SPAIN: Max Verstappen showcased his dominance as soon as once more as he secured his fifth victory of the 2023 season on the Spanish Grand Prix.
The Crimson Bull driver cruised to an unchallenged win, leaving the much-improved Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell to accept second and third place, respectively.
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Ranging from pole place, Verstappen maintained his lead from begin to end, securing the race victory and invaluable championship factors.
With this win, Verstappen prolonged his lead over his teammate Sergio Perez to a staggering 53 factors, additional solidifying his place on the high of the standings.
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The race began with a tense battle between Verstappen and Carlos Sainz as they navigated by Flip 1.
Nevertheless, Sainz couldn’t match Verstappen’s tempo, and the Crimson Bull driver rapidly pulled away.
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In the meantime, Hamilton and Norris got here collectively at Flip 2, forcing Norris to pit for a brand new entrance wing.
Verstappen continued to extend his lead because the race progressed, whereas Russell impressed with a collection of overtakes.
The midfield offered loads of pleasure with quite a few passing manoeuvres from drivers like Nico Hulkenberg, Yuki Tsunoda, and Oscar Piastri.
The technique got here into play as Ferrari debated pit stops, with Sainz ultimately coming in for medium tires.
Hamilton stayed out longer however ultimately made his pitstop, rejoining the race behind Sainz. Russell additionally pitted, momentarily dropping to sixth place earlier than rapidly making up the misplaced floor to problem Sainz for third.
Within the race’s latter levels, the highest 4 drivers opted for comfortable tires, with Verstappen sustaining a commanding lead over Hamilton.
Finally, Verstappen averted penalties after receiving a clean and white flag for exceeding monitor limits and secured a snug victory, crossing the end line 24 seconds forward of Hamilton.
Russell’s spectacular efficiency earned him his first podium end of the season, with Perez taking fourth place.
Sainz, Stroll, and Alonso secured respectable finishes behind the main trio, whereas Ocon, Zhou Guanyu, and Gasly accomplished the points-scoring positions.
Tsunoda obtained a five-second time penalty for forcing Zhou off monitor, which marred his unimaginable race en path to a ninth-place end.
Verstappen’s dominant show on the Spanish Grand Prix additional cements his place because the favorite for the championship.
Because the System 1 season progresses, all eyes will likely be on Verstappen and whether or not he can keep his exceptional kind.
Additionally Learn: Sergio Perez’s Depressing Monaco Grand Prix: A Weekend of Misfortune and Errors