Spanish GP talking points: Piastri's 'superb weekend', Verstappen's blood boils and Hadjar eyes promotion

The National

2 days ago

The 2025 Spanish Grand Prix played out under clear skies and the heat of the Catalan sun at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – a track renowned for exposing the strengths and weaknesses of both car and driver.
Long a cornerstone of the Formula One calendar, this year's race lived up to its reputation, delivering high drama, championship-defining moments, and a showcase of standout performances.
It was a weekend defined by McLaren's dominance, Max Verstappen's controversies, and inspired drives from across the grid, making it one of the most eventful and revealing rounds of the season so far.
Here are the most interesting storylines from the weekend:
Piastri lays down title credentials
The third Maclaren driver to achieve eight consecutive podium finishes, Piastri once again demonstrated his skill with a textbook-perfect getaway off the line.
Piastri remained in command for much of the race, navigating a late safety car period triggered by Kimi Antonelli's retirement. He handled the restart flawlessly, fending off pressure from teammate Lando Norris to secure a McLaren one-two finish.
With this win, Piastri extended his lead over his teammate to 10 points in the championship, further cementing his position as a serious title contender.
'I think the pace was really good, we could turn it on when we needed to," the Australian said after the race. "Just very proud of the work we've done this weekend. It wasn't the best first practice, and then we got our stuff together. It's a nice way to bounce back from Monaco, so it's been a superb weekend.'
Norris, meanwhile, didn't get the launch he was hoping for, dropping to third off the line. Once again, the McLaren driver showed signs of struggle with race starts, missing the opportunity to capitalise on his strong grid position.
Nonetheless, he achieved second place, but conceded: "I lost out to the better guy this weekend.'
Should Verstappen have been disqualified?
Verstappen's Spanish Grand Prix fell apart in the closing stages, transforming a likely podium into a frustrating 10th-place finish.
Running a three-stop strategy to keep pressure on the McLarens ahead, he was on course for P3 before a late safety car, triggered by Kimi Antonelli's engine failure, derailed his race. With no soft tyres left, Red Bull fitted hards, leaving Verstappen struggling for grip at the restart.
Charles Leclerc managed to pass him, despite light contact. Told to yield to George Russell for an earlier off-track move, Verstappen slowed to comply but then appeared to make contact with the Mercedes at Turn 5 deliberately. The stewards found him responsible for the incident, issuing a 10-second time penalty along with three penalty points on his super licence, raising his total to 11, just one point away from an automatic race ban.
Christian Horner, Red Bull's team principal, later admitted that it would have been better to have left Verstappen on the soft tyres rather than pitting him again.
George Rusell was asked for his summation of the incident: 'My perspective is that I just got crashed into! I don't really know why or what the thinking was behind it. In the end, I'm glad that I continued with little damage and ultimately it punished him a lot more than me.'
Former champion Nico Rosberg, commenting on the incident, felt that Verstappen ought to have been disqualified. 'Red Bull told him to give up the place, that caused his blood to boil over even more. And then it looked like a very intentional retaliation ... that is something extremely unacceptable.'
Joy for Hulkenberg and Sauber
Nico Hulkenberg delivered a standout performance, finishing fifth and securing Sauber's best result in three years. Despite being outqualified by his rookie teammate Gabriel Bortoleto for the fifth time this season, Hulkenberg once again demonstrated why his experience remains invaluable.
Some eyebrows were raised last year when Sauber, soon to become Audi's works team, signed the then-36-year-old German to a multi-year deal. Now 37, Hulkenberg continues to prove the merit of that decision. When the points are on the table, he's always challenging.
Starting in P15 after an early qualifying exit, he made swift progress through the field and opted for an early pit stop. Crucially, after switching to medium tyres, Hulkenberg stretched the stint to over 30 laps with impressive tyre management and composure, key to holding position in the closing stages.
His charge included a decisive overtake on Lewis Hamilton, and he was later promoted to fifth following Verstappen's time penalty. The 10 points he scored lifted Sauber off the bottom of the constructors' standings.
Part of the turnaround in Spain came courtesy of Sauber's latest upgrade package, which was fitted exclusively to Hulkenberg's car for Friday's sessions. The early signs were promising, and the veteran immediately felt the benefit.
'The car felt good right from the start,' he said on Friday. 'The upgrade package we brought for this weekend appears to be working as intended – the balance has improved, and I felt more confident behind the wheel straight away.'
Hamilton's struggles continue
'I've had a really bad day and have nothing to say. It was a difficult day,' said a disappointed Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton's Spanish Grand Prix began on a high note but quickly took a turn for the worse. After matching his best qualifying performance of the season and starting fifth, he made an excellent getaway, overtaking Russell into Turn 1. But the momentum didn't last; within nine laps, he was ordered to yield to teammate Charles Leclerc, a move that marked the start of a frustrating downward trajectory.
Despite managing car issues throughout practice, seven-time world champion Hamilton had been optimistic after qualifying, even suggesting he could fight for a podium. But on race day, he couldn't keep up with the McLaren of Lando Norris and gradually slipped back. Leclerc, once past, surged to a surprise podium, while Hamilton faded.
Team boss Fred Vasseur later revealed Hamilton had suffered an unspecified problem with the car before the late safety car, though he gave no specifics.
As for Leclerc, he displayed strong pace throughout the race and positioned himself perfectly to take advantage when a late Safety Car came into play.
He seized the moment as Verstappen ahead of him struggled on the hard tyres. Pulling alongside the Red Bull on the main straight during the restart, there was slight contact between the two.
The incident was reviewed by the stewards, who ultimately deemed that 'neither driver was wholly or predominantly to blame."
From there, Leclerc held firm in third place, securing a well-earned podium in the closing laps.
Will Hadjar be promoted?
Isack Hadjar continued his impressive rookie campaign, finishing seventh for Racing Bulls and earning points for the third race in a row. Starting from ninth after making it into Q3 for the third consecutive weekend, the young French-Algerian once again displayed remarkable composure.
Hadjar pulled off several daring overtakes, including a standout move on Pierre Gasly at Turn 3.
He said: "I'm really happy with today's race, it was a strong performance and almost perfect, something the whole team can be proud of. I really enjoyed the first stint, though it's a shame Nico got us right at the end.'
With 21 points this season, Hadjar is rapidly emerging as one of the most exciting and consistent rookies on the grid. It's little surprise that speculation is mounting over Red Bull potentially promoting their rising talent. Will he take over from Yuki Tsunoda?
Tsunoda's recent form has raised concerns, finishing 17th in Monaco and qualifying last in Spain. With mounting pressure and an apparent disconnect between driver and car, questions are growing over how much longer he can hold onto his seat before Red Bull's famously unforgiving driver policy takes effect.