during winter testing".
Carlos Sainz Jr. states that he felt his first practice sessions was stronger than his more challenging second practice session:
"A bit of a tricky FP2 compared to a positive FP1, as we struggled a bit with tyres and balance after the changes we made. We need to look at it and find the correct adjustments for tomorrow, but we’ve got plenty of data and I’m sure we’ll find a more comfortable set-up. It seems like there is a lot of degradation with the heat, which could be crucial for the race, so we’ll also keep an eye on that. I’m very impressed with the number of fans in the grandstands today. It’s fantastic to see all these people supporting us and their good vibes are a huge motivation".
Ferrari’s main rivals are the Red Bull drivers. Max Verstappen states that, overall, he had a good day:
"Overall, it’s been a good day, the long runs look positive so we can be happy with that. It has been a bit tricky to find the right balance with the heat and we still have a lot of work to do over one lap. It’s tough on the tyres around here, we are not on top of that just yet but at least we know the weather will be consistent tomorrow. I’m looking forward to pushing hard as a Team come qualifying tomorrow. It was also good to have Juri with us in FP1, I hope he enjoyed his first session in the RB18".
Sergio Perez missed the first practices session:
"Everything comes fast when you miss a session, I was getting up to speed this afternoon and experiencing the tyre degradation - it means you basically have two laps because it is not a track that helps you with the tyres. You have one lap to read the balance and then after that you are just getting up to speed but you don’t have great grip. I was able to get a read on the long runs and hopefully overnight I can find the time I need to be in contention for the fight for pole. I will do some extra work on low fuel in the morning during FP3 to see which direction to take but we are confident we know. It was nice to be able to lend my car to Juri for the morning, I think he had a good time out there and did some important work for the Team".
During the night between Friday and Saturday, Ferrari replaces the chassis on Carlos Sainz Jr.'s car due to a fuel pump failure. McLaren and Williams also use one of their two fire extinguishers (permitted during the season for car repairs) to make adjustments on their cars. None of these teams receive penalties for these actions. Before the start of Saturday's third practice session, Esteban Ocon's car is fitted with a new internal combustion engine and electronic control unit. The Alpine driver does not face a grid penalty, as the new components are within the limits established by the technical regulations. During the final practice session, Charles Leclerc remains the fastest, posting a time 72 thousandths of a second faster than Max Verstappen, with the Mercedes duo close behind. The top three drivers break the 1-minute 20-second barrier, setting times similar to those recorded on Friday, despite the track temperature being higher at 46 °C. Ferrari demonstrates improved consistency during race simulation, resolving the sliding issues observed in earlier sessions, while Red Bull appears to have enhanced their performance on one-lap pace. Mick Schumacher completes only a few laps after a fire broke out at the rear of his car, while Pierre Gasly does not set any laps due to a power unit failure that prevents him from completing the installation lap. Before the start of qualifying, Mick Schumacher has the third gearbox and second transmission installed on his Haas car. He is not penalized for these changes, as the new components were within the maximum allowed by the technical regulations. After Tsunoda's time is deleted, Zhou sets the first reference time of 1'21"075, which is quickly surpassed by both Red Bull Racing drivers. Meanwhile, a dangerous situation occurs in the pit lane when Lance Stroll is released just Lando Norris’ car is arriving. Carlos Sainz Jr. takes briefly the top spot on the timesheets with a lap of 1'19"892, only for Charles Leclerc to improve it with 1'19"861. Lewis Hamilton takes the fourth position until his teammate George Russell edhes ahead by a small margin. Valtteri Bottas sets the sixth fastest time, just ahead of Sergio Pérez.
In the final minutes of the session, Mick Schumacher improved and moved into eighth, while his teammate Kevin Magnussen posted the fifth fastest time. Daniel Ricciardo also improved, knocking Sebastian Vettel out of the top ten. Along with Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll, and both Williams drivers were eliminated from qualifying. The first drivers to complete their laps in Q2 were the Mercedes drivers. Hamilton set a time of 1'19"794, followed by Russell with 1'19"470. A second behind them were the Haas drivers. Pérez was third, just 360 milliseconds behind Russell. The Ferraris could not improve on the British driver's time, with Sainz Jr. in fifth and Leclerc in fourth. The surprise was Max Verstappen, who only managed sixth. Race control informed the drivers that no more weaving was allowed in the pit lane to create a gap to the car ahead. Towards the end of the session, both Mercedes and Leclerc decided not to set another time. Sainz Jr. went to the top with a lap of 1'19"453, while the two AlphaTauris were eliminated. Magnussen was fourth, but Zhou failed to improve. The McLaren drivers improved, but Norris' time was deleted, which meant he failed to make it into the top 10. Meanwhile, Verstappen set the fastest time and took provisional pole with 1'19"073. The drivers eliminated at the end of Q2 were Norris, Ocon, Tsunoda, Gasly, and Guanyu. In the final part of qualifying, Schumacher set the first time with 1'21"773, which was three-tenths quicker than Magnussen. Hamilton then went top with 1'19"664, but that was soon beaten by Sainz Jr. with 1'19"423. Leclerc made a mistake on his first fast lap, spinning. Russell then moved ahead of Hamilton, followed by Pérez and Verstappen, with the Dutch driver briefly holding provisional pole with a lap of 1'19"073. However, Leclerc found time in his final lap, setting 1'18"750 to secure pole position. Verstappen couldn’t respond to Leclerc’s time due to a loss of engine power. Sainz Jr. couldn’t improve his time either, while Russell did, moving into fourth, just ahead of Pérez. Charles Leclerc secured his fourth pole position of the season, becoming the first driver to claim back-to-back pole positions in the 2022 season. At the end of qualyfing, Charles Leclerc explains that he had some difficulties, especially with the tyres, during the first two FP:
"We really turned things around since yesterday and our team did an amazing job. We struggled a lot in the first two practice sessions this weekend, especially with the tyres. We analysed all the data and made significant changes to the car last night. We saw some improvements this morning when we did a long run and hopefully it will be enough to beat our competitors who have had an advantage in this area for the past two races. As far as qualifying goes, it was a tricky session. I think that my first lap in Q3 was great until I pushed a little too much in turn 14 and lost the rear. I had just one shot to bring it home after that and I’m very happy with my lap and our performance in general".
Carlos Sainz Jr. is satisfied with today’s position:
"Overall P3 is a decent result for tomorrow and we feel positive for the race, as the upgrades seem to be working well. We still struggle a bit with the rear being very light in this car, so I’m not driving it exactly the way I would like to. However, we still managed to grab P3, which is a good position to attack tomorrow. We’ll give everything from there to fight for the win. A big thank you to the mechanics for their hard work overnight to change the chassis and also to every fan out there in the grandstands for their incredible support. Let’s race tomorrow".
Laurent Mekies, Racing Director, is happy with today’s results:
"There were several positives to take from today, first and foremost Charles’ qualifying, which I think was simply amazing. Already on the lap on which he spun, he looked to be on course for pole position and afterwards, he did very well to keep calm and concentrate, putting together a fantastic lap. Carlos also did very well. He has been quick all weekend and this afternoon, he was on the pace, just missing out on the front row by less than a tenth. We expected it to be a very close competition with our main rivals as usual and so it was, with Verstappen qualifying between Charles and Carlos. Another positive aspect was that the risk we took with Charles in Q2 paid off as it gives us greater flexibility tomorrow in terms of his strategy, with an extra set of new Softs".
And he adds:
"Well done also to the team, who worked late into the night to fix the problems on Carlos’ car and to everyone in Maranello for their efforts in fine tuning the updates introduced at this race. They worked, although we believe it will take a few more races to get the most out of them. We can be happy with how today went, but we are not getting carried away when it comes to tomorrow’s race. It’s possible our rivals could be more competitive tomorrow than they were today and I think that any aspect, from the start to tyre degradation, which will probably be the highest we have seen so far this season, could make the difference".
Max Verstappen expresses relief with today’s result considering the issues he encountered:
"We are starting second tomorrow which we can be happy about but it was a bit of a shame with the last run. The DRS didn’t open so I backed out and aborted the lap as I was losing a lot of time, three or four tenths. That meant we didn’t get the opportunity to fight for pole, nevertheless, we will give it a good go tomorrow. Ferrari are looking pretty strong so it will be hard to beat them, they did a long run this morning and it looked strong. Tyre management is going to be really important tomorrow with the heat and you also need overall race pace. Hopefully we’ll have more pace tomorrow and there’s a long run into turn one so a lot can happen".
Sergio Perez is unsatisfied because he could have done more, especially in Q3:
"Today was tough, there was more to give, especially on my final run in Q3, we tried something different with the set-up and it felt a bit awkward, so I didn’t get a great lap. I have felt like I have been struggling throughout the weekend, I haven’t been comfortable, we tried some things on the car and the pace was there but I couldn’t quite make it work to put that lap together today. It’s not an ideal result but I think we will have good race pace and we will push from the start. I still think we can fight from fifth, tomorrow is a long race and anything can happen. I think it is going to be very hot, especially for the tyres, degradation will be high so it will be an interesting one. Ferrari were very strong today so we will see what we are able to do against them come race day, hopefully we are able to get them back. Tomorrow is a different situation and our long runs have looked good in practice so we can be confident".
The Red Bull's Team Principal, Christian Horner, is overall satisfied with Max’s grid position, considering the issues he experienced with the DRS, preventing him to match Leclerc’s final lap. However, he adds that even without those issues, Red Bull not have equated to the Ferrari’s results but they would have been closer.
"I’m pleased we will start from the front row tomorrow with Max in P2, as he had a DRS issue on his final lap which meant he didn’t get the chance to reply to that final lap from Charles. While I don’t think we had enough to beat his time today, I do think we’d have been closer without that issue. It shows that it’s such fine margins in this sport and that’s the same with Checo, he didn’t quite nail Sector One which means he starts from P5, but he’ll race ok from there. In these temperatures it’s all going to be about tyre degradation and management, so I think it will be a very close and fascinating race tomorrow".
George Russell is satisfied with today’s results. According to him, it was the best qualifying position of the season. He recognises that there is a big gap with Ferrari’s pace but the car is finally showing its potential:
"Today was a good step in the right direction. It's our best qualifying position as a team this season, ahead of one Red Bull, and a positive session for us as we've finally got a good baseline. The pace gap to Ferrari on pole is still big, but there was more potential for us, too - the tyres were not in a perfect window and that made it tricky, especially in Q3. There's a long race ahead tomorrow and I think we'll be in a better place then - while some of the cars around us are a bit of an unknown. And on the development, we've finally now got a good baseline, and we need to continue this path and find more performance".
Lewis Hamilton underlines that whle they are no longer experiencing issues with bouncing on the straights, but the problem still persists in the corners:
"We've made steps forward this weekend and I'm very proud of the team for all the work they have done. The car is on longer bouncing on the straights, but we still have some in the corners, so we need to keep working. Overall, it's a positive step to be in Q3 with both cars, and looking at George's time, we are getting closer to the front. It was a confusing session out there as we had been given a delta time to respect in qualifying for the out laps - and not everybody was doing so. The cars that followed the guidance had a performance disadvantage as the tyres were hotter starting the timed lap, so hopefully that will be examined properly. Looking ahead to the race, we had decent long runs yesterday, and we know the conditions will be very hot - my target will be to go forward from P6".
The Mercedes Team Principal, Toto Wolff, at the end of the qualifying, says:
"P4 and P6 are probably the best positions we could have expected to slot into today, given the challenges we have faced in the first five race weekends, and the progress we are now starting to make with the car. I believe we have a race car more than a qualifying car, so we will see how that goes tomorrow; the trend has generally been for Red Bull to be stronger in the race, Ferrari less so, but who knows what will happen tomorrow. Overall, I think we have made a solid step forward this weekend, and we know how to unlock more performance, too. Our rivals have continued development while we have paused to solve the bouncing - so when we pick that up and start to better understand the tyres now the bouncing is gone, then I think we will be closing them down".
On Sunday, the two Ferraris will start from the pole position: Charles Leclerc in P1 (1'18"750) and Carlos Sainz in P3 (1'19"166). Max Verstappen will start between them in P2 (1'19"073) with George Russell in P4 (1'19"393), followed by Sergio Perez in P5 (1'19"420). Lewis Hamilton secured the P6 (1'19"512), with his formerteammate Valtteri Bottas in P7 (1.19.608), followed by Kevin Magnussen in P8 (1'19"682). Daniel Ricciardo managed to qualify among the top ten drives in P9 (1'20"297) and at one-tenth of the McLaren driver, Mick Schumacher in P10 (1'20"368).
On Sunday, May 22, the weather is very hot. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is filled with fans of all teams, though Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso are the most anticipated drivers. Alonso is set to start at the back due to new power unit installed on his car; while Sainz is third, behind Max Verstappen and teammate Charles Leclerc. With an air temperature of 36 °C and track temperature of 49 °C, the lights go out and the Gran Prix begins. Charles Leclerc immediately takes the lead, but Max Verstappen runs alongside him into Turn 1. Carlos Sainz falls to fifth, overtaken by George Russell and Sergio Perez. Kevin Magnussen attempts to challenge Lewis Hamilton into Turn 4 but the two cars make contact; the Haas driver ends up in the gravel and drops to last place, while, Hamilton, after pitting, rejoins in P9. Charles Leclerc maintains in the lead with Max Verstappen close behind, while George Russell to holds third. Further down the field, Esteban Ocon overtakes Daniel Ricciardo on the main straight, while Fernando Alonso advances to fourteenth. One lap later, Esteban Ocon passes Mick Schumacher, and shortly after, Fernando Alonso uses DRS and overtakes Sebastian Vettel for the thirteenth position.
On lap 7, at Turn 4, Carlos Sainz Jr. spins, dropping from fifth to eleventh, but fortunately he avoids the barriers. Two laps later, Max Verstappen goes off at the same corner, finishing in fourth position behind teammate Sergio Perez. Charles Leclerc continues to run comfortably in the lead, while Sergio Perez attempts to overtake George Russell. The British driver defends successfully against Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen. On lap 11, Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly, and Zhou Guanyu pit for mediums tires. One lap later, Daniel Ricciardo switches to softs, Alex Albon to mediums, Lando Norris to mediums, and Mick Schumacher softs. On lap 14, Max Verstappen and George Russell pit for mediums, with the Mercedes emerging ahead of the Red Bull. Two laps later, Max Verstappen is close in on George Russell, but his DRS malfunctions, providing only intermittent assistance. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez maintain the top two positions, with the Ferrari driver over 16 seconds ahead of the Red Bull driver, which has yet to pit. The Mexican driver finally switches to mediums on lap 18 and emerges fourth. At the same time, Carlos Sainz advances to seventh position after his first pit stop. On lap 19, George Russell continues to hold off Verstappen, demonstrating a solid performance and Mercedes’ progress. With 27 second- lead, Charles Leclerc pits, rejoining still in first, with a five-second lead. Sebastian Vettel also pits, after climbing from sixteenth to eighth. Verstappen remains on Russell’s tail, but DRS issues still persist, preventing him from gaining the necessary pace. On lap 24, the Dutch driver nearly passes Russel at Turn 1, but George Russell holds firm. The hard battle continues through the following corners, with both drivers nearly making contact at Turn 3. Charles Leclerc’s appears to have a secure lead until lap 27. Suddenly, he screams “no” on the radio due to pace loss. Ferrari mechanics prepares for a pitstop but he is forced to retire from the race.
With Leclerc out, Max Verstappen attacks George Russell for the lead until he pits for softs. On lap 31, Sergio Perez overtakes the leading British driver, taking the lead. Max Verstappen emerges fourth and passes Valtteri Bottas at Turn 12, regaining his third position. Carlos Sainz pits for mediums, while the Red Bulls focuses on securing victory. Geroge Russell pits for medium, rejoining third, one lap before Sergio Perez, emerging ahead. Max Verstappen then switches to medium, rejoining in second, 5.5 seconds behind the leader. Two laps later, Sergio Perez is instructed to let Verstappen pass. Initially hesitant, he eventually complied, allowing Verstappen to take the lead on lap 49. The Red Bull driver wins the Spanish Gran Prix reclaiming the championship lead. Perez pits again on lap 54 for softs and sets fastest lap, finishing second to complete Red Bull’ second one-two of the season. Russell completes the podium in third and Lewis Hamilton finishes fifth. Sainz finishes fourth, after overtaking Bottas and Hamilton. Valtteri Bottas, running a two-stop strategy, finishes sixth, ahead of Esteban Ocon in seventh. Lando Norris, despite illness, started eleventh but finishes eighth on a same strategy. Fernando Alonso recovered from the back of the grid to take ninth, also employing a similar strategy. Yuki Tsunoda, using the three-stop strategy, finishes tenth, keeping Sebastian Vettel out of the points area, in eleventh. Daniel Ricciardo finishes twelfth, unable to match his teammate’s pace, while Mick Schumacher ended fourteenth. Lance Stroll finished fifteenth after sustaining damage in a duel with Pierre Gasly, who finished thirteenth. Nicholas Latifi took sixteenth, with teammate Alex Albon eighteenth after receiving a five-second track limits penalty, separated by Kevin Magnussen. Zhou Guanyu and Charles Leclerc did not see the chequered flag and finish the race. Despite early setbacks and DRS issues, Max Verstappen recovered through the field after running fourth, ultimately taking victory and securing his third win of the season:
"It’s great to finish the race today alongside Checo with a first and second place, it was a difficult beginning but a good end! I went off in turn four, I completely lost the rear and they said on Team radio that it was a big gust of wind. I lost a few positions through that and as soon as I wanted to attack, my DRS stopped working. It was upsetting at the time but then I calmed myself down and focussed on the bigger picture. It was a tough battle with George Russell, especially without the DRS, I didn’t want to take too much of a risk as we were fighting for the lead, I had to be patient. As for the DRS, I’m not sure why there’s an issue, we’ll look into it and at the end of the day nothing was lost. We are on a good trajectory and we can be proud of that as a Team, but as you can see, some things are fragile and we need to keep on working hard, we have to be on top of everything".
Sergio Perez had a strong start despite the minor contact with George Russell, and led the race for a significant portion. He was instructed to let his teammate pass. The Mexican driver finished second and secured the bonus point for the fastest lap:
"It’s a great result, we are leading the Constructors Championship so, although I obviously want to win, I have to be realistic and I am happy with the Team result. My frustration on the radio was in the heat of the moment but I need to speak with the Team to understand a few bits from the race. Sometimes when you are driving you can’t get the full picture, so it is a normal thing to debrief things to understand the race. The Team momentum couldn’t be any better here, it is a great Team and we are very united. It wasn’t about Team orders today, what really changed my race was going onto different tyre strategies and that worked better for Max and, at the end of the day, the Team because we managed to both get past George. I could have won today but making the two-stop work was difficult and it turned out that the three-stop was the better strategy. I think we had a very strong race today, the race pace and management from us was great today and it was important not to make mistakes. Hopefully we continue this momentum on to Monaco and are strong next weekend too".
The Red Bull's Team Principal, Christian Horner, expressed satisfaction about team’s result:
"It is fantastic for the Team to bring home our second 1-2 finish in three races, which was hugely important for us in the fight for both Championships. Both drivers got great starts and things were settling down quite nicely, but a massive gust of wind sent Max into a slide and that dropped him down to fourth. We already knew he had a DRS issue, so at that point we decided to convert him to a three-stop strategy and give him tyre advantage over Leclerc and Russell - but we were still undecided whether a two or three stop was the better choice at that stage. With Checo on a two-stop strategy it meant both drivers were working as a Team and covering the opposition. To get maximum points today was our aim, it was hugely important for us as a Team and I’m glad we were all able to work together to achieve that".
As for Mercedes, both drivers made solid starts. George Russell did everything possible to keep Max Verstappen behind, but ultimately did not have the pace to match the Red Bulls. Nevertheless, securing third place and a second podium of the season represents a very solid result:
"Today was super tough! I'm just so proud to be standing here on the podium and bring it home for the team. The guys have worked so hard, so this result is for everyone back in Brackley and Brixworth who've worked tirelessly, thank you! I gave it everything I could to hold Max off, they were some enjoyable laps! With the Red Bulls in my mirrors, I was trying to get absolutely everything out of the car to keep them behind. It was very difficult last few laps, a real survival race when we knew we had the gap to manage. Thanks to all the fans out here in Barcelona - they've been amazing all weekend! The support for Formula 1 at the moment is in a great place, so it's great to be here".
Lewis Hamilton fell out of position after running side by side with Carlos Sainz Jr. and making contact with Kevin Magnussen. He was forced to pit, rejoining nineteenth. From there, he recovered to the points and was on course to finish fourth, but ultimately lost the position to Sainz after being instructed to lift and coast to manage a critically overheating car:
"I'm just really grateful that I was able to come back and grateful to the team for keeping their head down and for all the amazing work to get us to this improvement. The car felt great in the race, our pace is closer to the top guys which is amazing. I was just really unfortunate at the start to get the puncture but I didn't give up - that's what we do, right? It's a lot hotter than predicted today and for everyone it's quite tough with these cars. I had to basically drive at half throttle at the end to try and cool the car, with lots of lifting down the straight just to get fresh air into the engine to cool it down. I was so gutted to lose the place to Sainz, especially after coming from where I came from. I mean, I was 30+ seconds behind last place - that's like no man's land. It's a horrible feeling being that far behind, but you just have to keep your head up, keep pushing, keep going and hoping for better. We do still have bouncing but not in the straight line, it's through corners but no way near as bad as we had before. The guys are working really hard and I am sure we can fix that over time. If I didn't have that issue at the beginning, who knows where we'd have been at the end. It's good to know we have similar pace to some of the front runners".
The Mercedes Team Principal, Toto Wolff, emphasizes that this weekend showed many positive signs:
"We had a solid race to beat Ferrari, and with Lewis we had probably the fastest race car of all today. We need to just unpick this now, analyse the data, and try to improve step-by-step for a race win. George put up a spectacular defence to Max, the way he positioned the car was spot-on, the kind of racing we love to see and he managed the car well at the end to bring home another podium. For Lewis, misfortune on the opening lap but what a recovery drive from then on, fantastic. As a driver, it’s always difficult when you are 50 seconds down but we never give up, and his pace at the end was stunning, he could have raced for the win. The weekend was better than expected because I am always pessimistic about things. We've moved clear from the midfield, at least in Barcelona, and caught up half a second to the front runners - we were a second off and now it's half a second. We unlocked the potential of the car by tweaking things on the stops and so today was the most valuable race for us to compare the two cars, across setups and tyres. Our understanding took a big step forward and there's definitely more to come".
Charles Leclerc appeared comfortable during the opening stages, pitting later than his rivals and rejoining in the lead. But then he suddenly suffered a loss of power and was forced to retire, marking his first retirement of the season:
"So far this year, the team has been doing an incredible job in terms of reliability. Of course, this one hurts, because we were in front all weekend and worked really well. I know that things like this can happen sometimes and in moments like these, it is important to look at the positives. Our pace was very strong in qualifying and in the race and the feeling in the car was really good. We made progress in terms of tyre management, which is something that has been a weakness in the past few races. So, it’s a shame and I’m disappointed that we lost the opportunity to score a lot of points, but the season is still long and we know we have the potential. Next up is my home race in Monaco, so I’m really looking forward to it and I hope that it will be a good one".
Carlos Sainz Jr. had a poor start, dropping several positions before spinning in to the gravel. The Spanish driver recovered well, climbing back to fourth place. He lost temporarily the position to Lewis Hamilton but manage to overtake the Mercedes again with a few laps remaining:
"It was a very tough Sunday and very far from what we were hoping for. A gust of wind threw me off in turn 4 and unfortunately, my car was damaged. From then on, it was a big struggle for me, as a lack of downforce meant I was sliding around with the tyres pretty much everywhere. We gave absolutely everything to recover and managed to get back to P4, which is not too bad given the circumstances, but it’s far from ideal. A pity for Charles, as he retired when he was leading, but we will work as a team to come back stronger in Monaco. The biggest positive from today was the amazing crowd in the grandstands supporting us, so I want to really thank every fan out there for their support. On to the next one".
Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal, Mattia Binotto, discussed about the car’s issues and Carlos’ performance, expressing hopes for improved results in future races:
"Clearly, we’re not happy with today’s result. It’s disappointing to have had a problem with the power unit that robbed Charles of what would have been a well-deserved win, especially as the team in Maranello has done an excellent job of developing the power unit this season. Carlos finished fourth, coming back from a difficult situation. Probably, he still does not get quite the feeling he wants from the F1-75 and it’s up to us to help him become completely comfortable with it. He is tenacious, he studies the situation and never gives up and so I am sure that he will soon come to feel really at ease in the car. After a result like this, I think we should look at the positive aspects. I said that after the first six races, we would be able to assess the performance levels and hierarchy among the teams and today, we can say that we have built a good car and we have done a fine job of developing it. The Barcelona track is demanding in many ways and it has usually been something of a bogey circuit for us, but the F1-75 was the quickest car on track yesterday and today, Charles was comfortably in the lead, running at a very good race pace. Now we will find out what the problem was that stopped him. Unfortunately, these things can happen, to us and to the competition, but given how many races are left this season, I’d say we have seen that we can fight for the wins in the upcoming Grands Prix, starting with Monaco, Charles’ home race and luckily, we only have to wait until next Sunday".
Max Verstappen now leads the Drivers’ Championship over Charles Leclerc, with Red Bull ahead of Ferrari in the Constructors’ standings. The next race takes place at one of Formula One's most storied venues, the Principality of Monaco, which will host the Grand Prix on May 27-29, 2022.
After such a disappointing result in Spain, the Monaco Grand Prix becomes particularly crucial for Scuderia Ferrari as the team seek a quick redemption. The improvements to the car, notably the new floor, were clearly beneficial; unfortunately, Monegasque driver's car suffered a turbo failure on his power unit, unrelated to the reliability of the component itself. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez was visibly displeased after being instructed to slow down to facilitate Max Verstappen, to reclaim the lead, a move that contributed his victory in Barcelona and his advancement ahead of Charles Leclerc in the championship standing. Mercedes appears to have finally addressed the porpoising issues that had hindered their cars’ capabilities until this race. But the championship remains long and highly competitive.