Oscar Piastri triumphed at the Spanish Grand Prix, leading teammate Lando Norris in a dominant performance for McLaren as they continue to excel in the F1 championship. Starting from pole position, Piastri had a stellar race on Sunday, solidifying his lead in the driver standings.
Following Piastri was Norris, who successfully overcame a challenging start, while Charles Leclerc from Ferrari secured third place. Max Verstappen initially finished fifth but was later demoted to tenth after receiving a 10-second penalty due to a collision with George Russell of Mercedes.
This victory marked McLaren’s third one-two finish this season and its seventh win in just nine races, with Piastri claiming five of those victories. Piastri expressed satisfaction with the season, stating, “Very hard to complain. It has been a great year…I am really enjoying it.” With 186 points, he is ten points ahead of Norris, while Verstappen trails significantly, now 49 points behind the leader.
Verstappen, who has faced difficulties throughout the season, acknowledged McLaren’s superiority, stating, “When they get their things right, they’re unbeatable.” His recent downfall involved a late incident where he collided with Russell while trying to follow steward orders to let him pass, causing him to lose five places.
Before the late safety car caused a shift in the race dynamics, Verstappen was positioned third. However, he struggled to maintain pace after the restart, ultimately losing ground to Leclerc and Russell.
This race was notable as it marked the first time in ten years that a driver other than Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton emerged victorious in Spain, amid uncertainties regarding the future of the Barcelona race with a new event planned in Madrid next year.
Norris’s victory in Monaco reignited his title challenge after Piastri had briefly taken the lead with four wins in five races. While McLaren seems headed for a second consecutive constructors’ championship, Verstappen remains hopeful that his competitors will engage in enough point-scoring battles to allow him to reclaim a foothold in the championship race.