Race Notes - Verstappen youngest Grand Prix winner at Spanish GP

Max Verstappen, in his first race for the Red Bull team has become the youngest winner of a Grand Prix, taking the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona.

After last week making the switch from Toro Rosso to the top Red Bull team, Max Verstappen - at the age of 18 years and 227 days old - becomes Formula One‘s youngest ever winner of a Grand Prix.

In a race where the two Mercedes GP drivers took each other out in an accident on the first lap, Verstappen wins over the Ferrari‘s of Kimi Raikkonen in second place, 0.616 seconds behind the winner, and Sebastian Vettel in third place, 5.581 seconds behind.

Verstappen‘s Red Bull team mate Daniel Ricciardo, after leading for much of the race, finished in fourth place, 43.9 seconds behind, followed by Valtteri Bottas (45.2s) in the Williams-Mercedes in fifth, homeboy Carlos Sainz (1m01.3s) in the Toro Rosso-Ferrari in sixth, Sergio Perez (1m19.5s) in the Force India-Mercedes in seventh, Felipe Massa (1m20.7s) in the second Williams in eighth, Jenson Button (1 lap) in the McLaren-Honda in ninth and Daniil Kvyat in the second Toro Rosso in the final points position in tenth place.

It was sunny and warm before the start of the first European F1 race in Spain, with track temperature hitting 40 deg C. Pirelli has soft, medium and hard compound tyres available for the drivers for the first time this season. Pirelli expecting the optimum strategy to be two or three stops for the teams.

Hamilton starts from pole with his team mate Rosberg starting alongside for Mercedes. The Red Bull pair of Ricciardo and young sensation Verstappen in row two. The Ferrari‘s of Raikkonen and Vettel line up in row three. The Williams of Bottas and Sainz in the Toro Rosso are in row four and Perez in the Force India and for the first time this season Alonso qualified in the top-ten in his McLaren-Honda.

All drivers starting on soft compound tyres - except Harryanto starting on the medium tyres from the back of the grid.

At the appointed time the cars are sent on the formation lap - the lights go out and the race is on with Rosberg going around the outside of turn 1 to take the lead from Hamilton. Into turn 3 Hamilton makes a run and goes to the outside of Rosberg. Hamilton is squeezed by his team mate - spins and collects Rosberg into the next corner - taking both Mercedes out of the race.

The safety car comes out with Ricciardo leading Verstappen, Sainz, Vettel, Raikkonen, Bottas, Perez, Button, Alonso and Grosjean in tenth. The stewards announce that they will investigate the incident with the two Mercedes drivers after the race. Niki Lauda commenting on TV blames Hamilton for the incident.

The race starts again on lap 4, with Ricciardo leading, with the Red Bull running in the top three positions.

On lap 4 Ricciardo sets fast lap at 1m30.042s. Sainz up to third place is under pressure from Vettel behind him.

On lap 8 Vettel passes Sainz to take third place at the first corner. The next lap Raikkonen tries to make the same move, but goes wide. Toro Rosso instructs Kvyat to give way to Magnussen for previously having overtaken under the safety car.

On lap 10 Massa pits. Raikkonen finally passes Sainz for fourth.

Perez, Kvyat, Ericsson and Sainz all pit.

On lap 11 Ricciardo pits from the lead for medium tyres. Verstappen leads.

On the nexr lap Verstappen pits from the lead taking medium tyres as well, handing the lead to Vettel. Bottas and Nasr also pit.

Ricciardo passes Grosjean for second place - the frenchman yet to pit.

On lap 14 Raikkonen sets fast lap at 1m29.896, passing Gutierrez for sixth.

Vettel pits the next lap from the lead for medium tyres.

At lap 15 Ricciardo leads Verstappen by 2.3 seconds, followed by Vettel (5.3s), Raikkonen (8.5s), Gutierrez (12.0s), Bottas (13.7s), Sainz (17.7s), Perez (20.6s) Button (24.7s) and Alonso (27.0s) in tenth place.

On lap 16 Vettel sets fast lap at 1m29.760s, and closes to 1.8s behind Verstappen. The top three running within 2.6 seconds.

On lap 22 Hulkenberg pulls off the track with flames coming from the rear of the Force India.

On lap 23 Haryanto pits. Gutierre passes Magnussen for 12th place. Verstappen closes to within a second of Ricciardo in the lead. Ericsson pits for medium tyres.

Toto Wolff tells the media, ‘It‘s not clear cut, a very difficult situation for the team. But we let the drivers race and sometimes this is what happens. In out opinion we don‘t want to blame. They are both pretty upset because they know about the effort. We need to look at the pictures, look at the data, and aviod this in the future.‘Ï

On lap 29 Ricciardo pits from the lead, switching to soft tyres, and rejoins in fourth place.

Vettel pits on the next lap also switching to soft tyres, and rejoins behind Riccardo. Ricciardo sets fast lap at 1m28.974s.

At lap 30 Verstappen leads Raikkonen by 3.2 seconds, followed by Ricciardo (14.7s), Vettel (17.6s), Bottas (25.8s), Sainz (35.8s), Perez (42.2s) Button (49.3s), Alonso (50.9s) and Massa (59.0s) in tenth place.

On lap 31 Vettel sets fast lap at 1m27,137s.

Gutierrez gets past his Haas team mate Grosjean - the two touching but continuing.

On lap 34 Verstappen pits from the lead and for another set of medium tyres and rejoins in fourth. Raikkonen takes over the lead for a lap and pits as well for medium tyres and rejoining behind Verstappen.

On lap 37 Grosjean goes off track but contiunes.

On lap 38 Vettel pits from second place, switching to medium tyres, rejoining in fourth behind Raikkonen. Button pits as well.

On lap 39 Sainz pits. Vettel sets fast lap at 1m27.974 seconds. Alonso pits. Magnussen passes Ericsson for 13th place.

At lap 40 Ricciardo leads Verstappen by 8.9 seconds, followed by Raikkonen (10.6s), Vettel (16.0s), Bottas (51.3s), Massa (56.6s)m Sainz (59.0s), Perez (62.8s), Gutierrez (68.1s), Kvyat (70.4s) and Button (75.2s) in tenth.

On lap 42 the gap on the front three is closing.

On lap 43 Ricciardo pits from the lead taking on medium compound tyres, and rejoins in fourth place - the top four running on medium tyres.

On lap 47 Alonso pulls off the track with an engine failure. Raikkonen closes to under a second behind leader Verstappen.

At lap 50 Verstappen leads Raikkonen by 0.6 seconds, followed by Vettel (8.9s), Ricciardo (10.8s), Bottas (49.8s), Sainz (58.9s), Perez (68.2s), Gutierrez (73.7s), Massa (76.2s) and Kvyat (79.6s) in tenth place.

Raikkonen is putting pressure on Verstappen in the lead but is it taking too much out of his tyres?

On lap 52 Kvyat pits for medium tyres, rejoining in 11th.

Raikkonen continues to run within half a second behind Verstappen.

On lap 53 Kvyat sets fast lap at 1m26.948s.

Ricciardo runs within DRS position of Vettel in third.

On lap 59 Ricciardo dives on Vettel for third place at the first corner, but Vettel comes back and takes the position back. Vettel complains on the radio that Ricciardo had no place to go‘‚

Ricciardo looks again the next lap but isn‘t close enough to make a try at Vettel.

At lap 61 Verstappen leads Raikkonen by 0.8s, followed by Vettel (4.6s) and Ricciardo (5.2s).

On lap 61 Button passes Gutierrez for ninth. Kvyat passes Gutierrez as well taking tenth.

Ricciardo continues to challenge Vettel for third place.

On lap 65 Ricciardo start to slow with a punctured left rear tyre. He runs around the track with three tyres, and pits on the last lap.

Verstappen runs the last lap to win the Spanish Grand Prix over Raikkonen and Vettel.