Piastri wins GP Spain, Verstappen after time penalty tenth

The Australian Oscar Piastri has booked its fifth victory of the season at the Grand Prix of Spain in Formula 1. The McLaren driver had started from pole position and kept his British teammate Lando Norris and the Monegask Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) behind him. Defending champion Max Verstappen passed the finish fifth, but was only tenth by a time penalty of ten seconds.

Verstappen first argued with his own team about a tire change and after the Safetycar had stopped the drivers for some time in the final phase on P3, who then passed him. The Brit George Russell also passed Verstappen in the final phase. The Dutchman unregulated Russell and was punished for this immediately after the race.

With his victory, Piastri strengthens the lead in the rankings. Verstappen, started from the third position, immediately passed the Norris and took some distance together with Piastri. But the McLaren was faster than the Red Bull and after five laps the difference was already more than two seconds.

Verstappen complained about the on -board radio that he did not get a grip, while Piastri drove further away and Norris passed the Dutchman in the thirteenth round. The four -time world champion quickly went into the pits for a tire change and returned to eighth place. With fresh tires he was quickly back in third position.

After Piastri and Norris had entered and, unlike Verstappen, had opted for medium tires, the Dutchman drove the 25th round in the lead. Only after thirty laps did Verstappen also transfer to the medium tires and did he return to P4, after which the old order was restored not much later.

Verstappen kept pressure on the two McLarens. After a crash from Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), the SafetyCar came on track. The three of them looked for the pits, after which Verstappen came back on hard tires, a choice of the team that led to dissatisfaction at Verstappen.

With seven more laps, his fight against the McLarens started, just like the rest of the field, on soft tires. Verstappen immediately lost his third place to Leclerc, who, according to the Dutchman, had hit him. Then he hit Russell. STANT, the stewards judged, resulting in a time penalty. (ANP)

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