Max Verstappen recovers to lead Red Bull 1-2 in Barcelona
Max Verstappen has recovered from an early-race spin to lead a 1-2 finish for Red Bull in the Spanish Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen celebrates after the Spanish Grand Prix. (Getty Images/Red Bull)
Verstappen also claimed the lead of the championship standings, with rival Charles Leclerc retiring due to an engine failure.
Leclerc retired dramatically from the lead of the race, leading to a three-way battle between both Red Bulls and the Mercedes of George Russell.
"It's great to finish the race today alongside Checo with a first and second place, it was a difficult beginning but a good end!" said Verstappen.
Both Verstappen and Sainz spun due to high winds, with the Dutchman able to recover and take the win.
"I went off in turn four, I completely lost the rear and they said on Team radio that it was a big gust of wind. I lost a few positions through that and as soon as I wanted to attack, my DRS stopped working.”
“It was upsetting at the time but then I calmed myself down and focused on the bigger picture."
Sergio Perez leads George Russell in the final stages of the Spanish Grand Prix. (Getty Images/Red Bull)
Verstappen took an early pit stop which gave him the strategic advantage, leading Red Bull to order teammate Sergio Perez to move aside.
Perez was conciliatory after the race, acknowledging he had been on the slower strategy.
"Although I obviously want to win, I have to be realistic and I am happy with the team result," said Perez.
"My frustration on the radio was in the heat of the moment but I need to speak with the team to understand a few bits from the race."
"Sometimes when you are driving you can't get the full picture, so it is a normal thing to debrief things to understand the race."
"The team momentum couldn't be any better here, it is a great team and we are very united."
"It wasn't about team orders today, what really changed my race was going onto different tyre strategies and that worked better for Max and, at the end of the day, the team because we managed to both get past George."
"I could have won today but making the two-stop work was difficult and it turned out that the three-stop was the better strategy."
Red Bull now leads the team and drivers' standings, with six out of twenty-two races in the 2022 season completed.
George Russell completed the podium, keeping Mercedes competitive in the teams' championship.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo had a dissapointing outing, losing out multiple times with DRS and falling to twelfth at the chequered flag.
The Formula 1 World Championship returns in just a week's time for the Monaco Grand Prix.
