Australian pilot Oscar Piastri from McLaren clinched victory this Sunday in the Spanish Grand Prix race, solidifying his lead in the drivers’ championship, where he is closely followed by his teammate Lando Norris, who finished second in Montmeló.
The day was marked by Max Verstappen’s anger, who, upset by the decision of the stewards that forced him to give back a position to George Russell, deliberately rammed into the Mercedes in a corner and was penalized.
Why did Max Verstappen get angry?
Piastro, Saturday’s poleman, did not encounter excessive problems to secure his fifth victory of the year at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, leading McLaren’s one-two finish alongside Norris.
Charles Leclerc (from Ferrari) completed a podium that seemed secure for the Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull), who was running in third place until ten laps from the end, when a safety car forced him to pit and put on the hard tires, the only ones he had left available. On the restart of the race, with poor grip, Verstappen almost lost control on the main straight and Leclerc took advantage to overtake him, with Russell almost managing to do the same.
As the Red Bull driver went off track and “cut” the corner, the stewards forced him to give back the fourth position to Russell. Upset with the decision, Verstappen pushed the Mercedes driver off the track in a corner, resulting in a 10-second penalty that dropped him down to tenth place.
As if that weren’t enough, the champion also received three penalty points on his super license, bringing his total to 11 in the last 12 months. If Verstappen accrues one more penalty point in the upcoming Canadian GP, he will be suspended for one race.
Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) benefited from Verstappen’s punishment, as he secured a surprising fifth place thanks to his overtaking of Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) in the final laps. “It’s the worst race I’ve ever experienced,” a disappointed Hamilton said after the Grand Prix.
With the victory in Spain, Piastri leads the drivers’ championship with 186 points, 10 more than Norris. Verstappen finished third with 137 points.