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Piastri Leads McLaren 1-2 as Antonelli Crashes in spain
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Oscar Piastri triumphs in a thrilling Spanish Grand Prix,with Lando Norris securing second place. Kimi Antonelli’s accident prompts safety car intervention.
In a dramatic race at the Spanish Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri emerged victorious, leading his McLaren teammate Lando Norris to a 1-2 finish. The race saw several lead changes and was punctuated by a safety car period triggered by Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli, who beached his Mercedes in the gravel.
George Russell finished fourth after eventually being let through by Verstappen, who reluctantly did as his team told him.
Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg finished a surprising and morale-boosting fifth for the future Audi team after passing Ferrari’s seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton on the penultimate lap.
Oscar Piastri visits the McLaren pits.Credit: AP
Hamilton was a disappointing sixth, Isack Hadjar seventh for Racing Bulls and Pierre Gasly eighth for Renault-owned Alpine.
Home hero Fernando Alonso scored his first points of the season with Aston Martin, who had only one car on the grid due to Lance Stroll’s withdrawal through injury after Saturday’s qualifying.
Race Highlights
The race began with Piastri leading the pack, followed by Verstappen and Norris. Hamilton and Leclerc gained positions early on, moving up to fourth and fifth, respectively, while Russell lost ground.
Hamilton let Leclerc through on lap 10 of 66 after the two Ferraris had run nose to tail.
Norris overtook Verstappen on lap 13 to reclaim second place. The Dutch driver pitted for fresh tyres on the subsequent lap without putting up a defense against the quicker McLaren.
Verstappen regained the lead on lap 23 after Piastri made a pit stop. Norris pitted on lap 21, rejoining the race behind the Red Bull, but Verstappen pitted for a second time on lap 30.
Verstappen made his third pit stop on lap 47, and Norris pitted the following lap to defend his second-place position.
“Verstappen questioned the switch to a set of hards but was told that was the only option available.”
Safety Car and Final Laps
The safety car was deployed on lap 55 when Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes ended up in the gravel, causing the field to bunch up and prompting a flurry of pit stops.
Both McLarens pitted for fresh tyres, executing a double-stack pit stop, and rejoined the race ahead of Verstappen. Verstappen questioned the switch to a set of hards but was told that was the only option available.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What caused the safety car in the Spanish Grand Prix?
- The safety car was deployed after Kimi antonelli beached his Mercedes in the gravel on lap 55.
- which teams benefited most from the safety car period?
- mclaren benefited substantially as they executed a double-stack pit stop,allowing both drivers to rejoin ahead of Verstappen.
- What tyre strategy did mclaren employ during the race?
- McLaren used a combination of tyre compounds and strategically timed pit stops to secure a 1-2 finish.
