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With a second-place finish in Imola and a win in the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix, Lando Norris has shown he knows how to lift his head in the face of adversity - adversity that had previously cost him the lead in the World Championship and left him 16 points behind teammate Oscar Piastri. The Spanish Grand Prix offers the British driver a chance to reclaim the top spot in the Championship. However, Norris's focus remains on maximizing the potential of the MCL39, during a weekend in which the Woking-based team is eager to prove its competitiveness, especially with the introduction of new rules concerning the flexibility of front wings.
"Monaco was special for several reasons. Probably not my most hard-fought race, but that’s just the nature of Monaco. Still, it’s the most significant one, with the most pressure on Saturday, and it’s the race everyone wants to win. It’s probably the win I’m most proud of, and I’ll definitely remember it forever - Monaco isn’t just any win; it’s the win".
Lando Norris isn’t concerned about the new front wing directive:
"I’m not worried at all. There’ll be some tweaks here and there, but they won’t change the way we operate. This year I’ve had many ups and downs on Saturdays, but on Sundays, in 95% of the races, I’ve been quite happy with my performances. Of course, there were races where things didn’t go perfectly - Miami, for example, I’d do some things differently. Sometimes things just happen that way. But overall, I’ve been happy on Sundays this season. I always speak with the team with confidence going into a GP, and I’ve been that way all season. It’s the small things, particularly where I start on the grid - that’s been the main issue. It’s also the area I’ve worked hardest on because it’s what can make the difference between winning or not".
Looking ahead, Norris expects Ferrari’s performance to improve
"Mathematically, everyone’s still in the fight for the championship. I expect Ferrari to get stronger".
McLaren arrives in Spain under the spotlight for two reasons: the technical directive on front wing flexibility and the ongoing internal battle for the Drivers’ Championship lead between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. The Australian still leads by three points, but after the Monaco win, Norris is seen as the favorite. Speaking to the press in Spain, Piastri downplays the directive’s impact, even joking about the media hype:
"I think the biggest issue will probably be the amount of hype created around it. We know what’s different. I believe everyone will have to modify their wings at least somewhat. I haven’t used the new front wing myself, but Lando has this year, so we’re confident it’s not some sort of magic bullet. We don’t have a magic bullet, and that’s not our strength anyway".
On the title race, Piastri acknowledges Verstappen - currently 25 points behind - as still in the running, and reiterates his readiness for the intra-team rivalry with Norris, though always within respectful limits:
"We’ve been very good at being open and discussing things, and we’d never do anything unsportsmanlike or that would damage the team or ourselves. That’s just not who Lando and I are. Of course, we want to beat each other every weekend, but we’ll never cross that line that could cause irreparable damage. As I’ve said many times, we’re both here at McLaren for the long run and want to fight for the title every year. We both know it’s unwise to try and win a title by burning the house down in the process".
After one-third of the season, Max Verstappen is third in the standings, 25 points behind Piastri. Not a bad position, considering McLaren has generally outperformed Red Bull Racing recently. The technical directive on front wing flexibility, set to take effect in Barcelona, is speculated to reduce McLaren's advantage - but Verstappen disagrees:
"What will change with the technical directive? Not much. It might slightly affect car balance. For us, not too much, and overall, I don’t expect big time gains or losses between teams".
Those expecting a fired-up Verstappen to emotionally engage in the championship fight with the McLaren duo will be disappointed:
"Honestly, for me, this isn’t really a battle. I just try to do my best. But it’s not like this season will stay in my memory forever. Fun? I have more fun when I know we’re super fast. That’s what’s fun. I always try to do my best. We’ve had some good moments this year, but also some tough ones. Some races we were really off pace, and that’s not fun. The fighting spirit is always there, but that doesn’t mean I’m enjoying myself. I like it, but this season so far won’t be one I’ll remember forever. I have more fun when I’m winning consistently. That’s pretty clear".
The Ferrari seen in Monaco impressed both fans and drivers. Though second place, Charles Leclerc’s result was welcomed as a positive sign considering the car’s weaknesses and the track's layout. Now comes a more traditional track, where well-rounded cars usually shine. That’s why Leclerc isn’t too optimistic:
"I think we need to revise our expectations this weekend compared to Monaco, which was more positive. The balance we’re aiming for this year is very aggressive, and we have to race that way. I was honestly surprised from FP1 in Monaco. In past years, we expected to be strong there. This year, I thought we’d be slow. I think Monaco helped us understand the car more. I’d be pleasantly surprised if we perform similarly this weekend, but I expect things to return to normal - meaning a tough Saturday and a better race. It’ll also be very hot, and we’ve seen that in such conditions McLaren is very fast. Everything points to a more typical weekend for us".
On whether the wing directive will be a game changer, Leclerc remains skeptical:
"It could change things, or it might not. I think none of us really know. We know how it will affect us - not much - but not how it’ll affect others. We’ll have to wait and see. I don’t think it’ll change the pecking order as much as some think. It won’t be a huge shift".
More than the wing rules, SF-25 updates could matter more:
"I know what improvements are coming. On paper, beating McLaren this year will be tough. Very difficult. But I’ll give it everything. I hope this weekend will help us take a step forward, and that new parts arrive soon so we can lead in performance. We can’t afford to lose many more races. Hopefully this weekend brings us closer to the front".
A week after Ferrari’s strong showing in Monaco, the team is now in Barcelona - a circuit where Lewis Hamilton holds the record for most wins (six, tied with Schumacher). However, ahead of the Spanish GP, the Brit doesn’t make any bold claims and clears up rumors of friction with race engineer Riccardo Adami:
"Our relationship is great, no issues. We keep learning from each other and adapting. He’s worked with many drivers before. We’re fine. There’s been speculation - most of it nonsense. He’s a great, hard-working person. We don’t always get things right every weekend. Are there misunderstandings? Sure, like in any relationship, but we overcome them. We’re in the same boat - we both want to win a title and grow the team. When I asked: Are you mad at me? In Monaco, it was just because of radio issues. I wasn’t getting all the info I needed, and we talked about it afterward".
Hamilton believes tire temperatures won’t be an issue in Barcelona:
"I don’t think temperature is the problem. It’s more about how we extract performance from the surface and unlock it with the compounds. So hopefully with the progress from last race, and our tire usage, this weekend will be better. If not, we’ll keep working".
As the future of the Spanish GP remains uncertain - Madrid is set to join the calendar in 2026 - Hamilton hopes Barcelona won’t be dropped:
"I love racing here. I haven’t been to Madrid, but I’ve heard great things. I haven’t seen the track plans. Losing one of the classics would be a shame. There’s huge support here, especially thanks to Fernando. As long as we have a race in Spain, that’s what matters. This feels like F1’s home in Spain. But it’s okay to evolve. If Madrid builds a great track - at least as good - I won’t worry".
Mercedes, after bringing upgrades to Imola hoping to close the gap to McLaren, was left disappointed. The new package underperformed in race pace and tire management and was dropped for Monaco. There, things didn’t improve: technical issues for George Russell, a mistake by Kimi Antonelli, and poor strategy calls left the team outside the points. Now, Spain must be a turning point:
"Our Monaco weekend was over by Saturday. We hoped for something with the two-stop strategy, but it didn’t help. We’re coming off two bad races, but we were in the top five in every session until Imola. Hopefully, we’ll get back on track with a clean weekend".
Like most drivers, Russell doesn’t think the front wing directive will shake things up too much:
"There’ll be a learning process. All teams will go through it. But I don’t expect it to really disrupt the order. Can we repeat last year’s results? I don’t see why not. Hopefully, we can fight for the top three. We all know we’re a step behind McLaren, especially in the heat - and this weekend will be hot. The difference is that we’ll have harder compounds. Hopefully, that helps us".
At Imola, Andrea Kimi Antonelli retired, and in Monaco, a qualifying mistake left him starting P15, eventually finishing last after being lapped. A turnaround is needed in Barcelona. The young Italian, however, shows mental strength:
"This year, the gaps between teams are very small. A small mistake can send you to the back. It’s crucial to be on top every weekend. The last two weren’t great, but that’s part of the learning process for me. Still, I feel stronger mentally. Despite the disappointment, I stay positive. Here, I’ll try to bounce back. Overcoming tough moments really makes you stronger".
On his clash with Gabriel Bortoleto in Monaco, where Bortoleto ended up in the wall after a hard but clean move:
"I saw an opening and went for it - I didn’t want him to end up in the wall, of course. I tried to leave as much space as I could. We talked afterward. I understand - emotions run high. In Miami, the same happened to me (referring to the incident with Piastri). I didn’t end up in the wall, but I was in the lead and got pushed out - I was angry. I didn’t mind what Bortoleto said to the media - he hadn’t calmed down yet. Once he did, we talked, and everything is fine now".
A new name is the first to hit the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as FP1 gets underway in warm and sunny conditions at 1:30 p.m. local time, as F2 driver Victor Martins makes his Formula 1 weekend debut by heading out at the wheel of Alex Albon’s Williams. On a weekend in which a new Technical Directive is introduced regarding front wing load tests, it proves to be a busy start to the session as most of the field hits the track within the first few minutes. The majority bolt on the hard C1 tyres, with Pirelli bringing the three hardest compounds in their range this weekend. There is an early off for Ryo Hirakawa, the Haas reserve making a trip through the gravel during his second FP1 outing since joining the squad from Alpine in April. Elsewhere, Liam Lawson voices his unhappiness after encountering a slow-moving Charles Leclerc, prompting the Racing Bulls driver to ask:
“What was that?”
Norris sets the early pace during the first quarter of the session, the Briton recording a time of 1'15"259 to go 0.221s clear of home favourite Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin, a man whose last F1 victory comes at this circuit in 2013. Data gathering continues as the hour progresses, with plenty of laps going on the board across the field, while some drivers opt to switch tyres as they work through their programmes. Mercedes’ George Russell is one of the first to swap to the medium C2 rubber before surging to the top of the timesheets on a 1'14"751 at the halfway mark of the session. Nico Hulkenberg, meanwhile, becomes the first to run the soft C3 compound, with others soon following the Kick Sauber driver’s lead. One of these is Verstappen, who promptly goes fastest only to be displaced by Norris moments later, the papaya car beating the Red Bull by three-tenths via an effort of 1'13"718. There are some eye-catching additions to the top 10 during the final third of the hour, including the Racing Bulls of Lawson and Isack Hadjar - both of whom score points last time out in Monaco - and the Haas of Ollie Bearman, the rookie in contrast searching for his first points since Bahrain this weekend. While Alonso voices some concerns about something wrong on his AMR25 - the Spaniard asking the team to check what is going on with the car - it is Norris who remains on top as the chequered flag falls, the Briton heading Verstappen and the Ferrari of Hamilton thanks to his aforementioned 1'13"718 lap. Leclerc puts the other Scuderia car in fourth, ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in fifth on a weekend where he looks to strengthen his lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship. Lawson and Hadjar take sixth and eighth respectively, with Bearman sandwiched between them, while Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly round out the top 10. After the other McLaren car of Lando Norris tops the timesheets by three-tenths in the first practice hour, the drivers return to action for FP2 at 5:00 p.m. local time amid hot and humid conditions, with Esteban Ocon among the first to head out after handing his Haas over to Ryo Hirakawa in FP1. Franco Colapinto is also early out at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the Alpine team having fixed a hydraulic issue on his car that brings the Argentine’s FP1 running to a premature end. It is a busy start to the hour, with some jostling for position in the pit lane taking place as all 20 drivers make an appearance within the first few minutes of the session, the majority running the medium C2 tyres. While Norris sets an early benchmark, Haas’ Ollie Bearman suffers a spin that sends him through the gravel at Turn 3, though the Briton fortunately manages to return to the track. The incident keeps him in the garage for some time afterwards, however, giving him a lower lap count than others in the session. Elsewhere, an unhappy Isack Hadjar brands the traffic as a joke, with the stewards subsequently noting Colapinto for potentially impeding the Racing Bulls machine before deciding that no further investigation is needed. Another driver irked by traffic issues is Fernando Alonso, who voices his frustration at the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton for seemingly disrupting the start of his flying lap.
"We have the hero of the day in front of us".
The Aston Martin man remarks. Russell sets the pace after the first third of the session, the Briton going quickest thanks to his effort of 1'13"046 to lead a Mercedes 1-2 from teammate Kimi Antonelli as the squad looks to recover from a challenging weekend last time out in Monaco. As the hour nears its halfway point and focus switches to soft-shod Qualifying simulations, the action picks up further as Norris misses out on beating Russell’s benchmark by less than three-hundredths - and incredibly sets the exact same time as Verstappen, the pair both recording a lap of 1'13"070. Soon afterwards it is the turn of Piastri to go fastest after pumping in a 1'12"760, putting him nearly three-tenths clear of Russell. Ferrari, meanwhile, appears to be having a tricky session, with Charles Leclerc seen sliding during his flying run while Hamilton lingers in P11, some eight-tenths off the pace. With attentions turning to longer runs during the final third of FP2, Piastri’s time remains on top through to the end of the session, the McLaren driver heading Russell and Verstappen. The latter has a bit of a moment in the final minutes after taking a tow from Leclerc - before the Ferrari then speeds up to avoid running in another car’s dirty air, prompting a sarcastic laugh from the Red Bull driver. Norris, meanwhile, remains in fourth on that identical time to Verstappen, the Briton placing behind due to setting his lap later than the Dutchman. Leclerc is the lead Ferrari in fifth, ahead of Antonelli in sixth and home favourite Alonso in seventh. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly follows up his top-10 appearance in FP1 by taking eighth in second practice, with the Racing Bulls pair of Hadjar and Liam Lawson following in ninth and tenth respectively. Lando Norris was the fastest in FP1, and arguably the most impressive driver compared to all his rivals during the race pace simulations in the second free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix. The young British McLaren driver picks up from there, with a new (slightly) less flexible front wing and with the awareness - if it needed reaffirming - that no, there hasn’t been any real shift in the power dynamics on track following the much-anticipated FIA technical directive, which increased scrutiny on the flexibility of front wings. Even though high-speed flexing of aerodynamic elements seemed to be one of the MCL39’s strengths, Norris and Piastri remain competitive. Regarding that, the British driver told the media after FP2:
"Yes, I think it was quite a good Friday, although I have to say I felt better in FP1 than in the second session".
This was a reference to having finished the afternoon only fourth-fastest, 0.3s behind his teammate, but it clearly didn’t take into account the excellent race pace he showed in the final stages of the session - on both Soft and (especially) Medium tyres.
"We still tried a few things, and we’ll try to improve the car’s setup a bit more tomorrow. These are only small tweaks though, because one thing we usually do well is prepare the car with a solid base setup. And from there, it’s quite hard to find further improvement. But that’s a good thing, not a problem, because it allows us to experiment and go in different directions to find a bit more feeling. For now, though, everything is fine".
After finishing FP1 in an anonymous fifth place, Oscar Piastri ended FP2 at the top of the timesheets. The World Championship leader seems to have sorted out the most crucial aspect of the weekend - since overtaking won’t be easy at Montmeló - but tonight he’ll need to analyze data to see how he can also improve his race pace, where Norris and Verstappen looked more consistent. And Red Bull’s strong showing wasn’t a surprise for the Australian:
"Verstappen was quick all day, Ferrari was up there, and Mercedes popped up at the end, so qualifying is going to be tight. We definitely expected Red Bull to be fast, so it’s not a big surprise. It was an up-and-down day, but I think it ended well. The conditions are tricky with this heat, tomorrow will be interesting. We tried a few things today - some worked, some didn’t. We’ll make some overnight changes to be in the best possible position for Saturday".
Max Verstappen didn’t make headlines today, but he still showed competitiveness throughout both sessions. Apart from a minor issue in FP1, the Dutch driver had a smooth day, and he showed strong race pace both in the morning and afternoon sessions. On the radio and in post-session comments, the World Champion sounded pleased with the car:
"It’s always nice to be here in Barcelona and drive on this track. It was quite hot today, especially for the tyres. I think it was a positive Friday for us - I felt a bit more comfortable with the car. We’re not quite where we want to be yet, but we’ll keep working. There are always ways to review what we’re doing, maximize performance and find more lap time. Every track is different, of course, but we’re getting closer with the car setup. I’ve had Fridays that went worse, so I’d say this one was pretty positive".
Yuki Tsunoda had a much tougher day, finishing ninth in the morning and thirteenth in the afternoon:
"It was a tough first day on track. We made some progress between FP1 and FP2, but we need to figure out the current gap because I didn’t expect it. It’s hard to understand what the exact limitation is or what’s holding us back. Honestly, I just don’t know why I was slow - I didn’t make big mistakes. We have a lot to analyze tonight, but hopefully we can turn things around for tomorrow and have a good qualifying".
For Scuderia Ferrari and Charles Leclerc, day one of practice showed two faces: one positive and promising in FP1, where the car looked strong on race pace; the other - more sobering and perhaps realistic - in FP2, where the Monegasque driver finished 0.5s behind Oscar Piastri.
"The feeling was horrible from the first to the last corner, we’re nowhere".
Later, Leclerc offered a more measured view of the day:
"It’s very hot out there, which complicates things a bit because grip isn’t where we’d like it to be. Still, it was a better day than expected because the car had more performance than I thought. I hope we can unlock more performance ahead of qualifying. There’s still work to do, but it seems we’re not too far off. Tonight, we’ll focus on some key areas to try and extract the maximum potential for Saturday".
A brief yet telling comment came from Lewis Hamilton, who summed up Ferrari’s FP2 issues bluntly:
"The car is undrivable".
Since the start of the afternoon session, the British driver had been complaining about the SF-25, which struggled especially with race pace. The drop-off was evident even on a flying lap: Hamilton only improved by 0.5s over his FP1 time, while others found at least 0.7s (Piastri improved by 1.5s). After the session, Hamilton confirmed his negative impressions:
"It wasn’t a fun day. We keep our heads down and keep working. You don’t give up - you keep pushing and trying to fix the issues. You show up on Friday hoping for a good day, and it just didn’t happen. Honestly, I thought the car would be good today, and FP1 wasn’t bad, but the afternoon was much worse. Naturally, that’s frustrating for everyone. We had some issues that cost us downforce. Hopefully once that’s sorted, we’ll be in a better place for qualifying".
Although Ferrari looked competitive in FP1, doubts arose after FP2, where Leclerc ended up fifth and Hamilton eleventh. Their race pace seemed especially problematic. Frederic Vasseur summed up Ferrari’s day:
"We had a very good pace in the morning, but struggled more in the afternoon. Charles did a decent lap before the error at Turn 7. We had more difficulties at the start of each long-run stint - this affected us and a few other teams. The track was very dirty, with lots of marbles, and once you were off the line it was hard to recover".
Asked about Hamilton’s sharp comments after FP2, Vasseur responded:
"The radio comments today were a bit extreme. Lewis also had a great stint on softs, with lap times close to the top two. That shows the car wasn’t as horrible as he said. Again, the in-car radio chatter doesn’t bother me if we go back to the motorhome and have a constructive debrief. That’s what really matters".
George Russell returned to the upper ranks after a couple of tough races. Mercedes showed promise during the first day of practice in Spain. Despite some race pace issues, especially in FP1, they looked like they could fight for a front row start again, as seen in the earlier races of the season. The much-discussed technical directive 018 - introducing stricter FIA checks on front wing flexibility - hasn’t changed much, with the competitive order staying largely the same. Russell even joked about it in his post-session interviews:
"The technical directive? Well, it really slowed McLaren down a lot, so yeah, that’s good news".
Said Russell sarcastically, on a day where Norris and then Piastri topped the timesheets. Turning serious, the British driver reflected on the day:
"In qualifying trim, we were pretty good. It was nice to be back in the positions where the car usually belongs, after a few tough races. Unfortunately, race pace still isn’t great, and improving that has been one of our recent goals. We need to analyze the data, compare ourselves with our rivals, and clearly the long-run pace is a slight concern at the moment. But I feel in a good place. I like driving on this circuit, and I felt pretty good today. We move forward and see what the next two days bring".
Looking at the FP1 standings, it seemed like Kimi Antonelli’s rough patch wasn’t over. The Italian driver started off hesitantly in Spain, hampered by bouncing issues he also reported over the radio. His P18 in FP1 gave way to a much-improved P6 in the afternoon. In FP2, Antonelli finally found peace - and confidence - in the car, which had been slightly off ever since updates were introduced at the Emilia Romagna GP.
"It was an interesting day. The first low-fuel runs were tough in FP1. I had bouncing issues during the first hour, especially in the high-speed sections. But in FP2 everything started to come together. I felt more confident lap by lap and found a good rhythm on short runs. We purposely took a slightly different approach from George on long runs. Now we’ll take the time to review all the data from today and figure out the best direction for the rest of the weekend. I can see we’re making progress, and with the overnight work, I hope we can have a competitive weekend".
It is a quiet start to the final hour of practice as Franco Colapinto becomes the first driver to head out onto the track, looking to recover the time he loses in FP1 with a hydraulic issue and continue to get to grips with the Alpine. He is gradually joined by fellow rookie Gabriel Bortoleto and the Aston Martin duo - Fernando Alonso soaks up the atmosphere of his home race by waving to the crowd around a slow lap that serves to scrub his tyres ahead of the more competitive sessions. Amid slightly cooler track temperatures, Yuki Tsunoda takes his Red Bull to the top of the timesheets with a time of 1'14"851 on a set of medium tyres, but his lap is quickly eclipsed by Norris, who goes three-tenths clear. While the Japanese driver reports that he is sliding a lot, Carlos Sainz cuts the time down even further on his soft tyres as the majority of the field takes to the circuit to make the most of the remaining 40 minutes. A lack of grip similarly irks Max Verstappen, who finds himself behind the lead Williams after the initial fast laps. Meanwhile, George Russell demonstrates the potential pace of the red-walled tyres as he is quickest by 0.473s at the halfway mark. As the action quietens a little, Liam Lawson dips a wheel over the white line and kicks up some gravel during a flying lap, sending him straight back to the pits - Ollie Bearman replicates the error a short time later while trying to improve from P18. The final quarter of FP3 sees the drivers focus on Qualifying simulations, and the battle for the top spot is as tense as ever. In an attempt to beat Verstappen’s time, Norris has a snap of oversteer and is forced to bail out by driving onto the run-off area, with his race engineer explaining that there is some porpoising at Turn 9. His team mate puts together a much cleaner lap to clock the fastest time of the weekend so far, once again demonstrating McLaren’s mighty pace with a 1'12"387, leaving Norris more than half a second adrift. With just a few minutes left, Verstappen makes a final effort to get closer to the Australian on the timesheets, but he is only able to set the fifth-quickest time behind Russell’s Mercedes.
At the chequered flag, Isack Hadjar continues his impressive pace with P6 ahead of Kimi Antonelli and crowd favourite Alonso, with Lewis Hamilton and Lawson's Racing Bull rounding out the top 10 in the last session before Qualifying kicks off at 4:00 p.m. local time. After three busy practice sessions at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the attention of the paddock turns to Qualifying. The drivers are greeted by increasingly hot and humid conditions as Q1 gets underway, with the track temperature hitting 48 degrees while the air temperature holds at 29 °C. Most of the field opts to remain in the garage after the green light appears, before a flurry of action a few minutes later sees numerous cars head out. Once all 20 drivers have put a timed lap on the board - all sporting the soft tyre - Piastri repeats his FP3 performance by setting the benchmark, the Australian pumping in a time of 1'12"551. This puts him two-tenths clear of Verstappen, while Norris is just 0.001s behind the Dutchman in third. At the other end of the spectrum, the drivers at risk of elimination following the opening runs are Hulkenberg, Ocon, Sainz, Tsunoda and Bortoleto, while Stroll and Lawson find themselves in a precarious position in 14th and 15th respectively. A queue forms in the pit lane ahead of the final minutes of the session, but there is drama when Colapinto - at the head of the pack - reports an issue, meaning that others behind opt to overtake the Alpine. It proves to be a frantic dash to the end of Q1 as everybody tries to improve, with Bortoleto impressively hauling himself up into the top 10. Lawson soon does the same, while Bearman and Stroll also better their efforts to escape the danger zone. These improvements push Hulkenberg down into P16, and Ocon also misses the cut as he drops to P17. There is disappointment for Sainz, meanwhile, the Spaniard failing to progress beyond P18. Colapinto is unable to get going again from the pit lane, resulting in him ending Qualifying down in P19, while another driver to face a nightmarish day is Tsunoda, the Red Bull man having been unable to improve on P20. The action continues at pace as Q2 begins, with a number of drivers heading out early on the soft tyres for their first runs. Verstappen initially sets the pace before Norris sweeps through to take P1 with a margin of three-tenths from the Dutchman. That picture changes again when Piastri goes even quicker, the Australian beating his team mate by 0.058s thanks to his lap of 1'11"998. Those at risk after the opening runs, on the other hand, are Bortoleto, Lawson, Albon, Stroll and Bearman.
"I’m happy to give Kimi a tow if needed".
Fourth-placed Russell comments over the radio, the Briton seemingly wanting to help the other Mercedes car of Antonelli - currently sitting in P9 - to progress through to Q3. As the session enters into its final minutes, Antonelli is amongst those to return to the track - but there is no sign of Russell, or any of the top five for that matter, as the rest of the field battles to make it through. Stroll cannot improve on his previous effort, nor can Lawson. Elsewhere there is pressure for the other Racing Bulls car of Hadjar - but the Frenchman impressively moves up to sixth. Fellow rookie Bortoleto misses out in P12, while Bearman is also unable to improve. The other driver out in Q2 is Albon, the Williams driver exiting in P11 after missing the cut by just three-hundredths. The Thai driver voices his unhappiness about the Haas of Bearman ahead of him as he crosses the line, accusing the American squad of running purposely slow in Sector 3. Following those busy opening phases, it is time for the all-important top 10 shootout in Barcelona - and it looks to be business as usual when Piastri crosses the line to record a 1'11"836. But while the likes of Russell and Verstappen fail to beat the Australian, the other McLaren of Norris surges through to better that effort by 0.017s, going fastest on a 1'11"819 to secure provisional pole. While Russell suggests that Mercedes has been too conservative after slotting into third - ahead of Leclerc in fourth and Verstappen in fifth - replays show that Norris has gained a tow from his team mate into the final corner. When warned that Norris will pass him after crossing the line, Piastri dryly comments:
"Cheeky".
Alonso opts to set his effort early during a lull on the track, the Aston Martin driver receiving cheers from his home fans as he moves into fifth. While the Spaniard returns to the pits - and Leclerc stays in the garage - the rest of the pack heads out for their final flying runs. It turns out that the answer to that is yes, with Piastri putting in a storming lap of 1'11"546 to go quickest. Norris’ subsequent effort is not enough to displace his team mate, the Briton ending up 0.209s adrift after a slightly scruffy outing. Behind that McLaren front row lockout, Verstappen and Russell set identical times - but the Red Bull man is given third place due to setting his lap first, putting Russell in fourth. Hamilton has a decent session to put his Ferrari in fifth, while Antonelli, Leclerc, Gasly, Hadjar and Alonso complete the top 10 order. Oscar Piastri's performance grew exponentially throughout the weekend: after a shaky start, the Australian driver dominated FP2, FP3, and finally Qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix. With the performances displayed during Free Practice, the McLaren driver had everyone on edge, even Lando Norris, to the point where it convinced the British driver to adopt some risky strategies. Norris let Piastri pass during the formation lap of the first time attack in Q3 to take advantage of his slipstream. A move that the Australian driver described as "cheeky" over the radio, and he responded by braking on the straight to prevent giving his teammate an advantage. The first tensions with Norris perhaps gave the championship leader the right level of aggression to execute a nearly perfect second run, beating his teammate by more than 0.2s and claiming his fourth career pole position:
"I improved quite a lot in turn 1, actually, and in other areas where I struggled all day. Everything came together, especially in the first half of the lap, which was really good; the second half wasn’t perfect, but it was enough for pole. I think here, with the tires losing so much over the lap, it's really difficult to achieve. I thank the team for the hard work they’ve put in. I felt comfortable with the car and was strong when it mattered. There are different strategic options for tomorrow, it won’t all depend on the start. Of course, maintaining the lead will help the race, but you need to be fast for 66 laps".
Max Verstappen is never boring, even at the end of a Qualifying session where he finished third, tied with George Russell in fourth for setting the same time - but a bit further behind the two McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who will dominate the front row for the Spanish Grand Prix. Speaking in the press conference after Q3, the Dutch driver jokingly (and perhaps a little seriously) looked ahead to the start of the race. When asked a specific question, Verstappen teased the two McLaren drivers sitting next to him:
"I think it's time to shine in turn 1, yes. Let’s all three of us line up together for the photos, why not?"
The World Champion said, bursting into a loud laugh while looking at his two rivals. Whether it was a simple joke or a real threat, his intention seemed to be to spoil McLaren’s expected double at the start. Speaking later to the Dutch media, Verstappen added some reflections about Qualifying, revealing that he had expected a bigger gap to the MCL39s than what was actually the case in Q3:
"I had my expectations in my head about the McLaren, and it was more than 0.3s. Actually, the Qualifying went quite well, I just didn’t have anything more. The balance was pretty good, but I couldn’t go any faster. If I tried a little harder, there was some understeer or oversteer, or both at the same time".
Unlike the first day of practice, at the end of which Lewis Hamilton appeared quite disappointed and frustrated with the performance of his car, the British driver could consider himself more satisfied with his fifth-place finish in Qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix. A third row achieved by opting for a different strategy than his teammate, but which brought Hamilton close to the podium spots.
"I hope I have the car for the podium, and I’d like to think so. For some reason, we don’t have the car to fight for pole on the dry lap. Red Bull and McLaren, in particular, are extremely fast on the dry lap, but I think our race pace is at a higher level. I hope to bring that out tomorrow and attack those ahead of us. Getting on the podium is my goal, and we’ll need to be aggressive from the first corner".
Hamilton, who told the media that he had problems with the steering during FP3, also criticized the new technical directive on flexible wings introduced at this Grand Prix:
"The balance is definitely not as good as what we had before, but it didn’t make any difference. What a waste of money! It just wasted everyone’s money. Nothing literally changed. Everyone’s wings still bend, it’s just half the flex. Everyone had to build new wings and spend more to make them. It doesn’t make sense. But it is what it is, let’s move on. I drove it in the simulator and it’s pretty much the same. A bit more oversteer at high speed".
When Charles Leclerc went out on track halfway through Q3 and then stayed in the pits during the final minutes of Qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, Ferrari fans wondered why the team had adopted such a strange strategy. A strategy that ultimately led to a disappointing seventh-place finish in Qualifying, as with the track evolution, Leclerc was overtaken by Max Verstappen, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and Lewis Hamilton. However, the Maranello team tried to carry out a more standard Q3, sending Leclerc out toward the end of the session. It was the Monegasque driver who insisted on his plan and defended his decision in front of journalists:
"I think with two sets in Q3 it’s always easier, and I probably would have found more time, although I’m not sure how much. But I take full responsibility for this Qualifying. It was my choice, in Q3 I chose to go out early when the team was pushing me to do the time attack at the end. I still wanted to have a Plan B in case I made a mistake in that lap, so the responsibility is mine. Plus, I made all these choices to have better tires for the race. If we have a terrible race tomorrow, I’ll take responsibility for a negative weekend. If it goes well, I’ll be happy to take credit for pushing the team in one direction, but only time will tell. Seventh place is a bit below our expectations, even considering the choices I made, but it’s done, and I hope this choice pays off tomorrow, I think it still gives us a good advantage for the race".
Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari has returned - unfortunately - to the level it was at the start of the season, but it is making progress in qualifying, especially in terms of tire preparation during the delicate Q3 phase:
"I think we are making steps in the right direction. I didn’t check the whole lap or whether we lost everything in the first sector, but I felt a bit better. Overall, I was a little more optimistic after FP1 and FP2. I thought the car was behaving quite well. Unfortunately, in Qualifying, everything went back to normal".
There’s no denying that Scuderia Ferrari knew how difficult it would be to replicate the result from Qualifying in the Monaco Grand Prix. And indeed, the cars built in Maranello were never in the fight for pole position. Ferrari’s strategy is a product of Charles Leclerc’s will, as mentioned, and team principal Frederic Vasseur defends it:
"We decided from the start of the weekend to keep two sets of mediums for tomorrow, and we’ll also have a set of softs with only one lap. We had to pay the price in Qualifying because the fourth place was perhaps achievable. With this choice, you’re much more flexible: we have two new sets of medium tires, which means we can come in a little earlier. Clearly, we had to sacrifice something, but Charles was convinced from the start that it was the right choice, because tire degradation will be important and there are 66 laps. Now, we’ve made this decision and we need to stick with it. Lewis’ Qualifying went well, except for the start of the session when we were a little behind and had to fit a second set. In general, we can’t be happy with the result, but our strategy was to focus on the race, because that’s where the points are made. It’s a gamble, but it’s what we decided. Tomorrow we’ll fight with Max. McLaren has been fast since the start of the season, but in the past, we’ve managed to match their race pace, while we’ve always been faster on Sunday than Saturday".
Later, the French manager explains why Leclerc decided to bring forward his time attack in Q3:
"If you only have one set, you are more exposed to a yellow flag or other unexpected events. There was probably track evolution because there was a little less sun, but if someone had spun, they wouldn’t even have had a lap".
The Spanish Grand Prix Qualifying ended positively for the Mercedes team. Both drivers from the Anglo-German team, who were eliminated in Q2 in Monaco, redeemed themselves with Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s P6 and, most notably, George Russell’s P4. This placement brings back sweet memories for the British driver, who achieved the same result at the end of Qualifying for the 2024 season. At the start of that race, Russell had an excellent getaway and took the lead right after the first corner. A performance (ultimately finishing in fourth) that could serve as motivation for the British driver to repeat what he did last season and recover from recent disappointments:
"I started fourth last year, so it's not a bad place to start here in Barcelona. I know that in the last few races, we’ve struggled in the race, but in Bahrain, which was a similar situation, with the C1-2-3 tires and a two-stop strategy, we finished second. In the recent races with two stops, but with the C4, C5, and C6 tires, we’ve been struggling a lot. So, that’s the only guide I have. I wasn’t really in the running for pole against Max and Lando, but apart from Monaco, we’ve been in the top five in every single qualifying session. So we know the car is there on Saturdays. Our goal right now is to try and improve our race pace. We’ve made some pretty drastic setup changes this weekend, and it's positive to see that they haven’t hindered the quality of the pace. If the race pace improves, that will be a different story".
Andrea Kimi Antonelli will start the Spanish Grand Prix from P6 on the grid. The Italian driver, after two particularly difficult races in Imola and Monte Carlo, managed to bounce back. At least for now.
Once again, the Italian driver was outperformed by his teammate, George Russell, at the end of Qualifying, but he still managed to bring the car into the third row, between the two Ferraris of Hamilton and Leclerc. At the end of Qualifying, Andrea Kimi Antonelli expressed satisfaction with his final result in Q3, although he acknowledged that there was likely more potential to extract from the W16:
"It wasn’t an easy session. It took me a little while to get into the rhythm, especially in Q1. Then I had to use an extra set for the whole session, and I only had one new set left for Q3. The difference in grip was quite noticeable compared to the first and second runs in Q3. I felt like I left some speed on the track, but overall, I think the lap was decent. I’m happy to have made it into Q3 and with the final sixth place. Naturally, I always want to finish higher and better, but after two difficult weekends, it was a good recovery. Now we’re focused on tomorrow".
Finally, Antonelli shared his thoughts on the updates installed on his W16 and the technical directive regarding the flexibility of the front wings:
"The technical directive? In the end, I think it wasn’t a massive change. Of course, it’s a bit harder now to find the right balance with the car, but overall, I think, as you’ve seen, it hasn’t really changed the performance. Regarding the updates, they weren’t massive upgrades, but the feeling was definitely good".
After a busy build-up of three practice sessions and a thrilling Qualifying, the attentions of the paddock turn to the 66-lap Spanish Grand Prix. Amidst preparations for the race, news breaks late on Saturday evening that Stroll will not be racing on Sunday. A statement from Aston Martin confirms that the Canadian has been suffering wrist and hand pain over the course of the past six weeks - deemed by his medical consultant to be related to the procedure he undergoes in 2023 following a pre-season cycling accident. The statement adds that Stroll will undergo a procedure to rectify these issues before focusing on his recovery. With it being too late for Aston Martin to nominate a replacement, the squad consequently runs just one car - that of Alonso - in Sunday’s race. This also means that, with Stroll having qualified in P14 during Saturday’s Qualifying, those behind him in the order are each promoted one position on the starting grid. Tsunoda, meanwhile, starts from the pit lane after changes are made to his Red Bull under parc ferme conditions. Once the cars assemble on the grid and the tyre blankets are removed amidst another hot and humid day in Barcelona, it is revealed ahead of the anticipated two-stop event that everybody starts on the soft compound - with the exception of Tsunoda on the medium rubber. The McLaren pair have opted for fresh tyres, while the rest of the top 10 have opted for used sets.
After the formation lap is completed and the lights go out, Piastri sweeps ahead from pole position but Norris faces a challenge from both Verstappen and Russell, the trio going three abreast into Turn 1 before Verstappen takes P2 from Norris. Russell, meanwhile, loses out to former teammate Hamilton, while Leclerc adds to Ferrari’s dream start by also making a move on the Mercedes, pushing the Briton down to sixth. Elsewhere, Antonelli loses a place after running down the escape road at the first corner, while Gasly and Hadjar remain in their starting positions of P8 and P9 and Hulkenberg gains an impressive five places to put himself into P10. As the action starts to settle, Piastri builds a two-second advantage over Verstappen by Lap 4, while Russell sounds frustrated as he takes to the radio to claim that others around him are moving under braking, prompting Team Principal Toto Wolff to ask him to concentrate. Replays from the start reveal that Lawson clips the back of Alonso’s Aston Martin, allowing Hulkenberg to gain places. Albon is also caught up in the melee, resulting in the Williams picking up damage to his front wing. Albon pits on Lap 7, dropping to the back of the order, while back on track Leclerc is all over the back of teammate Hamilton in a scrap for fourth. The Monegasque tries to make a move into Turn 1 on Lap 9 - only to be met with a robust defense by Hamilton. However, with the pair losing ground to Norris in third, the order soon follows from the pit wall for Hamilton to let Leclerc through, which Hamilton subsequently does.
There is further action in the pit lane, meanwhile, with the likes of Hulkenberg, Tsunoda, and Bearman pitting while Sainz Jr. suffers a nightmarishly slow stop, bringing him back out at the rear of the pack. As Lap 11 ticks down, Piastri continues to hold the lead by over three seconds from Verstappen, while Norris has closed in to within half a second of the World Champion.
"No grip, compared to them that is".
Verstappen glumly tells his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, just as Piastri reports some struggles with his rear tyres. It doesn’t take long for Norris to take advantage of the situation, the Briton passing Verstappen with ease into Turn 1 on Lap 13 - and just one tour later, the Dutchman dives into the pits for a fresh set of soft tyres, emerging back on track in P8. Another title winner, meanwhile, is skating across the gravel at Turn 5 - that being home favourite Alonso, who returns to the track in P15 just ahead of Ocon. The Spaniard is subsequently noted by the stewards for rejoining the track unsafely, though it is soon decided that no further investigation is needed. Alonso pits for medium tyres on Lap 16, while Hamilton follows one tour later.
"There's a long way to go".
The seven-time World Champion cautions before being told that they are attempting an undercut. Leclerc up ahead is encouraged to full push, the Monegasque making his stop on the following lap. Some moves play out across the field, with Alonso going around the outside of Sainz to take P16, while Verstappen has put himself up to P3 after overtaking both Mercedes cars. Up at the front, Piastri is quizzed on how far he can go and whether Lap 25 is possible, to which the Australian responds:
"Possible, but difficult".
Lap 22 sees Norris pit for medium tyres, the McLaren driver emerging back on track in P3 some 10 seconds behind Verstappen. And just one tour later, Piastri visits the pits - only for the championship leader to find himself five seconds adrift of the Red Bull which is now in P1. With Verstappen, Piastri, and Norris occupying the top three by Lap 25, the rest of the top 10 sees Leclerc head teammate Hamilton in fourth and fifth respectively, with Russell, Antonelli, Hadjar, Gasly, and Hulkenberg completing the order. Further back, Lawson is battling hard against Albon but the pair make contact, resulting in Albon collecting front wing damage for a second time in the race. The Thai driver soon visits the pits, seemingly ready to retire - however, after he is issued with a 10-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, he returns to the track. That return does not last for long, with Albon then peeling back into the pits to retire - the team having seemingly wanted to serve the penalty rather than carrying it over to the next race in Canada. Verstappen, meanwhile, is unhappy with his RB21 up ahead, reporting that it is so hard to drive. As such, the Dutchman pits again for more medium tyres on Lap 29, dropping him down to fourth - does this mean that a three-stop strategy is on the cards for him? Elsewhere, Lawson is in the wars again as he tries unsuccessfully to divebomb Bearman, an incident that is soon under investigation by the stewards for causing a collision. By Lap 35, Piastri leads by four seconds from Norris, while Leclerc has Verstappen chasing him down for third. The Red Bull soon makes a move down the main straight before quickly opening up a gap to the Ferrari - and beginning to catch Norris in the process. Norris, meanwhile, starts to cut into his teammate’s lead, setting up for an intriguing final third of the race. Verstappen is informed by the Red Bull pit wall that McLaren is receiving the threat, hinting at the potential danger the Dutchman could pose should he be armed with fresher tyres later in the Grand Prix on his predicted three-stop strategy. Elsewhere, Leclerc pits from fourth for another set of mediums - dropping him down to sixth - while Russell soon follows and bolts on some fresh soft tyres before emerging back on track in P7 behind teammate Antonelli.
The Italian subsequently allows Russell to pass him, the pair seemingly running different strategies. Up ahead, Piastri has extended his lead again with 20 laps remaining, the Australian now more than four seconds ahead of Norris, while Verstappen remains the same margin behind the Briton. Two veterans of the field - Hulkenberg and Hamilton - pit on Lap 47, the former returning to the track in P10 on a so-far promising day for the Kick Sauber man. Hamilton, meanwhile, endures a slightly slow stop, putting him back to P7. One tour later, any questions over Verstappen’s strategy are answered when the Dutch driver makes a third pit stop to bolt on a set of used soft tyres. This sees him reemerge in third as he returns to the track just behind teammate Tsunoda, with the Japanese driver subsequently getting out of the way. In response to this, McLaren quickly brings Norris into the pits - bringing him out just ahead of Verstappen - while Piastri follows one lap later. A smooth sequence of events sees Piastri head back out in the lead, a few seconds clear of Norris. However, with cars ahead for the leaders to lap, there is plenty of jeopardy still at play. Case in point, Lawson and Bearman are again engaged in a feisty scrap - only for Bearman to be forced onto the escape road in the drama, just as Norris and Verstappen are trying to lap them behind.
Verstappen is clearly unhappy, raising his hand before shouting idiots over the radio. This incident results in Bearman being noted by the stewards for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. But there is further drama to come when Antonelli pulls into the gravel with a mechanical issue, resulting in the Safety Car being deployed - which sparks a flurry of action in the pit lane. The top three are amongst those to make another pit stop - but Verstappen is left unimpressed by the decision to bolt on a set of hard tyres in contrast to those on softs around him, with this seemingly being the only option left for the World Champion. As the Safety Car prepares to peel in on Lap 60, there is a bit of a moment when Piastri brakes hard to allow the vehicle to move clear. But the championship leader executes the restart well, with both McLarens surging ahead while Verstappen suffers a dramatic snap into the final corner. Leclerc goes side-by-side with the Red Bull down the main straight and snatches P3, despite some contact between them along the way. Russell then tries to get involved, only for the Mercedes to briefly make contact with Verstappen, forcing the latter to go down the escape road. The incident is soon under investigation by the stewards. Verstappen is then asked to let the Silver Arrows car through, prompting an angry response from the World Champion - and as Russell tries to move past, there is another collision between the pair. Russell comments:
"He just crashes into me":
While the first incident between them is deemed as requiring no further investigation, Verstappen is promptly under investigation for the second for causing a collision - and is consequently handed a 10-second time penalty. Amidst all of this drama, Piastri sails clear at the front and crosses the line to take victory by 2.471s from Norris, another perfect outcome for McLaren which strengthens their leads in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships. Leclerc holds onto third - with it being confirmed in the latter stages that his incident with Verstappen on the main straight will be investigated after the race - while Russell takes fourth. Hulkenberg, meanwhile, has a dream result by claiming fifth, providing a much-needed haul of points for Kick Sauber. Hamilton follows in sixth, having narrowly fended off seventh-placed Hadjar by just half a second, while Gasly is eighth and Alonso scores his first points of the campaign in front of his home crowd in ninth. The final point on offer goes to Verstappen, with his penalty dropping him down to P10. All of this gives Piastri a 10-point lead over Norris in the Drivers’ Championship, while Verstappen is now 49 points adrift of the Australian in third. The golden era of McLaren continues in Barcelona, dominating the Spanish Grand Prix with both of its drivers. The victory, the fifth of the season, was claimed by Oscar Piastri, who, alongside his teammate Lando Norris, contributed to McLaren's third double podium of the season, following their wins in China and Miami, in both of which Piastri finished ahead of Norris. In the United States, in fact, the Australian driver had claimed his last victory before securing two consecutive podium finishes in Imola and Monaco, although he never went beyond third place in those cases. A perfect weekend for the Australian driver, who took pole position in Qualifying and managed the race and tires excellently, which resulted in the win:
"It was a surprise to see Max trying three stops, but it didn’t work out for him in the end. For us, it was a great weekend, and we had a very fast pace. The team did an excellent job, it was the answer I wanted to give after what happened in Monaco. I had a great car, and driving it like that was very fun. The Safety Car in the final laps didn’t destabilize me too much. The restart was great, and then I managed the tires. We have a good advantage over the others, but they’re still in the fight. Anyway, it doesn’t matter; I try to focus on my work and do it as well as possible. This weekend, we absolutely succeeded, so let’s keep going".
Satisfaction was also expressed by Lando Norris, who admitted his teammate’s superiority immediately after the race:
"I tried to win the race, but today Oscar drove brilliantly, and I didn’t have the pace to match him. We tried anyway, the race was long, and I thought something might happen. After the restart, we were side by side, but in the end, the double podium is a great result".
Finally, the British driver shared his personal opinion about the outcome of the race as an effect of the new technical regulations introduced for this Grand Prix:
"Everyone makes up stories, they have no idea what’s going on, and they don’t have the real data, creating baseless rumors. It seems to me that the changes have hurt many others more than us, so in the end, draw your own conclusions".
Charles Leclerc wanted a podium, and a podium he got after a Spanish Grand Prix that reserved drama and tension in its final laps following the Safety Car period. The Monegasque driver, who had managed to climb from seventh to fourth during the race, ultimately finished third, taking advantage of a mistake by Max Verstappen during the restart. Leclerc passed him, despite a slight contact on the straight, which was investigated by the stewards. The Ferrari driver, however, had no doubts about the incident, and after the podium ceremony, he made his thoughts clear:
"I was on the right, he took me to the dirty side of the track, then I moved a bit to the left, but in the end, both he and I made a small movement. But if this can no longer be done, we’re in trouble, so I think nothing will come of it".
Looking back at the rest of the race, Leclerc defended the strategy implemented during Qualifying, where he sacrificed grid position to ensure an extra set of Soft tires for the race:
"We did the first stint where we were much faster than the others, and this was thanks to what we did yesterday in qualifying, where I didn’t want to use two Softs in Q3. Then we had two sets of Mediums: the first Medium worked really well, the second not as much, but I think we would have finished fourth anyway. Then yes, third place came thanks to the Safety Car. I was unlucky in Imola and lucky today, but the result is deserved because we took the risks yesterday, and it wasn’t guaranteed that it would go this way today".
After qualifying fifth, Lewis Hamilton managed to gain a position at the start of the Spanish Grand Prix, reaching fourth place by the first corner. However, the English driver couldn't keep up with the pace of the three drivers ahead of him (Piastri, Verstappen, and Norris), so the team asked him to let Charles Leclerc pass, after he tried to defend his position. A slow pit stop then dropped him to sixth place behind George Russell. The arrival of the Safety Car due to Antonelli’s retirement didn’t help Hamilton, and he was even passed by Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber. In the final part of the race, the English driver reported feeling off with his car, explaining over the radio:
"Incredible, guys, there’s something wrong with this car. It’s never been this bad".
The seventh-place finish was later upgraded to sixth due to Max Verstappen's penalty. A slim consolation for the English driver, who had hoped to be fighting for much better results this season. In these early months, Hamilton has accustomed fans to emotional ups and downs and has never hidden his feelings. Today, after such a complex race, the English driver responded when asked: Did you expect a more attacking race today?
"I expected to do a bit better with the car".
What went wrong? The pace, the feeling with the car…?
"It just didn’t work, and I wasn’t expecting that".
You said at the end of the race that 'something was wrong with the car'. Can you tell us what you meant?
"Not particularly, it wasn’t a great day. Just not a great day".
And in terms of strategy?
"The strategy was good, the team did a great job. That’s it".
We hate seeing you in this mood, it’s hard to see you like this…
"What do you want me to say? I just had a terrible day, and I’ve got nothing to say. The day was tough, and there’s nothing else to add. It was terrible. No point in explaining it, it’s not your fault, I just don’t know what else to say".
I understand, I hope they can find answers for you.
"I’m sure they won’t. It’s probably just my fault".
Nevertheless, the final result of the Spanish Grand Prix helped Ferrari move back up to second place in the Constructors’ Championship, bringing a smile to Team Principal Frederic Vasseur. The French manager, commenting after the race, made it clear he didn’t expect any penalties for the Leclerc-Verstappen incident and the contact on the straight:
"Honestly, it’s nothing. Max lost the car because the hard tire was difficult to warm up, and then on the straight, they probably moved 20 centimeters left and right. But if we review this pass, we’ll have to review all of them. We had a better pace with the Softs compared to the Mediums. In the end, it’s a good podium because we would have been fourth before the Safety Car, then Max had no Softs left at the end, and we took advantage of that to get onto the podium. Overall, Charles did a great recovery: the strategy was clear, even though we expected a bit more from the Mediums".
Afterward, speaking about Lewis Hamilton's sixth-place finish, who was passed by Nico Hülkenberg in the final laps of the Grand Prix, he says:
"We had good pace until the last stint, he was ahead of Russell, but in the final part, he had a problem with the car because he was complaining a lot about the balance, which had been fine in the first two stints. Anyway, he brought home some good points for us because at that point in the race, it was hard to maintain the position. All in all, this triple-header has gone pretty well for us, we’ve made a good step forward compared to Miami. The qualifying in Imola was difficult, but then we had a great race. Monaco went well, and here, I think we had the pace to finish third yesterday; it was a strategic choice to save the tires. I’m not sure if it was the right one, but anyway, we made it to the podium and moved back to second in the Constructors’ Championship. The goal is to do the best job possible, honestly we don’t want to focus too much on the championship, last year we did exactly the same and there are still fifteen races to go. We’re trying to improve, take it one step at a time, and catch up with McLaren, although in the Championship they are really far ahead. We need to keep up the momentum and try to reduce the gap".
At the end of the Spanish Grand Prix, Max Verstappen and George Russell’s cars made contact at Turn 5: an intentional incident, with Verstappen on the inside and Russell on the outside. The Dutch driver deliberately slowed down to let Russell pass, but then accelerated, hitting the Mercedes driver’s car. Therefore, the stewards penalized Verstappen with a 10-second penalty, which dropped him to tenth place. This verdict leaves the Dutch driver 49 points behind the World Championship leader, Oscar Piastri. In this regard, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says:
"We need to look at the telemetry, if he did it out of anger, that’s not right. It seemed like a move from an angry taxi driver".
Meanwhile, George Russell says:
"This is an example of how he’s used to racing. He simply hit me, and I don’t know why or what he was trying to do. I think he forgot this was a real Formula 1 race and not iRacing or something like that. Max is an extraordinary driver, and many people admire him, but it’s a shame that these kinds of incidents keep happening. It really seemed like an unnecessary move, and I was as surprised as all of you. It felt intentional… In the end, I’m happy I was able to continue the race, even with some damage to the car. I have to say he paid much more for that maneuver than I did. But that’s how he races, he was in fourth, I was in fifth, and by the end of the race, I finished fourth and he was tenth. From my perspective, I’m happy to have finished the race, and I have no idea what he was thinking because that could have cost both him and me a lot of points. But there’s no need to talk to him to understand".
While Max Verstappen decides not to respond:
"It’s a shame about the Safety Car, because we had already used up all our tires and had to put on the hard ones. In hindsight, maybe it would have been better to stay out and not change tires. But in general, looking back at the race, making three stops allowed me to race more aggressively, more fun instead of just managing. But that’s racing: sometimes it goes well, other times you’re unlucky at the end, and it doesn’t go your way, so you can’t be happy. This is one of those times when things didn’t go well for us. Would I have done something differently with Russell? In the first instance, when I had to give the position back, I don’t think so because I was pushed off the track. In the second instance, sure, but I got the penalty, so what else can I say? I can’t say anything good about it. Is 49 points too many to recover? Yeah, sure, I think so, and in general, we don’t have the pace. They’ve been a little too fast for us this year".
Subsequently, there’s a moment of tension between Max Verstappen and a British journalist, who openly criticizes the Dutch driver for his behavior:
"You did that fantastic move in Imola, and we all saw what an incredible driver you are, and it’s awful to see that brilliance being erased, especially for the fans and the kids watching".
This is Max Verstappen's response, whose relationship with the British press has always been quite complicated:
"That’s your opinion".
And later, the Dutch driver responds to George Russell’s statements, saying:
"Next time I’ll bring him some tissues. He has his opinion, and I have mine. The race up until the Safety Car was pretty good. The incident? A misjudgment. Will I talk to George about it? Not necessarily. I have nothing to say, and in life, you shouldn’t regret too many things".