Formula 1: Max Verstappen beats Lando Norris for third Spanish Grand Prix win in a row

Max Verstappen secured his third consecutive Spanish Grand Prix victory, while a disappointed Lando Norris rued a poor start that cost him a chance at victory. The Red Bull driver further cemented his dominance in the championship standings.

Barcelona, Spain - June 4th, 2024 – Max Verstappen reigned supreme at the Spanish Grand Prix, showcasing his masterful racecraft and extending his championship lead. However, the day was marked by heartbreak for pole-sitter Lando Norris, who saw a golden opportunity for victory slip away due to a poor start.

Norris, having out qualified Verstappen for pole position by a mere 0.020 seconds, was primed for a potential upset. But as the lights went out, his advantage vanished. Verstappen, along with Mercedes driver George Russell, took advantage of Norris's hesitant launch, with Russell seizing the lead heading into the first corner.

“I should have won,” a dejected Norris lamented after the race. "Not could have. Should have won. I got a bad start. Simple as that. The car was incredible. We were the quickest and I lost it at the beginning. A lot of positives this weekend. One negative and that kind of ruined everything.”

Verstappen's Strategic Masterclass

Verstappen, aware of the urgent need to overtake Russell, made his move on lap three. This decisive action proved to be the turning point of the race, allowing him to build a comfortable lead and manage the remainder of the Grand Prix with strategic precision.

"I think what made the race was the beginning," he explained. "I took the lead ... and made that first stint where I could eke out a gap a little bit.”

Despite Norris' impressive pace and a late-race push, Verstappen, employing a more aggressive tire strategy, successfully held on for his seventh win of the season. "After that we had to drive kind of a defensive race," he admitted. "Lando and McLaren were very quick today ... I think we did everything well, we drove quite an aggressive strategy but luckily it played out to the end.”

Behind the battle for the top spot, Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, finally secured his first podium of the season, finishing third in his Mercedes. His teammate, George Russell, who had initially led the race, ultimately finished fourth.

Further down the field, Ferrari teammates Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz engaged in a heated battle, resulting in contact that damaged Leclerc's front wing. Leclerc, who finished fifth, expressed his frustration, stating, "He [Sainz] is motivated to do something spectacular but I was probably not the right person to do that with.”

Sainz, who finished sixth in front of his home crowd, also found himself in a contentious moment with Hamilton, but the incident was deemed a racing incident by the stewards.

With this latest victory, Verstappen extended his lead in the driver's championship to a commanding 69 points. Norris, despite the disappointment of his lost opportunity, moves into second place with 150 points, ahead of Leclerc in third with 148. In the constructor's championship, Red Bull remains comfortably ahead with 330 points, followed by Ferrari with 270 and McLaren in third with 237.

As the Formula One season heads to Austria next weekend, all eyes will be on Verstappen to see if he can continue his dominant streak. "Max demonstrated why he is the world champion," remarked Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. "At the key moments, he delivers.”