BARCELONA, Spain — Oscar Piastri strengthened his lead atop the Formula 1 world driving championship standings with an impressive victory in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix.
The 24-year-old Australian led his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, to the checkered flag in a dramatic finish that saw Max Verstappen and George Russell tangle close to the end.
Piastri enjoyed an excellent start from pole position, allowing the 24-year-old to build an early lead from Verstappen who had overtaken Norris. Norris later retook the position – only for Verstappen to leapfrog both McLarens after the first pit stops, to hold the lead.
This proved to be brief, however, as the Dutchman pitted early for a second stop, handing the lead back to Piastri. Verstappen opted for a three-stop strategy, but a late-race Safety Car period after Kimo Antonelli stopped on the track, prompted most of the contenders to pit again.
While Piastri and Norris surged clear at the restart amid a six-lap dash to the flag, Verstappen found himself passed by Charles Leclerc for third before battling with Russell. The pair made contact and Verstappen was forced down the escape road, only for Red Bull to tell their driver to hand the position back.
There was then another collision between the pair for which Verstappen subsequently received a 10-second time penalty.
However, at the front, Piastri eased to his fifth victory of the season.
“I feel like it was difficult to get through that at points, but I feel like when I needed to push and unleash the pace then I could do a good job, and obviously the Safety Car at the end,” Piastri said. “I feel like I managed that pretty well and then I knew I had the pace. A good weekend.”
Norris finished 2.471 seconds behind his teammate and is 10 points behind Piastri in the standings.
Ferrari ace Charles Leclerc came home third, with Russell taking fourth for Mercedes.
The surprise of the day was Nico Hulkenberg finishing fifth for Sauber. Lewis Hamilton was sixth for Ferrari and Verstappen wound up 10th.
