High Stakes and High Drama: Barcelona Grand Prix Recap
It's lights out and away we go! Catch up on the action from the Barcelona Grand Prix!
Through goes the Mercedes! With such an exciting and thrilling start, George Russell leaves a tight challenge between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. Overtaking both drivers, Russell pulled an outstanding maneuver. Based on the fast move, could this be a Mercedes comeback?
Starting on pole position, Norris is fast to move. With the McLaren focusing on Verstappen, Russell finds a pathway, moving past both drivers. Verstappen in second, followed by Norris in third, Russell led the race for three laps. With the help of the Drag Reduction System (DRS) into turn 1, the Dutch driver sweeps in to perform an overtake. With the pit stop window starting to open up, Russell’s tires start to wear down. Both Mercedes drivers pit, leaving Russell in fifth and Lewis Hamilton in seventh. Norris was asked to keep an eye out for Russell, who was nearing behind. However, he kept his main competition on Verstappen.
While the coast appears clear, the drama on track continues growing. Carlos Sainz is side by side with Hamilton, however the Ferrari driver believes that the Mercedes attempted to push him off the track. The FIA cleared Hamilton of any wrong-doing, leading to no further investigation. This does not stop the tension in the front of the track however. Verstappen goes to make a pit stop, making Norris P1. Norris had a wonderful opportunity to pit, with Verstappen twelve seconds behind him. While the pit stop played out in their favor, the Red Bull driver claimed first place, leaving Norris in fourth.
Both Mercedes now in-between Verstappen and Norris, the McLaren driver is challenged to overtake both of them. In a successful attempt, Norris tracks behind Verstappen with 8.2 seconds. Verstappen pits once again, and Norris is now the race leader. With hope for another race win, Norris holds onto the lead for three laps before he takes another pit stop.
The battle is still continuing on for the race lead, but what events are undergoing towards the back?
Both Haas drivers have received five second penalties: Kevin Magnussen for a false start and Nico Hülkenberg for speeding in the pit lane. VCARB driver, Yuki Tsunoda, also received a penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Alex Albon slides into the gravel, causing his tight battle with Tsunoda to come to an end. However, he managed to get back on track, avoiding a yellow flag.
With nine drivers now lapped, Norris followed closely behind Verstappen, closing in on a 4.9 second gap. However, the challenge continues on. The Red Bull driver started to struggle keeping up the strong pace, dropping the gap down to 2.3 seconds. However, the RB team continually states that he is still holding a strong pace.
The checkered flag is waved! Max Verstappen has won the Barcelona Grand Prix! Lando Norris takes second and Lewis Hamilton takes third, his first podium since the Mexico Grand Prix last season. Yet a tough fight overall, how close was Norris to taking another win?
All seemed promising following his pole position, however he had a difficult start. He credits both Red Bull and Mercedes for having great starts, but was frustrated with the loss. He remains positive and plans on redeeming himself for the two upcoming races: Austria and Silverstone.
Max Verstappen still holds number one for the World Drivers Championship. Charles Leclerc bumps down to third, and for the first time in his F1 career, Lando Norris takes second. The upcoming two races will be crucial in the fight for the drivers championship.
https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/f1-time-schedule-race-today-spain-live-stream-results-b2567350.html
