Lewis Hamilton masterfully shrugged off Red Bull and tyre concerns to seal a dominant Spanish GP victory and extend his F1 championship lead, while a feisty Max Verstappen beat Valtteri Bottas to second.
A week on from a surprise first defeat of the season, Mercedes had been fearful of the threat of Red Bull again in the Barcelona heat – but pole-sitter Hamilton was in control from start to finish despite Verstappen’s admirable efforts.
“That was a Hamilton masterclass,” said Sky F1’s Nico Rosberg, the 2016 world champion and Hamilton’s former Mercedes team-mate.
Verstappen, who was animated on team radio, can take solace from the fact he beat one of the Mercedes given their pace advantage, with Bottas made to rue a poor start to the race which saw him drop down to fourth after Turn One.
Verstappen therefore remains Hamilton’s closest challenger in the standings, although the six-time champion is now 37 points clear.
The win also means Hamilton has broken Michael Schumacher’s record of 155 F1 podiums, while he is also just three away from the German’s all-time victory record of 91.
“I was just in a daze, I felt really good out there today,” said Hamilton, who eventually beat Verstappen by a whopping 24s after a ferocious final stint.
Hamilton was in a league of his own, and so were the top three. Hamilton, Verstappen and Bottas were the only drivers who weren’t lapped during the race, although there was fascinating battling through the midfield.
Lance Stroll took fourth for Racing Point ahead of one-stopping team-mate Sergio Perez, who finished ahead on track but was handed a five-second penalty for ignoring blue flags.
Carlos Sainz was an impressive sixth for McLaren at his home race while Sebastian Vettel spared Ferrari’s blushes with a superb drive in very difficult circumstances, somehow managing his wearing soft tyres.
That was despite more tension on team radio, with Vettel voted Driver of the Day for good measure.
Charles Leclerc had earlier spun and retired in the other Ferrari with an electrical failure.
Alex Albon will also be disappointed, with the Red Bull driver – who has so often been a Sunday star this season – dropping two positions from his grid slot and failing to replicate the pace of Verstappen ahead.
Spanish GP, race result1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes2. Max Verstappen, Red Bull3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes4. Sergio Perez, Racing Point5. Lance Stroll, Racing Point6. Carlos Sainz, McLaren7. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari8. Alex Albon, Red Bull9. Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri10. Lando Norris, McLaren
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Spanish GP: Lewis Hamilton beats Max Verstappen to extend title lead – Sky Sports
