Max Verstappen seized the lead of the Formula One championship after the defending champion won Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix for his third victory in a row, capitalizing on when Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari broke down while driving with authority.
Verstappen needed Sergio Pérez, his Red Bull teammate, to give him a hand to get his fourth win of the season. Pérez took the lead after Leclerc retired and his team instructed him to let himself be passed by Verstappen on lap 49 of 66 at the Circuit de Catalunya. “It’s unfair, but ok,” the Mexican replied to his team.
“Checo” Pérez, who could have obtained the third victory of his career, finished second, followed by the Mercedes of George Russell.
Verstappen’s third win in a row, following his previous wins at Imola and Miami, saw him move past Leclerc in the overall drivers’ standings, opening a gap of six points after six races.
Leclerc looked poised to come out on top after defending his pole at the start, and pulling away when Verstappen spun off the track. But everything went wrong when the engine of his car began to lose rhythm on lap 27.
“Do not! Do not! Do not! What happened?” she yelled over the radio. His car never made it out of the garage as Leclerc received consoling pats on the back from his mechanics.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz entered fourth in the other Ferrari, while Lewis Hamilton finished fifth after making a comeback from far behind.