F1 race results: Max Verstappen wins Spanish GP

Verstappen dominated the race after fending off a first-corner challenge from Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari.

Mercedes had the second-fastest car in the race, and Lewis Hamilton and George Russell filled the podium spots, ahead of the other Red Bull of Sergio Perez, who rose from 11th to finish fourth.

Verstappen, who started on medium-compound tyres, just held his pole position advantage on the run to Turn 1, fending off the soft-shod Sainz’s attack around the outside of the first corner. Behind them, third-placed qualifier Lando Norris (McLaren) and a fast-starting Hamilton touched at Turn 2, and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) passed Hamilton moments later for third at Turn 5.

Hamilton settled into fourth place, ahead of Esteban Ocon’s Alpine, but Norris was forced to pit at the end of the opening lap for a new nose section. Russell passed Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin for sixth on lap seven.

Hamilton repassed Stroll for third on lap eight, and Russell gained another place from Ocon on lap 11 to run fifth.

After a disastrous Q2 stranded him in 11th on the grid, Sergio Perez moved through the field in the second Red Bull and ran eighth by lap 10.

With Hamilton closing in, Sainz pitted for mediums on lap 16, and the Mercedes duo were happy to run longer on the softs. Hamilton pitted nine laps later, rejoining behind Sainz, but on much fresher mediums and Russell stopped a lap later, staying just ahead of Ocon.

Verstappen pitted on lap 27, switching his mediums for hards, while Perez ran a lap longer and rejoined back in ninth.

Hamilton passed Sainz for second at Turn 1 on lap 28, but was already 12s behind Verstappen by this point, as Russell passed Stroll for fourth. Just after half distance, Russell also passed Sainz to make it a Mercedes 2-3, while Perez carved his way up to fifth on his fresh rubber.

Sainz made his second pitstop just before two-third’s distance on lap 42, switching to hards.

Russell pitted for softs on lap 46, and Hamilton followed suit five laps later. Perez also stopped for softs, rejoining 3s behind Sainz. That allowed Verstappen to make a comfort stop for softs for the run to the finish too – despite getting a black and white flag for exceeding track limits on three occasions.

Alonso passed Ocon with 14 laps to go, albeit only just after the Frenchman made a hard defensive move on the run to Turn 1. A lap later, Perez passed Sainz for fourth and set off after the Mercedes but ran out of time to catch Russell.

Sainz finished fifth, ahead of the Astons of Stroll and Alonso. Ocon was eighth from Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) – who got a 5s penalty for forcing a car off track – and Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo).

Due to Tsunoda's penalty, Gasly got the final point in 10th.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc started from the pitlane on hard tyre, after the rear-end of his car was changed following his terrible qualifying performance, behind Logan Sargeant’s Williams.

He went on an aggressive tyre strategy, switching to softs on lap 17 and back to hards on lap 43, but he could only finish 12th – promoted a place by Tsunoda's penalty.

UPDATE: After the race, Mercedes was investigated for a parc ferme rules infringement. It was fined  €10,000 after its driver physiotherapists and assistants entered the restricted area.