The Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull) reinforced his leadership in the Formula 1 World Championship by clearly winning the Spanish Grand Prix this Sunday, the seventh of the year, held at the Montmeló circuit (Barcelona), in which he relegated the places of honor to the two Mercedes drivers, the English Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
Verstappen, 25, who is aiming for a third title in a row, achieved his fortieth victory in F1 – the fifth of the season – by winning, with a ‘Grand Slam’ (starting from pole position and leading from start to finish a race in which he set the fastest lap) at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya ahead of seven-time world champion Hamilton and Russell; in a race that the other Red Bull, that of the Mexican Sergio Pérez, finished fourth.
While the Spanish Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) finished fifth and seventh, respectively; and the Canadian Lance Stroll, a partner of the latter, was sixth. The Frenchman Esteban Ocon (Alpine) finished eighth, ahead of the Chinese Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo); and Alpine’s other Frenchman, Pierre Gasly, also entered the points, finishing tenth.
Verstappen now leads the World Cup with 170 points, 53 more than his Mexican teammate; while Alonso is still third in the contest, with 99 points.
