Piastri wins Spanish GP as Verstappen penalised

Oscar Piastri led Lando Norris to a McLaren one-two at the Spanish Grand Prix as a late safety car led to a controversial final few laps involving Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Verstappen was forced on to hard tyres for the final sprint to the flag and was involved in a series of incidents with Mercedes’ George Russell.

Verstappen crossed the line fifth but dropped to 10th as a consequence of a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Russell.

The four-time champion had kept the pressure on the McLarens with a three-stop strategy compared to their two, and was on course for third place before the safety car, caused when Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli pulled off with an engine failure.

But his race fell apart after Red Bull were forced to fit hard tyres to Verstappen’s car because they had no softer ones available.

It left him lacking grip at the restart to those around him and a madcap, almost unbelievable, series of incidents.

Verstappen almost lost his car when he had a massive wobble coming out of the fast final corner as the race restarted with five laps to go.

Leclerc pulled alongside on the straight, and the two cars touched as the Ferrari moved back towards the racing line while still alongside Verstappen.

Russell then dived down the inside of Verstappen at Turn One, and the two made contact, the Red Bull taking to escape road and retaining the position.

Verstappen complained that Russell had pushed him off, but his engineer Giampiero Lambiase ordered him to give the position back, citing the rules on racing which say that a driver on the inside trying an overtaking move has the right to the corner if he is far enough alongside going in.

With two laps to go, Verstappen appeared to move over to the inside and give space to Russell to pass him on the outside on the entry to Turn Four.

But as Russell went around him, Verstappen suddenly appeared back on the inside and speared into his car.

The Briton went on the radio to ask what was going on, and Verstappen was penalised for the incident.

Piastri’s fifth win of the season moves him into a 10-point lead over Norris in the championship, but Verstappen’s eventful final few laps has left him 49 points behind the Australian.

Before the madcap final laps, Verstappen had pressured the McLarens throughout with Red Bull’s strategy.

The Dutchman took second place from Norris into the first corner, after the Briton made a slow start but, after initially pressuring Piastri on the first lap, the McLaren began to pull away as Verstappen started to struggle with his tyres.

Soon, Norris was on Verstappen’s tail and passed him on lap 13, using the DRS overtaking aid down the main straight, and Verstappen made his first stop on the following lap.

McLaren stuck to their two-stop guns, leaving Norris and Piastri out for a further seven and eight laps.

When Verstappen stopped again on lap 29, McLaren knew he was on a three-stop strategy. He soon regained the third place he had lost to Leclerc and began closing on the McLarens in front of him.

Norris, about three to four seconds back from Piastri most of the time, held Verstappen four seconds behind.

And when the Red Bull pitted for the third time on lap 47, McLaren responded with first Norris and then Piastri on subsequent laps.

After the pit stops, the three were running nose to tail, but Piastri began to edge away from Norris, who likewise distanced himself from Verstappen before the safety car intervened.

Behind Russell, Nico Hulkenberg scored a great result for Sauber by passing Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari for fifth place after the restart.

Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar took seventh from Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, and Fernando Alonso fought back from running off track into the gravel in the first stint – after locking up a front brake into Turn Five – to claim his first points of the season with ninth place, ahead of Verstappen.