F1 star fumes at ‘dirty, dirty' rivals after Spanish Grand Prix qualifying KO as Piastri and Norris seal McLaren one-two
OSCAR PIASTRI pipped teammate Lando Norris to pole position in Barcelona with their relationship being put to the ultimate test.
Norris had to settle for second as McLaren bagged their first front row lock out in
Advertisement
2
Oscar Piastri has qualified on pole for the Spanish Grand Prix
Piastri vowed to not let the title scrap between him and Norris get between him, but things could all go pear shaped in sunny
Spain
.
Just three points separate the two McLaren team-mates in the drivers' standings following Norris' win at Monaco last weekend.
Australian driver Piastri, 24, leads with four victories so far in just his third season in F1.
Norris seems to be feeling the pressure of the title
race
more as he produced a scrappy final lap in the final qualifying session compared to Piastri's blistering pace.
Advertisement
READ MORE ON F1
It was a to and fro between the two McLaren drivers as they battled in Q3, with Norris coming out trumps after the first run to take provincial pole.
Verstappen sealed third-place while George Russell bagged fourth and Lewis
Hamilton
finished fifth after a special final lap in the struggling
Ferrari
.
The seven-time world champion out-qualified his teammate
There had been drama earlier on as fuming Williams driver Alex Albon slammed 'dirty, dirty' Haas drivers who he felt drove purposely slow as he was knocked out in Q2.
Advertisement
Most read in Motorsport
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
Red Bull's No2 driver conundrum continued with Yuki Tsunoda's situation going from bad to worse as he suffered a nightmare last place position in qualifying.
It was the third
race
in a row where he was outqualified by both drivers from Red Bull's junior team Racing Bulls.
Meanwhile
Advertisement
2
Yuki Tsunoda had another horror qualifying session after finishing last
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The 42
2 hours ago
- The 42
'I'll bring some tissues next time' - Verstappen and Russell snipe at each other over collision
GEORGE RUSSELL SUGGESTED Max Verstappen should have been disqualified for causing a deliberate and unnecessary crash in Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix – with the latter then offering his upset British rival a tissue. A processional race at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya – which was won by Oscar Piastri as he extended his championship advantage over second-placed Lando Norris from three points to 10 – came alive on lap 64 of 66 when a furious Verstappen and Russell came to blows. Following a safety-car restart, Verstappen fell off the road as he attempted to defend fourth position from Russell. He rejoined ahead of the Mercedes driver but was advised by his Red Bull team to concede the position. Verstappen slowed down at Turn 5 to allow Russell past, but then accelerated and drove into his rival's Mercedes. Drama in the closing stages of the race! 😱 Max Verstappen drops to P10 following a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with George Russell #F1 #SpanishGP — Formula 1 (@F1) June 1, 2025 Advertisement 'What the f***'?' Russell said on the radio. Verstappen later moved out of Russell's way, and crossed the line in fifth. However, he was hit with a 10-second penalty by the stewards – demoting him to 10th – and also punished with three penalty points on his licence which leaves him just one point away from a race ban. In commentary for Sky Sports, Nico Rosberg said Verstappen's sanction was too lenient and that he should have been shown a black flag – an immediate disqualification. And when the 2016 world champion's claim was put to Russell, the Englishman replied: 'If it was truly deliberate then absolutely, because you cannot deliberately crash into another driver. 'We are putting our lives on the line. We are fortunate the cars are as safe as they are these days but we shouldn't take it for granted. 'It felt very deliberate. It is something I have seen numerous times in sim racing and go-karts. I have never seen it in a Formula One race. It felt strange, bizarre and I really don't know what was going through his mind. 'It is a shame because Max is one of the best drivers in the world but manoeuvres like that are totally unnecessary. It lets him down, and it is a shame for all of the young kids looking up to us, aspiring to be Formula One drivers.' Responding to Russell's criticism, Verstappen said: 'Well, I'll bring some tissues next 'He has his view, I have my view. It's better not to comment. In life you shouldn't regret too many things. (I have) no regrets.' Verstappen had just lost third place to Charles Leclerc after he opened the door to the Ferrari driver when he made a mistake on the exit of the final corner in a six-lap shootout to the flag following the deployment of a safety car. Russell then attempted to sling his Mercedes underneath Verstappen's Red Bull at the first corner before the Dutchman took to the escape road and remained ahead of the Briton. 'Max, can you let Russell through, please?' said Verstappen's race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase. 'What? I was ahead, mate. What the f***! He just ran me off the road.' Explaining their decision to hit Verstappen with a 10-second penalty – which leaves him a distant 49 points adrift of Piastri in the championship – the stewards said: 'From the radio communications, it was clear that the driver of Car 1 (Verstappen) was asked by his team to 'give the position back' to Car 63 (Russell) for what they perceived to be an earlier breach by Car 1 for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage (in fact, we had later determined that we would take no further action in relation to that incident). 'The driver of Car 1 was clearly unhappy with his team's request to give the position back. At the approach to Turn 5, Car 1 significantly reduced its speed thereby appearing to allow Car 63 to overtake. 'However, after Car 63 got ahead of Car 1 at the entry of Turn 5, Car 1 suddenly accelerated and collided with Car 63. The collision was undoubtedly caused by the actions of Car 1.'
Irish Times
7 hours ago
- Irish Times
Oscar Piastri leads McLaren one-two in Spanish GP as Max Verstappen pays penalty
Oscar Piastri won the Spanish Grand Prix with a dominant run at the front of the field at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to secure victory in front of his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris. However the race was marked by a late moment of impetuous anger from Max Verstappen that cost Red Bull's defending world champion a huge points loss to the leaders. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was in third. The race had been an intriguing strategic contest if not a thriller until a late safety car. With five laps to go, Piastri held his lead from the restart and Leclerc pounced on Verstappen, who almost completely lost the rear as he came out of the final corner, his hard tyres having no grip. Verstappen then had contact with Mercedes's George Russell as the pair went through turn one and Verstappen went off but held his place. He was told to let Russell through but was clearly aggrieved. He moved over to let the British driver past and as he did so, he then drove side-on into the Mercedes. [ Alex Dunne regains lead in Formula 2 drivers' championship Opens in new window ] He was immediately investigated by the stewards, while Russell still had the place, and Verstappen was swiftly given a 10-second time penalty, dropping him to 10th. Piastri now leads Norris by 10 points in the title fight but Verstappen has dropped to 49 points back, after what was an enormously costly moment for the Dutchman. READ MORE It was McLaren's first win in Spain for two decades as the team served notice they retain a formidable advantage over the rest of the field. Russell took fourth, with Nico Hülkenberg a superb fifth for Sauber. The late drama came only after the two McLarens had dominated the race, with Verstappen and Red Bull doing their best to stay in the fight with an alternate three-stop strategy. It had paid off, despite being outpaced, with the world champion very much in the mix and on for a podium place when a late safety car closed the pack up and there was a final dash for the last five laps. Red Bull's Max Verstappen after Sunday's race. Photograph:Verstappen's three stops had used up all his soft tyres, meaning he was forced on to the slower hard rubber, which left him impotent at the restart and led to the frustration and dangerous driving that will doubtless face enormous criticism far beyond the penalty he received. The three drivers on the podium were left speechless when they watched it in the cool-down room. Beyond the incident the result was conclusive evidence, were any further needed, that the FIA's technical directive restricting the flexing of front wings, applied at this race, has made little to no difference to the pecking order. In the build-up to the meeting the clampdown had dominated discussion as to whether it might materially affect the championship leaders. McLaren had been bullish that this was not where the strength of their car lay and have been proved correct in every session this weekend. Their car is still dominant, surely putting the issue to bed once and for all but more important indicating that if they are to be caught it will take a major step forward from their rivals. The race belonged to Piastri, who was in assured control from the front, with the same measured, calm confidence that sat in stark contrast to Verstappen's temper as the 24-year-old Australian reminded everyone he has the traits of a world champion in waiting. Lewis Hamilton was in sixth for Ferrari, Isack Hadjar in seventh for Racing Bulls, Pierre Gasly eighth for Alpine and Fernando Alonso ninth for Aston Martin. – Guardian
Irish Examiner
8 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
The worst race I have experienced – Lewis Hamilton bemoans performance in Spain
A demoralised Lewis Hamilton described his latest Ferrari horror show at Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix as one of the worst races he has ever experienced. Hamilton was ordered by Ferrari to move aside for team-mate Charles Leclerc on lap 10 and was then passed by Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg in the closing laps. Hamilton finished seventh but moved up one place to sixth in the final classification following Max Verstappen's sanction. After all that drama... let's take a look at our top 🔟 in Spain! 🇪🇸⬇️#F1 #SpanishGP — Formula 1 (@F1) June 1, 2025 Leclerc took the chequered flag in third to land his third podium of the season, but Hamilton is yet to take a top-three finish in nine Ferrari starts. He is 23 points behind Leclerc, and 115 adrift of championship leader Oscar Piastri. 'I have no idea why it was so bad,' said 40-year-old Hamilton. 'That was the worst race I have experienced, balance-wise.' Lewis Hamilton greeted England skipper Harry Kane before the race in Barcelona (Phil Duncan/PA) Quizzed as to whether he could take any positives from Sunday's performance, the seven-time world champion replied: 'Zero.' And then asked where he goes from here, Hamilton answered: 'Home.' Hamilton had been able to take confidence from out-qualifying Leclerc for just the second time this campaign, and appeared in good spirits prior to Sunday's race when he embraced England captain Harry Kane and Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka in the moments before the lights went out. He then moved ahead of former Mercedes team-mate George Russell at the opening bend to take fourth. I have no idea why it was so bad. That was the worst race I have experienced, balance-wise But Hamilton's afternoon soon unravelled when he failed to match Leclerc's speed, and he was told by race engineer Riccardo Adami to 'trade places' with his team-mate. It is the second time this season that Hamilton has been ordered out of Leclerc's way in a race. Hamilton won the sprint round in China in March, but his record in the main events so far for Ferrari reads 10th, disqualified, seventh, fifth, seventh, eighth, fourth, fifth and sixth. Hamilton added: 'The team did a great job and that is all I can say. I didn't have any speed at the end.'
