Oscar Piastri Triumphs at F1 Spanish GP as Verstappen Penalised for Russell Clash

Oscar Piastri took a commanding victory for McLaren at the 2025 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, leading teammate Lando Norris to secure a strong 1-2 finish. Piastri started the race from pole and managed to keep his lead through the first corner, with Max Verstappen moving into second place after an aggressive move around Norris.

The opening laps saw tight competition between the Ferraris and Mercedes cars. Charles Leclerc moved up to fourth after passing George Russell and then soon overtaking Lewis Hamilton, who was struggling with rear grip issues.

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Norris quickly recovered his pace and overtook Verstappen with a clean move in Turn 1 on lap 13. By the pit window, Norris was five seconds behind Piastri, but Verstappen looked to regain ground by making his first pit stop early.

Verstappen’s early stop gave him the advantage of fresher tires and allowed him to undercut Norris after the first round of pit stops, briefly giving the Red Bull driver the net lead. However, Verstappen’s Red Bull suffered from persistent grip and clutch problems, leaving him frustrated and forced to switch to a three-stop strategy that dropped him behind the two McLarens.

By the halfway point, Piastri led Norris by roughly four seconds, with Verstappen another two seconds adrift. The McLarens responded to Verstappen’s strategy by maintaining solid pace and managing their tires well, despite Norris having issues with front-left tire graining.

The Dutch driver gambled with a third stop for used soft tires, but McLaren reacted to keep both of their drivers in front, making the top three positions unchanged as the final pit stops finished.

There was drama late in the race when a safety car was brought out after Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli spun off with a technical issue. This set up a tense restart on lap 62.

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Piastri controlled the race from the front, Norris slotted in behind, and Verstappen struggled on hard tires, allowing Leclerc to move ahead in a close fight that included minor contact. As the cars approached the first corner, Russell made a forceful move on Verstappen, who had to use the escape road.

Verstappen’s reaction to the incident was to give the place back, but then he appeared to push Russell aside, triggering a post-race investigation.

At the checkered flag, Piastri finished 2.4 seconds ahead of Norris, taking his fifth win of the season and extending his lead in the championship by 10 points. Leclerc completed the podium, with Russell and Verstappen next in line.

However, Verstappen was handed a 10-second penalty for his clash with Russell, dropping him to tenth in the final classification. Nico Hulkenberg’s late overtake earned Sauber a fifth-place finish, and Isack Hadjar claimed seventh place to continue a streak of strong results for Racing Bulls.

The top ten wrapped up with Pierre Gasly in eighth for Alpine and Fernando Alonso bringing Aston Martin its first points of the season in ninth. Retirements included Kimi Antonelli after his incident and Alexander Albon after a collision with Liam Lawson.

Lance Stroll was unable to start following a withdrawal due to a persistent hand and wrist injury. The weekend in Barcelona proved crucial for the championship chase, with McLaren emerging as a clear threat and Piastri further strengthening his bid for the 2025 world title.

The race also saw teams adapt their aerodynamic strategies, with notable discussions around the F1 flexi wing regulations impacting car performance during the Spanish GP.

Lewis Hamilton’s struggles with rear grip issues echoed previous challenges faced at circuits like Monaco, where McLaren’s performance had been closely analyzed, as seen in recent coverage of McLaren and Lewis Hamilton’s Monaco efforts.

Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz’s ongoing concerns about specific track demands highlighted the varying challenges drivers face, as detailed in insights about Sainz’s Monaco fears.

Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.