Formula 1

Hamilton eases to second successive Spanish victory

3 Mins read
Credit: Octane Photographic Ltd.

Lewis Hamilton extended his lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship to 17 points taking victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, his second win of the 2018 season.

Valtteri Bottas completed Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport‘s first one-two finish of the season to claw back the deficit his late Azerbaijan retirement created, with Max Verstappen finishing third for Aston Martin Red Bull Racing. A late pitstop for Sebastian Vettel saw Scuderia Ferrari fail to make the podium for the first time in 2018.

Despite a lengthy wait at the front of the grid after the formation lap Hamilton remained unfazed, holding his lead into Turn 1, whilst Vettel managed to pass Bottas on the outside of Turn 1. Chaos ensued behind as Romain Grosjean was caught out by the sister Haas F1 Team car of Kevin Magnussen searching for rear grip, the Frenchman losing control, spinning towards the middle of the circuit and creating a smoke screen by keeping his foot on the throttle. When the dust settled, it emerged that Grosjean had collected the unsuspecting Nico Hülkenberg and Pierre Gasly, forcing the Safety Car into an early appearance.

As racing resumed seven laps later, Hamilton showed supreme pace to pull away from the clutches of Vettel setting new track records with consistency. His display forced Ferrari to show their hand first, pitting Vettel on lap 17 for the medium compound tyres, rejoining behind seventh placed Magnussen.

Three laps later, Bottas followed suit. A slightly sluggish pitstop saw the Finn enter the race behind Magnussen and Vettel – who successfully made a bold move on the Dane at Turn 1 as Bottas reappeared. Undeterred by some fine rain collecting on his visor, Hamilton continued to lower the lap record before his stop on lap 26 following the trend for medium tyres. Meanwhile, the one-stopping Verstappen assumed first, staunchly keeping Hamilton at bay for nine laps.

Before the midway stage of the race, Ferrari were dealt a cruel blow to their double podium aspirations – Kimi Räikkönen coasted to his second retirement of the season with an undefined engine problem whilst fighting with Verstappen.

After Esteban Ocon‘s own engine problem curtailed his miserable race, Ferrari saw their chance of any type of podium evaporate under the Virtual Safety Car. Vettel, the only one of the front-runners to pit, found himself held by Sergio Pérez‘ journey up the pitlane and lost third place to Verstappen as a result.

However, it wasn’t all plain sailing for Verstappen – tagging the back of Lance Stroll prior to the VSC restart and damaging his left front wing endplate. Despite initial fears from the Red Bull pitwall, the Dutchman suffered no major performance decrease and managed to pull away from Vettel in the closing laps.

No such problems for Hamilton, who eased to a third career victory at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, now three behind Michael Schumacher‘s record tally, with Bottas nursing a slight issue to finish a comfortable second.

Daniel Ricciardo felt he was faster than team-mate Verstappen in the opening stages, however he fell away to finish fifth 50 seconds away from victor Hamilton.

Magnussen’s quiet sixth place ensured that Haas had a happy ending to a race that started in disaster, finishing ahead of home heroes Carlos Sainz Jr. and Fernando Alonso. Sainz Jr. reported a fuel pressure problem with just five laps to go, but – much like Haas – the Renault Sport Formula 1 Team managed to salvage some crucial points in the battle for a top five finish in the Constructors’ Championship.

After a disappointing Saturday, Pérez put on a late charge to finish ninth ahead of Charles Leclerc, who scores points for the second race running for the revitalised Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team. Leclerc’s team-mate Marcus Ericsson shone in a lengthy battle with Sainz Jr. in the middle part of the race, finishing thirteenth.

Brendon Hartley, recovered from a major shunt in Free Practice 3 that saw him miss Qualifying, saw his Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda slow dramatically after he took the chequered flag in twelfth; Williams Martini Racing could not break into the points – Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin managed eleventh and fourteenth. Sirotkin suffered with car balance, spinning on the exit of Turn 9 late in the race.

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DTM, Formula 1 writer and deputy editor for The Checkered Flag. Autosport Academy member and freelance voice over artist.
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