F1 Spanish GP: Max Verstappen wins as title rival Charles Leclerc retires

Max Verstappen won a dramatic Spanish Grand Prix to move into the lead of the F1 world championship after title rival Charles Leclerc retired.
Verstappen wins dramatic Spanish GP as F1 title rival Leclerc retires

Despite dropping to fourth when he took an early trip through the grave🌺l at Turn 4, Vers♛tappen recovered to claim a crucial victory at Barcelona after Leclerc was forced to retire from the lead after his Ferrari lost power. 

A third victory on t🎉he spin for Verstappen, coupled with Leclerc’s engine trouble, sees him move into a six-point championship ꦗlead after six races. 

Sergio Perez made it a Red Bull 1-2 ♔but was frustrated to have not been allowed to fight Verstappen for the win after being told to relinquish his lead to his Red Bull teammate following Leclerc’s retirement.  

Completing the podium in third was Mercedes’ George Russell, who had a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle with Verstappen 🔥and kept the reigning world champion at bay for long periods of the 𓆉race until the Dutchman finally got by when Russell pitted for the second time. 

Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing RB18 and George Russell (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W13 battle for position. Formula 1
Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing RB18 and George Russell (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W13 battle…

His Mercedes teammat𓆏e Lewis Hamilton turned in an excellent recovery drive to finish fifth behind Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz after suffering a first-lap puncture in a collision with Kevin Magnussen’s Haas at Turn 4. 

Hamilton appeared on course to finish fourth after cha⛎rging past Sainz in the closing stages, only to lose the position when he was forced ꧅to lift and coast in the final laps due to an issue Mercedes described as being a “DNF risk”. 

Valtteri Bottas finished sixth for Alfa Romeo, ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and McLaren’s Lando Norris, who drove a stro🐟ng race to take eighth despite struggling with illness. 

Home-hero Fernando Alonso went from last to ninth in an im💖pressive 🦋recovery drive following his Q1 elimination and taking an engine penalty that left him at the back of the grid.

Yuki Tsunoda secured tꦇhe final point on of🐎fer for AlphaTauri by finishing 10th. 

Leclerc’s reliability woe swings F1 Spanish GP

Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari F1-75 pushed back in the pits and retired from the race. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 6,
Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari F1-75 pushed back in the pits and retired from the race. Formula…

Leclerc appeared on course to be strolling towards a comfortable victory until suffering a sudden loꦓss🌃 of power from his car on Lap 27. 

“No, no what happened. Lost power!” Lecle🐻rc bemoaned over team radio. 

Leclerc held a 19-point championship lead heading into the weekend but the Monegasque’s first retirement of the season saw his advantage ev🦄aporate and turn into a six-point deficit. 

After dropping his Red Bull into the gravel at Turn 4 on Lap 9, Verstappen’s race seemed tꦿo be going from bad to worse when his DRS flag started malfuꦗnctioning in his bid to get past Russell. 

Bu🐽t when Leclerc’s race turned on its head, Verstappen was there to take full advantage of his main rival’s misfortune, thanks in part to erstwhile leader Perez offering no resistanဣce as he obeyed team orders to let the Dutchman through to seal a hat-trick of wins. 

It marks a dramat🍃ic and swift🎀 momentum swing in Verstappen’s favour. 

Verstappen wins dramatic Spanish GP as F1 title rival Leclerc retires

Read More