2024 Spanish Grand Prix Race Day Report
The 2024 Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya definitely lived up to its billing, delivering a thrilling race filled with strategic manoeuvres, intense battles, and (un)surprising outcomes. Let's have a look at race day's key moments and standout performances.
Lando Norris (McLaren) secured pole position in Saturday's qualifying race and led the charge into Turn 1; the faster-starting Max Verstappen (Red Bull) had the inside line; as Norris tactically squeezed Verstappen towards the grass, a bold George Russell (Mercedes) swept around both drivers, taking the lead thanks to a powerful double slipstream from the cars ahead. This was a crucial moment in the race, setting the tone for the intense battle to follow. Verstappen settled into second, with Norris dropping to third. Hamilton (Mercedes) ran fourth, followed by the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly (Alpine) and Oscar Piastri (McLaren). Sainz passed Leclerc at Turn 1 for fifth after a light brush of wheels that briefly sent Sainz off the track. Verstappen used his DRS to gain a strong run on Russell at the start of lap three, and he battled his way past around the outside of Turn 1 as Russell opted to defend on the inside.
Verstappen extended his lead to 4.5 seconds over Russell before the first round of pit stops. Russell was the first of the top six to pit on lap 16 but suffered a slow right-rear tyre change, re-joining just ahead of Sainz. This allowed Norris to close the gap slightly on Verstappen, who then pitted on lap 18, putting Norris back into the lead.
Hamilton passed Sainz for sixth with a tight move at Turn 1 on lap 19, and Verstappen lost time passing Piastri at Turn 7, who then pitted from fourth. Norris ran even longer, pitting on lap 23 and re-joining in sixth on fresh medium tyres behind Sainz. Leclerc led for a lap before making his first stop, handing the lead back to Verstappen, who was now 5 seconds clear of Russell, Hamilton, Sainz, and Norris. Norris set the fastest lap (1'17.115s) and passed Sainz for fourth on lap 27. Piastri, on a similar strategy, proved that McLaren could pass a Red Bull by DRS-ing past Sergio Perez for ninth. Norris DRS-ed past Hamilton on lap 32, moving up to third, while teammate Piastri made similar progress and moved up to seventh. Norris made a great move on Russell for second at Turn 3, but Russell regained the position around the outside of Turn 4 before Norris overtook at Turn 7. Russell pitted on lap 37 for hard tyres. Verstappen's lead over Norris diminished from over 9 seconds to 4 during this stint, as Hamilton was the next frontrunner to make his second and final stop, switching to soft tyres. Verstappen also opted for softs when he stopped on lap 45, putting Norris into the lead with 21 laps to go.
Norris, displaying his skill and determination, pitted for softs a couple of laps later, coming back in just ahead of Russell in second with an 8 second gap to Verstappen. Norris pushed hard from the start of his final stint, taking 2 seconds out of Verstappen in three laps, forcing the race leader to respond by increasing his pace. The gap plutoed at 5 seconds as the laps ticked down. Despite a final push from Norris to regain his pole position, Verstappen, with his own impressive performance, won by 2 seconds.
Hamilton passed Russell for third on lap 52. Leclerc passed Sainz for fifth with 11 laps remaining but fell short in his pursuit of Russell by 0.3 seconds at the finish. Piastri finished seventh ahead of a three-stopping Perez, who passed Gasly in the final stages, the latter doing well to recover from a slow first stop. Ocon (Alpine) rounded out the point scorers.
Overview of the Winners:
Red Bull: Verstappen Dominates
Max Verstappen continues his impressive form this season with another victory in Spain. Starting from second, Verstappen gained his lead in lap three and expertly managed his pace and tyres throughout the race. Despite pressure from Norris and Russell, Verstappen's flawless performance and Red Bull's strategic team ensured he remained unchallenged, crossing the finish line first and extending his lead in the Drivers' Championship.
McLaren: Norris Pushes for Pole
Lando Norris secured his second career pole position in Saturday's qualifying race and delivered an outstanding performance for McLaren, finishing second after conceding pole in the first lap to George Russell. Norris' race was filled with smart overtakes and strategic pit stops. Norris set the fastest lap (1'17.115s), and earned driver of the day, Norris also remains the only driver in 2024 to have secured points for his team at every race so far. This race pushed Norris into second in the F1 Drivers’ World Championship. McLaren continued their upward trajectory with an outstanding performance at the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix. They has shown significant improvements this season, and their race day efforts at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya highlighted their potential and determination to remain one of the top teams in the Constructor Championship.
Mercedes: Hamilton Back on the Podium, Russell’s Fierce Performance
Lewis Hamilton secured a third-place start and finish for the Spanish GP, putting him back on the podium for the first time since Mexico last year. Hamilton's race was marked by consistent pace and strategic tyre management, allowing him to hold off challenges from behind. Starting in fourth, George Russell had a bold run in the first lap, pushing in front of polesitter Lando Norris as he squeezed Verstappen into the grass and took advantage of the slipstream in Turn 1 to become the race leader. After Verstappens overtake in lap three, Russell had a strong race performance, defending and fighting for his second-place position with Norris. A too-long pit stop may have unravelled Russell's race. Mercedes showed they are back in the fight, but their car still needs further refinement to consistently challenge for podium points.
