Papaya With A Dash of Spice: A Spanish Grand Prix Recap

McLaren dominating a Grand Prix weekend has been the default prediction and outcome of the season thus far. I had a feeling that this would continue at the Spanish Grand Prix, and it absolutely did. It feels like I’m spoiling a film or a television show, but I’m really not. If this were 2023, I’d be writing this same intro about Red Bull. At the same time, a few interesting things not McLaren-centric did happen in the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya that we should acknowledge and keep in mind for the next few races. So here’s what you need to know: 

Qualifying

It was a McLaren 1-2 lockdown - Oscar Piastri snatched up pole and Lando Norris qualified P2. Max Verstappen finished the session at P3. A predictable result, yes, but it was what it was. George Russell was P4, Lewis Hamilton was P5, Kimi Antonelli was P6, and Charles Leclerc was P7. 

Aston Martin announced a few hours later that Lance Stroll, who qualified in P14, was withdrawing from the race due to an injury, specifically pain in his hands and wrists. Let’s hope he recovers in time for his home race in Montreal.

The Race

Oscar Piastri won this race, while Lando Norris, despite a position snatch from Max Verstappen, fought his way to finish in second place. Charles Leclerc, despite some shaky calls from Ferrari to swerve undercutting (drivers gaining positions while others head to the pit lane), came in third. And if this sounds familiar, that’s because these same drivers were on the Monaco GP podium last week; the placements are just a little bit boggled up. 

I was fairly optimistic that Lewis Hamilton would finally secure a podium finish in a Grand Prix race (just to refresh memory - he won the Chinese Sprint and finished P3 in the Miami Sprint). Watching Nico Hulkenberg overtake him in the last moments of the race for P5 had me feeling a mix of emotions - happy for Hulkenberg but pained for Hamilton. I suppose we’ll have to wait a little longer to reach that moment (Silverstone or Monza could be poignant). 

Here’s the thing that has been grinding my gears for weeks - many, many people have been running their mouths about how and why the seven-time World Champion hasn’t been winning every single race thus far. Frankly, I think it’s unreasonable to expect a driver, no matter how accomplished or seasoned, to master the intricate uniqueness of the Ferrari engine in less than six months. Leclerc has been with this team for a while, and even he struggles with the car… He’s never been subtle about it on the team radio. Now, throw in the well-documented (and memeable) fact that the Ferrari strategy team works in mysterious ways, and it becomes a no-brainer that Hamilton is where he’s at…. And all things considered, he is picking things up quickly. 

Aside from Lance Stroll’s withdrawal from the race, two drivers did not finish (DNF): Alex Albon and Kimi Antonelli. The Williams driver, already working through a weekend of bad luck, was forced to retire his car after VCARB’s Liam Lawson damaged his front wing. The Mercedes driver drove into the gravel late in the race, triggering the deployment of the safety car. Little did Kimi know that he was about to set off a domino effect. 

After six-ish laps behind the safety car, the drivers were free to race each other again. Verstappen, who was in P3, was overtaken aggressively by Leclerc, who made contact with the car. Russell also made contact but remained behind the Red Bull. Verstappen was fuming about Leclerc, complaining that he was “rammed” and wanted the Ferrari driver to give the position back. Verstappen’s race engineer advised that his position be given to none other than George Russell, which made the four-time World Champion livid on the radio. As Russell attempted to (rightfully) reclaim his position, Verstappen blocked him from doing so and caused a collision, which fortunately did not result in a nasty crash in the last moments of the race. 

Needless to say, the FIA Stewards were not pleased and slapped the Dutch driver with a ten-second penalty, which resulted in Verstappen finishing P10 instead of P5. He is now only one penalty point away from a race ban, which you and I both know is inevitable at this point. All it takes is one more five or ten-second penalty within the next few races. Once that does happen, it might just cut Verstappen off from any prospect of beating the McLaren drivers to secure a fifth Drivers’ Championship title. Here's Russell and Verstappen explaining their sides of the story:

Mind you, these two feuded last year about Verstappen's notably aggressive racing style. Just when everything seemed to be under the bridge between the two, Pandora’s Box got reopened, and this time, it's going to take a while to close.

On a lighter note, Aston Martin did catch a break. Fernando Alonso finally secured his first points of the season after finishing P9. It’s two points, but hey, a win is a win. 

How Are The Championships Looking? 

Oscar Piastri continues to lead the Drivers’ Championship at 186 points. Lando Norris remains in second place at 176 points. Unless a dark horse emerges in the next few months, these two might remain at the top of the rankings with fluctuating gaps between them that will leave everything in the air. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, is still in third place at 137 points, 49 points behind Piastri and 39 points behind Norris. Keeping in mind that he’s one penalty away from a race ban, that gap might just increase as the season progresses. 

McLaren still leads the Constructors’ Championship at 362 points. Ferrari is now in second place at 165 points. Mercedes is now in third with 159 points, and Red Bull is in fourth at 144 points. Unless the Prancing Horse starts dominating the next rounds with wins between Leclerc and Hamilton, they may find themselves having to settle for second place and save the fight for 2026. Then again, it’s still too early in the season for them (for any team, really, but especially Ferrari) to throw in the towel. 

The next round takes a break from the European circuits and returns in North America, this time in Canada. Last year’s race was wet, slippery, and a lesson on mastering the grey clouds and rainfall that is common in June in that part of the continent. That, combined with all the happenings of the season so far, ought to make things interesting. 

See you soon! 

Coverage of the 75th Season of Formula One continues with the Canadian Grand Prix from June 13th to 15th on Vintage & Coupe.