the dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull) won the Spanish GP in Formula 1 this Sunday and was placed leader of the general classification of pilots to the detriment of the Monegasque charles leclerc (Ferrari), who had to leave due to a mechanical problem.
Precedent leader of the World Championship, the Scuderia driver was an outstanding leader with respect to his pursuers, the British George Russell (Mercedes) and Verstappen, when his car began to lose power.
In the sixth race of the season, the other Red Bull from the Mexican Sergio Perez Y Russellsecond and third respectively, completed the podium.
“I lost engine power, and from there I had to stop (…) It’s like that, that happens, since the beginning of the year we haven’t had a single problem,” Leclerc reacted to the Canal + microphone.
Although the situation “hurts, there are at least many positive things, we managed to solve the tire degradation problems, it was really the answer we expected,” he relativized.
At the Montmeló circuit in Barcelona, Verstappen achieved the 24th victory of his career and the fourth this season, after the GPs of Saudi Arabia, Emilia Romagna in Italy and Miami.
In the general standings, Verstappen has 110 points, to 104 from Leclerc and 85 from Sergio Pérez.
Before this race, Verstappen was listed as 19 points behind Leclerc, the man who dominated free practice and had taken pole position on Saturday.
Carlos Sainz Jr, fourth
The Spanish Carlos Sainzin third place on the grid but who did not make a good start, finished in fourth place and saved the furniture for ferrariwhich incidentally lost the leadership of the Constructors’ World Cup to the benefit of Red Bull.
After starting from fifth position on the grid, the British Lewis Hamilton suffered a collision with the Danish Haas Kevin Magnussen in the early stages of the race, an incident that led both drivers to the pits. Even so, he signed a fifth place … a warning that Mercedes is back?
The current world champion team, in difficulty since the start of the season, took advantage of the Catalan circuit, which the drivers and teams know very well after thirty Great prizes since 1991 and the annual pre-season tests between 2014 and 2020, and in 2022, to provide a series of improvements to their single-seaters, which seem to bear fruit.
finn Valtteri Bottas signed a sixth position at the wheel of his Alfa Romeofollowed by Alpine from French Stephen Oconwho had started twelfth on the grid.
The other Alpine, the Spanish Fernando Alonsowas ninth in this Big prize.
The race in Montmeló was marked by high temperatures, 35 degrees Celsius in the air and 45 degrees Celsius on the track.
The next meeting of F1 World Cup will be the Monaco Grand Prixon Sunday May 29 on an urban circuit in the Principality.