McLaren's Piastri wins Spain GP, extends championship lead over Norris

Al Jazeera

3 days ago

Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri has won the Spanish Grand Prix from pole position in a McLaren one-two to go 10 points clear of teammate Lando Norris in the world championship title battle.
The Australian's win on Sunday by 2.4 seconds over Norris was his fifth in nine races this season and McLaren's seventh.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc completed the podium places on Sunday after passing Max Verstappen's Red Bull six laps from the end following a safety car period that triggered the main talking point of the afternoon with the champion demoted from fifth to 10th place.
'It's a nice way to bounce back from Monaco. A superb weekend,' said Piastri, who finished third last weekend in a race won from pole by Norris.
Verstappen, who made four stops in total and ended up on the slower hard tyres against rivals on softs, collided with Leclerc and twice with Mercedes's George Russell after the safety car restart.
The Dutch driver was given a 10-second penalty – added to his overall time post-race – for the second Russell collision, which was clearly his fault.
He and Leclerc also faced a post-race investigation for their clash, which could lead to further sanctions.
'I tried to push him to the left. There was a bit of contact but fortunately no consequences,' Leclerc said. Verstappen claimed the Monegasque had rammed into him and should have given back the place.
Russell finished fourth after eventually being let through by Verstappen, who reluctantly did as his team told him.
Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg finished a surprising and morale-boosting fifth for the future Audi team after passing Ferrari's seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton on the penultimate lap.
Hamilton was a disappointing sixth, Isack Hadjar seventh for Racing Bulls and Pierre Gasly eighth for Renault-owned Alpine.
Home hero Fernando Alonso scored his first points of the season with Aston Martin, who had only one car on the grid due to Lance Stroll's withdrawal through injury after Saturday's qualifying.
Piastri led away cleanly at the start with Verstappen seizing second from Norris while Hamilton and Leclerc moved up to fourth and fifth at the expense of Russell.
Hamilton let Leclerc through on lap 10 of 66 after the two Ferraris had run nose to tail.
Norris took back second place from Verstappen on lap 13 with the Dutch driver making no attempt to defend against the quicker McLaren and pitting on the next lap for new tyres.
Verstappen took the lead again on lap 23 after Piastri pitted. Norris made his first stop on lap 21 and came out behind the Red Bull, but that lasted only until Verstappen pitted for a second time on lap 30.
Verstappen came in for a third stop on lap 47, and Norris pitted a lap later to defend second place.
A safety car was deployed on lap 55 after rookie driver Kimi Antonelli beached his Mercedes in the gravel, bunching up the field and triggering a rash of pit stops.
The McLarens came in together for new tyres, double-stacking, and comfortably resumed ahead of Verstappen, who questioned the switch to a set of hards but was told that was the only option available.
The next round of the 2025 season will be the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on June 15.