Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) could not fight with the Mercedes or Checo Pérez (Red Bull) and finished fifth
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) could not find a good race rhythm and finished seventh, his worst result in this start of the World Cup
BARCELONA, 4 (EUROPA PRESS)
The Dutch driver Max Verstappen (Red Bull) has consolidated his leadership in the Formula 1 World Championship after winning the Spanish Grand Prix, seventh round of the World Cup, ahead of the improved Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell this Sunday with an absolute superiority , with Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) fifth and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) seventh.
Verstappen remains unstoppable, with his fifth victory of the season in seven races, the third in a row after Miami and Monaco, and reinforces his leadership in a championship that seems to be under control. And the podium was completed by the two Mercedes, with a great improvement and with Russell’s comeback included, from 12th position on the grid to third place on the podium.
For his part, Carlos Sainz could not retain second place in the ‘qualification’ and suffered a lot to contain the Mercedes and ‘Checo’ Pérez (Red Bull). All of them ran over him at the end of the straight in an appointment where Ferrari did not stand out due to his top speed. It was worse for Fernando Alonso, who gained a place from the start but was too far from the lead, in his worst result of the championship.
Alonso, who started eighth, gained two positions and came to be sixth until George Russell (Mercedes), who started twelfth, overtook him on lap 7. The Asturian had more worrying rivals behind, such as Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez (Red Bull), but lengthened his soft tires looking for a good strategy.
After continuing on softs after the first stop, he extended the second set of softs even further and finished on hards, but just behind his teammate Lance Stroll and without attacking him, limiting himself to safeguarding those sixth and seventh places for his team. Bad weekend at home for the Asturian, two-time world champion, who had signed 5 podiums and a fourth place as the worst record, previously.
Carlos Sainz did not find the formula to get on the podium. Despite knowing how to master the ‘new’ Ferrari better than his teammate Charles Leclerc, who started from the ‘pit lane’ and finished eleventh, the man from Madrid took a toll on not being able to dry some Mercedes that seem to return to the shortlist in the upper area. The only unattainable goal for him, as for everyone, is Verstappen.
The Dutchman dominated the race with pleasure, the same as the whole weekend. He took the extra point for the fastest lap. He was so relaxed, with almost 20 seconds ahead of Hamilton in the final part, that he crossed the track limits three times and received the FIA warning, including the black and white flag.
But he had no more scares than this one. At no time, despite his great improvement, were the Mercedes able to worry him and challenge him for victory. Not even his teammates Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez, who started eleventh after the bad qualification and came back to be fourth, despite being close to being able to snatch third final position from Russell.
With the 26 points added, Max Verstappen is already at 170 points, with his teammate Checo Pérez second at 53 points (117), while Fernando Alonso remains third with 99, 71 behind the Dutchman. Lewis Hamilton is fourth, and is close to 12 points behind the Spaniard in the table. Carlos Sainz is sixth, with 58 points added in these first seven races.
As for the start, which was clean like the rest of the race, the British Lando Norris (McLaren) took the worst part, who after starting third in his best qualifying of the championship had a touch with Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) in the start and had to stop in the pits, taking the opportunity to change tires and put on hard rubber, and went on to ride almost at the bottom of the group, to finish seventeenth.