Formula 1
Formula 1 Spanish GP Review: Verstappen gets a hard fought victory
Verstappen clinched a hard-fought victory over Norris on the pole, with Hamilton returning to the podium, while Ferrari suffered from a lack of pace.
The 2024 Spanish Grand Prix held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was a thriller. A race of exceptional driving, strategic brilliance, and intense competition among the top three teams. Still, it was Max Verstappen who emerged victorious for Red Bull Racing.
Practice
The three practice sessions were all closely contested. Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz were the only 2 drivers to be in the top 3 of all the 3 Practice sessions.
During the first practice session, the weather was dry, unlike the mixed conditions in Canada during the last round. Oliver Bearman drove Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas as part of his planned six practice appearances with the team in 2024. Some teams used the session to test their upgrades for the weekend, including VCARB.
The session was briefly red-flagged to clear debris from Alonso’s car before the action resumed. Norris ended the session on top with a time of 1m 14.228s in the McLaren, 0.024s faster than Verstappen in second place, even though the latter experienced clutch issues. Sainz put his Ferrari in third place.
During the second practice session later that day, Logan Sargent had a close moment and managed to save his Williams after losing the rear. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen reported that his RB20 was experiencing understeer mid-corner, stating: “This car doesn’t bite.” Lewis Hamilton held the top spot with a lap time of 1m 13.264s. Sainz stayed in P2, with Norris taking P3 in the McLaren. Pierre Gasly was a shocking P4 for Alpine, putting him ahead of Verstappen in P5.
After a closely contested FP2, it was time for the final practice session before qualifying. The drivers tested their one-lap pace in preparation for the battle for pole position. Carlos Sainz topped the times with an impressive 1m 13.013s, closely followed by Lando Norris with 1m 13.043s and Charles Leclerc with 1m 13.050s.
During the sessions, both Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin were found to have impeded Norris and Hamilton in separate incidents. They both cut across Norris and Hamilton, resulting in contact in both cases. As a result, both Leclerc and Stroll were reprimanded for “erratic driving”.
Qualifying
The mixed results of the practice sessions left us puzzled about the grid order for the race as it was quite unclear who had the better car. Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session was crucial, with 30 of the 33 Grand Prix winners at the Barcelona circuit having started from the front row of the grid.
The heavily upgraded VCARB failed to impress as both cars were out in Q1, with Yuki leading Daniel in 17th and 18th place. Williams too had a tough outing with the team locking out the front row. Albon was a comfortable 4 tenths clear of his teammate. He would later start the race from the pit lane due to a change in the power unit. With rumors of Logan being replaced for next year, performances like these don’t help his case. Kevin Magnussen failed to reach Q2 as well, his first Q1 elimination since Imola.
No shocking eliminations in Q2 this time around with Both Aston Martins, Saubers, and the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg failing to reach Q3.
Alpine had the best qualifying of the season, with both cars making it to Q3. However, it was Lando Norris who put in a perfect lap to secure pole position at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. A final lap time of 1m 11.383s for Norris, narrowly beating Max Verstappen. It was the Brit’s second pole position, the first since 2021 at the Russian Grand Prix. Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell took P3 and P4 respectively, showing strong performance. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz locked the third row for Ferrari. Sergio Perez finished eighth but will drop three places due to a grid penalty from Canada, promoting Esteban Ocon and Oscar Piastri.
Embed from Getty Images“It was pretty much a perfect lap”
lando norris
Race
It was evident that the Redbulls were not the outright fastest car going into the weekend with close competition from the McLarens and Ferraris. Mercedes surprisingly was quick and was expecting to have a podium finish.
When it was lights out, Lando Norris got a poor getaway resulting in losing the start to Verstappen, it was Russell who made up the best of the situation with a slipstream from the pair ahead to take the lead of the Grand Prix with brave around the outside of turn 1. The Aston Martin of Alonso, starting in 11th position, dropped back after seemingly being tagged from behind. He was forced to take to the escape road at Turn 1, which left him in 14th place.
However, despite Russell’s mega start, his lead of the race wouldn’t last long as Verstappen overtook him on the outside of Turn 1 on the third lap. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz also overtook his teammate Charles Leclerc at the same turn, with the two Ferraris appearing to touch as Sainz used the escape road. Despite this, he successfully moved up to P5. The stewards briefly reviewed whether he had left the track and gained an advantage but decided no further investigation was necessary. But both teammates were unhappy about the incident and they complained over the radio.
On Lap 13, began the first wave of pitstops with Perez pitting on what would be the first of his 3-stop strategy, while Gasly had a slow stop of 6.7s ruing his race start efforts, George Russell dived to the pits on lap 15 but avoided a close coming together in the pits with Carlos Sainz by staying ahead of him by mere inches. Soon Verstappen reacted to him by pitting on lap 17 with an error-free pitstop of 1.9s, while Norris decided to stay out taking the lead and looking to extend this advantage.
During Lap 18 of the Grand Prix, Hamilton found himself in an intense battle for sixth position with Sainz. With the help of DRS, Hamilton made a move going into Turn 1 of the next lap, resulting in the two cars touching. Sainz expressed his frustration over the radio, claiming that Hamilton ran him off the track and insisting that Hamilton needed to let him pass. Despite Sainz’s complaints, no further investigation was conducted regarding their collision.
Norris finally came into the pits to change his soft tires. He re-entered the race behind Russell and was determined to quickly pass him to catch up to race leader Verstappen. On lap 34, Norris was able to close the gap on the Mercedes using the DRS on the main straight, leading to an intense side-by-side battle between turns 3 and 7. Norris demonstrated excellent racecraft and utilized his tire advantage to successfully overtake Russell.
With 20 laps to go, Hamilton was putting pressure on Sainz for sixth place. He managed to overtake Sainz into Turn 1, and Norris was then instructed to pit on the next lap. However, Norris’s 3.6-second pit stop cost him valuable time, allowing Verstappen to regain the lead, with Norris staying ahead of Russell in second place. Meanwhile, in 11th place, Hulkenberg’s chances of moving into the points were harmed when he received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Gasly and Ocon in the Alpines were holding onto ninth and 10th place, raising hopes for a double-point finish for the team. Tsunoda, who was in last place, also received a five-second penalty for the same pit lane speeding offense as Hulkenberg.
Lower down the order, 11th-placed Hulkenberg’s hopes of breaking into the points-paying positions suffered a blow as he was handed a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane – the Alpines of Gasly and Ocon currently holding onto ninth and 10th as the team’s hopes for another double points finish continued to grow. Tsunoda, running in a lowly last place, was also hit with a five-second penalty of his own for the same offense as Hulkenberg.
In the final stages of the Grand Prix, Norris was the fastest driver on the track, closing in on Verstappen’s lead, which was around 6.6 seconds. Max was forced to push hard to maintain his lead as Norris narrowed the gap. However, with only a few laps left, Norris was running out of time to secure his second career win. By Lap 65, the gap had decreased to just 2.3 seconds. Despite Norris’s efforts, Verstappen was able to hold him off and win by just a 2.219-second margin, to the disappointment of Norris and the crowd, who had hoped for a last-lap battle for the win.
Embed from Getty ImagesNorris was visibly frustrated as he crossed the finish line. He admitted over his radio that messing up the start had cost him a chance of victory today. However, Verstappen celebrated his 106th podium finish, placing him tied for fourth on the all-time list with legends Alain Prost and Fernando Alonso. Lewis Hamilton returned to the podium, making it his 18th continuous season with a podium finish.
Embed from Getty ImagesAnother interesting story was lower down the order with both Alpines finishing in points at 9th and 10th for the first time this season after they had the worst start to the season, this shows that the team is heading in the right direction, and also coinciding with the return of former Renault team principal Flavio Briatore to team as an executive advisor.
Championship Standings after the race:
Verstappen extends his championship lead on top while Norris jumps Leclerc to move into P2.
In the team’s standing Red Bull Racing remains on top, while Alpine jump Haas thanks to their double points finish.
Up Next
All eyes turn to the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix at the iconic Red Bull Ring at Spielberg. After facing challenges in the previous race, Red Bull Racing will be eager to reclaim its former dominance, while Mclaren will be looking to push for wins. With the championship battle heating up, fans can expect an exhilarating weekend of racing action as the teams and drivers vie for glory on Austrian soil.
The three-time world champion, Max Verstappen was ordered ‘community service’ yesterday by the FIA Stewards for ‘swearing’ in the Thursday Press Conference. Max was asked about the pace that Red Bull has during the Azerbaijan GP weekend and he responded with ‘I knew the car was f*****’.
Today after qualifying, Max Verstappen refused to take questions or gave blunt answers in the official FIA ‘Post-Qualifying Press Conference’ and urged the journalist to ‘ask these questions outside of the room.’ Max kept his promise and took questions outside of the Press Conference room.
This move has earned him praises from several journalists that were present in the official Press Conference.
Earlier in the week, Talking Exclusively to Motorsport.com FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has revealed he is making moves to try to change the tone of the content that is aired to fans.
“I mean, we have to differentiate between our sport – motorsport – and rap music,” Ben Sulayem said. “We’re not rappers, you know. They say the F-word how many times per minute? We are not on that. That’s them and we are [us].”
When the F1 drivers were asked about the comment made by Ben Sulayem, Most of the drivers made the disagreement clear that stated that they are unhappy with the stance being taken by the FIA. Lando Norris has warned that F1 will lose the ‘rawness’ if the FIA clamps down on swearing. The seven-time champion, Lewis Hamilton went as far as to accuse the FIA president to have used words of ‘stereotypical’ and ‘racial element’.
“I don’t like how he expressed it. Saying that rappers is very stereotypical and if you think about it, most rappers are black and that really kind of points it towards, when it says: ‘We are not like them’. So I think those are the wrong choice of words. There is a racial element there.” – Lewis Hamilton
The FIA’s President Mohammed Ben Sulayem stance is being ridiculed by not just the Drivers, but also the media and the fans around the world. Although Ben Sulayem has said that the current measures are being taken to combat online abuse, The FIA should find an alternate approach to do the same.
The last time the F1 paddock went racing, we were treated with a dominant run of performance. The only difference was this that this time it was not Max Verstappen at the head of it. Lando Norris had a fantastic run of performance and became the measuring scale of performance. This week, at the Monza GP, we are expecting nothing less. What are all the expected news and what has happened since the last race weekend, catch it all in this F1 Race weekend preview.
TITLE FIGHT
The most significant change that has been seen in the second part of the season is how much the Championship fight has changed.
Max Verstappen currently sits at P1 with 295 points to his name, 70 points ahead of his nearest rival Norris. This looks a big gap for F1 standards but when you consider the massive development that Mclaren has undergone lately, its game on. On the Teams side of things, its close as ever. Redbull Racing are leading with just a 30 point buffer to Mclaren Racing, truly hinting at a fight incoming.
Ferrari in new colors
The crowd favourite for the weekend, Scuderia Ferrari, have revealed new suits and a tweaked livery for the Monza GP.
The Tifosi, as the Ferrari fans proudly call themselves, show up in huge numbers to suport their team every time. On the performance side, Ferrari have been doing better lately with Leclerc scoring a podium at the last race. They are currently sitting in P3, 34 points away from second placed Mclaren. Emotions are also up for Carlos Sainz, who is attending his last Monza GP in Ferrari colors.
Mercedes second seat about to be announced
Many sources have been hinting at a potential announcement of Mercedes protege Andrea Kimi Antonelli for the second seat at Mercedes F1.
In other news, Kimi is also going to take a go in FP1 in Russell’s car. All this seat time will help him get familiar with the know-how of F1. Both the current Mercedes drivers have been full of praise for the Italian, with Hamilton saying he’s excited to see the youngster progress.
Renault personnel to protest at Monza GP
Renault employees are about to protest against the plans of the administration to shut down its F1 operations.
There is also about to be a peaceful protest in the grandstands of the Monza GP. These protests are coming up as the rumors of Alpine switching to Mercedes engines is floating. Also, there has been many personnel changes in the Alpine administration, with most recent change being the stepping down of Bruno Famin, the Team prinicipal of Alpine.
Williams make the change, Sargeant out of F1
Perhaps the biggest bombshell that has dropped this weekend is Williams dropping Logan Sargeant for the rest of the season with immediate effect.
He is being replaced by William Driver academy driver Franco Colapinto. Colapinto was participating in F2 till yet and is P6 in the F2 Championship. With Carlos Sainz set to join Williams for the next season, this news surprised us fans as Colapinto is being given the seat just for a period of 9 races. One person that will be elated will be Colapinto himself, ofcourse. After Sargeant, he has got the perfect opportunity to settle and prove himself at the world stage. Now whether he manages to make full use of this opportnity will be a wait-and-watch affair.
When and Where to watch
All the sessions will streamed on F1TV and Fancode in India.
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The 2024 Dutch GP saw exciting action, unpredictable strategies, and unexpected podium finishes, making it one of the most memorable races of the season. In front of his home crowd, Max Verstappen faced intense competition but couldn’t secure the win, leaving Lando Norris to take the top step of the podium. Here’s a detailed look at how the weekend happened.
Drama Unfolds at Zandvoort
The 2024 Formula 1 season continued its thrilling run as the drivers headed to the tight and technical Circuit Zandvoort. With its narrow, undulating track, this race was expected to challenge both driver skill and team strategy. While Verstappen, racing in front of his home fans, was the favorite, McLaren’s rising form and Lando Norris’ pace posed a serious threat. Rainy conditions added to the unpredictability, making strategy a key player throughout the weekend.
Free Practice 1: A McLaren Statement
Lando Norris set the fastest time in the first practice session (FP1) of the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix, navigating tricky mixed conditions to clock a 1:12.947. The session was interrupted by a brief rain shower, making tyre strategy and timing crucial for all teams.
Max Verstappen finished just 0.130s behind Norris in second place, while Lewis Hamilton showed promising pace, securing third with a time of 1:13.063. The damp track early on led to some drivers struggling with grip, with a few minor off-track moments, including one for Charles Leclerc. The ever-changing weather at Zandvoort added an element of unpredictability, setting the stage for what could be a thrilling weekend.
Russell leads close-fought FP2 as Teams fine-tune setup for Dutch GP
George Russell topped the timesheets in a competitive second practice session at the Dutch GP, clocking a best lap of 1:11.965. The Mercedes driver narrowly edged out Oscar Piastri, who finished just 0.137s behind, while Lewis Hamilton secured third with a 1:12.149, making it a strong session for the Silver Arrows.
Conditions remained dry throughout, allowing teams to focus on race simulations and tire setups after a mixed-weather FP1. Max Verstappen, the home favorite, ended FP2 in fourth, just 0.237s off the pace. The session saw close margins, with the top six drivers within 0.3 seconds of each other, hinting at a tightly contested weekend ahead. Drivers and teams used this crucial hour to better their setups for Saturday’s qualifying, with multiple drivers expressing satisfaction with their car’s balance heading into the rest of the weekend.
Gasly tops eventful FP3 as Sargeant’s Crash halts session
Pierre Gasly set the fastest time in a dramatic FP3 at Zandvoort, posting a lap of 1:12.305. The Alpine driver outpaced home favorite Max Verstappen, who finished second by just 0.069s, while Sergio Perez secured third place for Red Bull.
The session was marred by a heavy crash from Logan Sargeant, who lost control at Turn 2 and slammed into the barriers, bringing out the red flag. Fortunately, the Williams driver walked away unscathed, but the accident shortened the session, with several drivers missing crucial setup time. Despite the disruption, teams managed to gather vital data ahead of qualifying, with Gasly’s performance offering a glimpse of his potential in the upcoming session.
Qualifying: Russell Shines, Norris on Pole
Lando Norris delivered a stunning performance to claim pole position at the 2024 Dutch GP, outpacing reigning champion Max Verstappen and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. In a thrilling qualifying session at Zandvoort, Norris’ remarkable lap secured his second career pole, setting the stage for an exciting showdown in Sunday’s race.
Q1:
The first qualifying session of the 2024 Dutch GP kicked off with the usual intensity, as drivers scrambled to set competitive times. Sergio Perez managed to top the timing sheets with a strong lap, despite some concerns over a potential impeding incident with Lewis Hamilton. The session saw several close calls, and unfortunately, Daniel Ricciardo was one of the notable names who missed out on advancing to Q2 by just over a tenth of a second. Joining him on the sidelines were Esteban Ocon, Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, and Logan Sargeant. Sargeant was unable to participate after crashing in FP3, bringing an early end to his qualifying hopes.
Q2:
Lando Norris dominated Q2 with an impressive lap, beating his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri by a razor-thin margin of just 0.009 seconds. However, the session wasn’t as kind to others. Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton both failed to make it into the top 10 shootout. Sainz, in particular, was edged out in the final moments as late improvements from Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon knocked him out of contention. Yuki Tsunoda, Nico Hulkenberg, and Kevin Magnussen also found themselves eliminated, setting the stage for a tense final session.
Q3:
In the final showdown for pole position, Lando Norris put in a remarkable performance to secure the top spot with a blistering lap of 1:09.673. This stunning effort saw him beat local hero Max Verstappen by over three tenths of a second, a surprising margin given Verstappen’s usual dominance at his home circuit. Oscar Piastri capped off a strong session for McLaren by securing third place, while George Russell managed to take fourth. Sergio Perez slotted into fifth, followed by Charles Leclerc in sixth and Fernando Alonso in seventh, rounding off a thrilling and unpredictable qualifying session at Zandvoort.
Race
In a race brimming with drama, McLaren’s Lando Norris secured a commanding victory at the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix, shattering Max Verstappen’s unbeaten home streak in front of a stunned Zandvoort crowd. With sharp strategies, bold overtakes, and varying pit stop tactics, the race was one to remember.
McLaren’s Moment: Norris dominates
After a steady qualifying session, Lando Norris lined up on the front row but quickly found himself in a chase as Verstappen jumped into the lead at the start. However, Norris remained focused, slowly chipping away at the reigning champion’s lead. By Lap 18, a daring DRS-assisted move saw Norris’s pass Verstappen and take the lead, much to the surprise of the Dutch fans.
From there, the McLaren driver never looked back, stretching his lead to a significant 22.8 seconds by the time the chequered flag waved. The team’s flawless strategy and his expert tire management allowed him to control the pace and seal his victory, making it one of the most significant wins of his career.
Oscar Piastri once again demonstrated his talent, keeping his McLaren in contention for much of the race. After pitting from the lead on Lap 33, Piastri found himself in a fierce battle with Leclerc for third. Though he couldn’t quite get past the Ferrari, Piastri secured a commendable fourth place finish, adding to McLaren’s strong showing.
Verstappen stumbles in front of home crowd
Max Verstappen, looking to extend his dominance at Zandvoort to a fourth consecutive year, initially seemed in control. He managed the early stages well, keeping Norris at bay and navigating the tight corners of the Zandvoort circuit with ease. However, Norris’ relentless pressure coupled with Red Bull’s sub-optimal strategy saw Verstappen fall behind.
Despite switching to hard tires on Lap 27, Verstappen couldn’t regain the upper hand as Norris steadily pulled away. Verstappen was left lamenting handling issues over the radio, commenting that the car “doesn’t respond to my inputs.” In the end, he finished second, a distant 22.8 seconds behind Norris—an uncharacteristic result for the Dutch champion at his home race. Horner told Sky Sports F1-
“Congrats to Lando and McLaren, their car was in a different league today, We did everything we could, Max converted P2 into a lead, but you could see their pace was in a different league.”
Ferrari’s Resilience—Leclerc Grabs the Final Podium Spot
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc had a rollercoaster weekend but ended it with a podium finish. After an impressive start, Leclerc fought his way into third, fending off a charging Oscar Piastri in the closing laps. His performance was one of determination and defense, holding onto the final podium place after a challenging race, a solid P3, a result that the Monegasque admitted he had not expected.
“[I’m] very, very surprised,” Leclerc explained immediately after the Grand Prix. “I’m not very often happy with P3, but I think with today’s race we can be extremely happy with the job we’ve done on a difficult weekend for the team.”
Meanwhile, teammate Carlos Sainz put on a brilliant display of overtaking, muscling past Sergio Perez’s Red Bull to take fifth place after a late-race battle. Ferrari’s strategic calls and aggressive driving earned them vital points as they continue to fight for constructors’ honors.
Mercedes Struggles but Secures Points
For Mercedes, the Dutch GP was mixed. Lewis Hamilton, starting from a compromised grid position, fought his way through the field with a series of impressive overtakes, including one on Nico Hulkenberg at Turn 1. Despite struggling for straight-line speed, Hamilton made it into the top ten, finishing seventh after switching to soft tires late in the race to claim the fastest lap.
George Russell had a similarly challenging Dutch GP but managed to secure sixth, right behind Sainz and Perez. Russell’s consistent performance under pressure showed Mercedes’ persistence, even if they weren’t able to challenge for the podium this weekend.
The Midfield Battles – Gasly and Alonso Fight On
Behind him, the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso had a fierce scrap in the midfield.
Gasly’s daring moves earned him ninth place, while Alonso rounded out the points in tenth. The midfield battles were intense, with several wheel-to-wheel moments providing excitement throughout the race.
Drama and Disappointment in the lower order
Not everyone had a successful race at Zandvoort. Hulkenberg’s early momentum faded as he dropped out of the points, finishing in 11th place. The Haas driver could not keep pace with the top ten after a poor tyre strategy and a series of pit stops disrupted his rhythm.
Lance Stroll endured a penalty-ridden race, including a five-second pit lane speed penalty that saw him fall to 13th place after what could have been a points finish. Meanwhile, Williams’ Alex Albon, who started from the back of the grid due to a floor irregularity, finished just outside the points in 14th place after a commendable recovery drive.
At the back, Alfa Romeo’s weekend went from bad to worse, as both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu finished two laps down, compounding the team’s struggles at the foot of the constructors’ standings.
The 2024 Dutch GP saw McLaren firmly establish itself as a force to be reckoned with, as Lando Norris took a commanding victory at the Dutch GP. Max Verstappen may have missed out on winning his home race, but his consistent performance keeps him well-positioned in the championship. For Mercedes and Ferrari, it was a weekend of mixed fortunes, with Russell showing flashes of brilliance but ultimately unable to challenge the McLarens and Red Bulls at the front. As the season moves forward, the rivalry between these top teams promises more electrifying races.
Next Stop: Monza—The Temple of Speed Awaits
The 2024 Formula 1 season heads to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix from August 30 to September 1. Known for its blistering speeds and passionate Tifosi, Monza’s high-speed straights and tight chicanes will push drivers and teams to the limit as the championship battle heats up.
Championship Standings after the race:
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