- Red Bull driver finishes a place ahead of teammate Sergio Pérez
- George Russell takes third; Lewis Hamilton battles to fifth
There were no easy rides at a dramatic, incident-packed Spanish Grand Prix but perseverance was most certainly rewarded. Indeed, for Mercedes the tide turned in Barcelona with Lewis Hamilton finishing fifth having dropped to 19th and his teammate George Russell taking third. Proof positive that their car is on track to once more challenge at the front. Max Verstappen’s win was a struggle against the odds through technical problems that enabled him to leap into an unexpected championship lead.
The celebratory atmosphere at Red Bull stood in stark contrast to the heartbreak at Ferrari. Charles Leclerc had been dominant from pole until his race fell apart with a power unit failure just short of the midway point. Leclerc’s 19-point lead in the drivers’ championship has switched to a six‑point advantage in Verstappen’s favour after six meetings with 16 races remaining.
