Max Verstappen started second, spun into the gravel on lap nine, kept his Red Bull going, rejoined the track in fifth, and then drove his way to the front to win the Spanish Grand Prix. The victory gave him his fourth of the year and moved him into the points lead, taking over from Charles Leclerc, 110-104. With the win, Verstappen has put together a remarkable record of winning every race he has finished in 2022–employing a Formula 1 version ʻif you ainʻt first, youʻre lastʻ that looks more efficient than might be expected.
Sergio Perez gave Red Bull a massive points haul by finishing second, moving the team ahead of Ferrari, 195-169. George Russell put together a wonderful race, starting fourth, giving both Red Bull drivers fits at times and managing to hold on to a third-place finish. Since joining Mercedes this year, Russell has yet to finish outside of the top five. He is holding down fourth in points with 74.
Carlos Sainz also spun, the same spot as Verstappen at turn four, and then rebounded, passing a compromised Lewis Hamilton in the final laps to finish fourth. Finishing fifth, Hamilton put together his most Hamilton-esque performance of the season, starting sixth, suffering a puncture after tangling with Kevin Magnussen on the first lap and dropping to 19th, and then methodically driving through the field.
Valtteri Bottas again drove a fantastic race for Alfa Romeo, finishing sixth, continuing his string of solid performance for a team considered to be an afterthought. Esteban Ocon put together a smooth and efficient race to finish seventh, while Lando Norris worked his way up from 11th to take the eighth position.
Fernando Alonso started last after a power-unit swap and worked his way to ninth, equalling his best finish of the season. Yuki Tsunoda earned the last points-paying position, giving him three top-ten finishes in 2022.
The Race
The race appeared to be Charles Leclercʻs to lose. The Ferrari driver started on…
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