The ninth race of the Formula 1 season took place in Spain, with Australian driver Oscar Piastri of McLaren securing the win in Barcelona. Lando Norris, also of McLaren, finished in second place, while Charles Leclerc of Ferrari completed the podium.
The race was marked by a series of intense battles, particularly between Max Verstappen of Red Bull and the McLaren duo. Verstappen, who had made multiple pit stops and overtaking maneuvers, continued to gain ground, putting pressure on the McLarens. However, a safety car period ten laps from the finish allowed the entire field to close up and the top four drivers – Piastri, Norris, Leclerc and Verstappen – all made the switch to hard tires. Verstappen, who had struggled after the restart, was overtaken by Leclerc and had to yield to George Russell of Mercedes as well, after the two drivers touched on the track.
The race was characterized by numerous pit stops and strategic decisions, as drivers like Verstappen, Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari sought to gain an advantage through clever pit stops. Nico Hülkenberg of Sauber also delivered a strong performance.
The points finishers behind the podium included Russell, Hülkenberg, Hamilton, Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls and Pierre Gasly of Alpine. Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin secured two points for the championship with a ninth-place finish, while Verstappen, who was penalized ten seconds for his earlier incident with Russell, finished tenth and earned only one point.
The next race is scheduled to take place in two weeks in Canada.