Spanish GP 2024
JUNE 23, 2024
Race Notes - Verstappen wins in Spain
© Red Bull
Max Verstappen won the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona in his Red Bull-Honda. Polesitter Land Norris in the McLaren-Mercedes took second, 2.219 seconds behind. Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes GP was third, 17.790 seconds behind.
The win is Verstappen’s 61st career victory at the circuit he took his first win (and fourth win at Barcelona), and seventh win of the 2024 season.
It is Verstappen’s 106 career podium finish (which ties Alain Prost and Fernando Alonso for fourth on the all-time podium finishes). Hamilton takes his 198th career podium, the first since Mexico last season.
Verstappen still leads the Drivers Championship, and Norris moves up to second overtaking Leclerc.
George Russell (22.320s) in the second Mercedes was fourth, followed by Charles Leclerc (22.709s) in the Ferrari was fifth, his team mate Carlos Sainz (31.028s) was sixth, Oscar Piastri (33.760s) in the second McLaren was seventh, Sergio Perez (59.524s) in the second Red Bull was eighth, Pierre Gasly (1m02.025s) in the Alpine-Renault was ninth, and his team mate Esteban Ocon (1m11.889s) took the final point in tenth place.
Before the start of a hot race with Norris on pole, with Verstappen alongside on the front row, the two Mercedes of Hamilton and Russell on row 2, the Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz on row 3, the Alpines of Gasly and Ocon on row 4, and Piastri and Alonso rounding out the top ten. Perez had a 3-grid penalty from Canada, Albon will start from the pitlane, Sargeant received a 3-grid penalty for impeding Stroll.
All drivers will make two stops during the race, with soft-soft-medium expected, although with the high temperatures the hard tyre in the mix might be a possibility. All drivers starting of soft tyres except for Albon on mediums.
At the appointed time the field took the the formation lap and came to the grid, the lights went out and the race began with Norris and Verstappen battling into the first turn, but Russell sweeping around the outside and takes the lead. Hamilton in fourth followed by Leclerc, Sainz, Gasly, Piastri, Ocon and Hulkenberg tenth.
On lap 3 Verstappen passes Russell for the lead.
On lap 4 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m19.364s, and leads Russell by 1.3 seconds.
Sainz says on the radio that Leclerc touched him on his overtake of Leclerc for fifth.
Bottas passes Alongo for 13th.
There is a bit of a train following Russell, who is pushing on his tyres.
At lap 10 Verstappen leads Russell by 2.3 seconds, followed by Norris (3.1s), Hamilton (4.6s), Sainz (5.4s), Leclerc (6.1s), Gasly (9.0s), Piastri (9.9s), Ocon (12.3s) and Hulkenberg (15.4s) in tenth.
On lap 11 Magnussen pits for medium tyres,Zhou and Tsunoda pit as well.
On lap 12 Bottas pits for soft tyres.
On lap 13 Hulkenberg pits for mediums.
Verstappen reports he had a moment in turn 7.
On lap 14 Perez pits for soft tyres, Ocon for medium tyres.
On lap 15 Gasly pits for medium tyres.
Magnussen is given
On lap 16, Russell pits for mediums, Sainz for mediums as well.
On lap 17 Hamilton pits for medium tyres.
On lap 18 Verstappen pits from the lead for medium tyres and rejoins fourth, Norris taking over the lead.
Hamilton is fighting Sainz for sixth.
On lap 19, into the DRS Hamilton passes Sainz for sixth, the two touching.
Alonso pits for medium tyres and rejoins 16th.
Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m19.307s.
On lap 21 Verstappen passes Piastri for third. Piastri pits for mediums and rejoins 11th.
Norris and Leclerc are yet to pit.
On lap 22 Piastri passes Hulkenberg for tenth.
On lap 24 Norris pits from the lead for medium tyres and rejoins sixth, Leclerc yet to pit takes over the lead.
On lap 25 Leclerc pits for medium tyres and rejoins seventh.
At lap 25 Verstappen leads Russell by 5.4 seconds, followed by Hamilton (7.0s), Sainz (8.8s), Norris (9.8s), Gasly (18.6s), Leclerc (19.3s), Ocon (23.5s), Perez (24.9s) and Piastri (25.8s) in tenth.
Noris sets fast lap at 1m18.503s.
On lap 26 Norris passes Leclerc for for fifth and then passes Sainz for fourth.
Verstappen reports to the team, “the tyres are very inconsistent."
On lap 30 Piastri passes Ocon for ninth.
Norris is closing on Hamilton and passes him for third.
On lap 33, at half distance, Verstappen leads Russell by 7.5 seconds, followed by Norris (8.9s), Hamilton (9.9s), Sainz (13.6s), Leclerc (16.5s), Gasly (26,9s), Piastri (28.0s), Ocon (36.3s), and Hulkenberg (41.2s) in tenth place.
On lap 34 Piastri passes Gasly for seventh at the first corner.
On lap 35 Norris is battling with Russell though the first half of the lap, and Norris gets through for second place. Hamilton closes behind his team mate.
On lap 37 Russell and Sainz pit for hard tyres. Russell rejoins seventh and Sainz eighth.
On lap 38 Ocon and Stroll pit for hard tyres.
On lap 39 Gasly and Hulkenberg pit
Russell sets fast lap at 1m18.367s.
At lap 40 Verstappen leads Norris by 6.7 seconds followed by Hamilton (11.1s), Leclerc (14.7s), Piastri (26.5s), Russell (31.0s), Sainz (33.8s), Perez (47.0s), Gasly (57.1s) and Zhou (1m00.5s) in tenth place.
On lap 42 Zhou pits for hard tyres and rejoins 17th.
On lap 43 Ricciardo pits a
On lap 44 Hamilton pits from third for soft tyres and rejoins seventh.
The next lap Verstappen pits from the lead for soft tyres and rejoins third, Norris taking over the lead.
Hamilton passes Sainz for sixth, Russell passes Piastri for fourth.
Alonso pits for hard tyres and rejoins 13th.
Piastri pits for soft tyres.
Norris sets fast lap at 1m17.886s, then Hamilton goes quicker at 1m17.809s.
On lap 48 Norris pits for soft tyres and rejoins second just ahead of Russell, Leclerc pits for softs and rejoins sixth.
On lap 49 Norris sets fast lap at 1m17.377s.
Perez pits for soft tyres and rejoins tenth,
At lap 50 Verstappen leads Norris by 6.1 seconds followed by Russell (10.0s), Hamilton (11.1s), Sainz (16,6s), Leclerc (21.0s), Piastri (33.2s), Gasly (43.1s), Ocon, 54.1s), and Perez (55.2a) in tenth.
Perez passes Ocon for ninth.
On lap 52 Hamilton passes Russell for third.
On lap 54 Alonso passes Zhou for 12th.
On lap 54 Verstappen leads Norris by 5.5 seconds.
On lap 55 Ferrari swaps position and Leclerc takes fifth, Sainz sixth.
On lap 58 Ricciardo passes Magnussen for 16th place.
At lap 60 Verstappen leads Norris by 4.6 seconds, followed by Hamilton (15.4s), Russell (18.2s), Leclerc (22.3s), Sainz (27.3s), Piastri (35.0s), Gasly (54.0s), Perez (57.9s), and Ocon (1m05.4s) in tenth.
Albon goes though the gravel but continues in 18th.
To the flag Verstappen leads Norris and Hamilton.