At the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix, it was that man Max Verstappen again who once again demonstrated how to finish first on Sunday despite not going so a day before.
On an afternoon in Spain where Lando Norris should have taken his second career win, Verstappen’s oozing class once again saw him pick up yet another well-earned win.
Norris finished second ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who rounded out the podium places, with George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Oscar Piastri, Sergio Pérez, Pierre Gasly, and Esteban Ocon rounding out the points places, in that order.
Lewis Hamilton also scored his first podium of the season with his P3 finish.
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Lando Norris held Verstappen off the line as the lights went out, but it was Russell with an incredible start who took the lead from P4, making a clean move on the outside. His lead didn’t last long, though, as Verstappen took two laps to take the lead off him. Norris by now had dropped to P3 and already a couple of seconds behind Russell.
By Lap 10, it was Verstappen leading from Russell with Norris a distant third. Hamilton held P4 with Sainz and Leclerc behind the seven-time World Champion. As the race proceeded, Verstappen continued extending his lead.
Russell pitting on Lap 16 put Norris behind Verstappen. Behind them, it was Sainz and Hamilton battling it out for P6.
Verstappen pitting on Lap 18 saw Norris take the lead. When the Red Bull driver re-joined in P4, crucially ahead of Russell, Norris held a gap of five seconds over Verstappen.
The McLaren driver eventually came in on Lap 24, re-joining the track in P6. Leclerc, who was yet to pit, held the lead but only for a lap as Ferrari called him in the next lap, which saw Verstappen re-take the lead.
By Lap 35, Verstappen was cruising ahead while Norris pipped second place in an edge-to-edge battle which saw McLaren’s British driver come out on top, with Verstappen leading by almost 9 seconds.
Ten laps later, Verstappen came in for another change, this time shifting to the soft compounds, and came out flying in P3. He was back at the front within three laps.
Norris pushed hard for the final ten laps, but Verstappen proved once again why he was a cut above the rest as he wrapped up a perfectly-executed race to lock in his seventh win of the season.
The Spanish Grand Prix 2024 win now sees Verstappen extend his lead in Drivers’ Championship to 59 points over Lando Norris.
With their drivers clinching both the fifth and sixth places, Ferrari have brought down their distance from the top of the Constructors’ Standings to 60 points.
Spain was the first race of the first triple-header of the season. We will be back racing next weekend in Austria.
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