Spanish Grand Prix Max Verstappen wins after Charles Leclerc retires

Verstappen took the lead from Perez in the closing stages

Max Verstappen took the win in yesterday’s Spanish Grand Prix after Charles Leclerc was forced to retire while on course for victory.

The world champion, who now moves top of the drivers’ standings, capitalised on a loss of power in the Ferrari when the race was at his mercy.

“Of course I went off the track, lost the rear and went off,” Verstappen said after his victory. “My DRS wasn’t always working and that made it very tough but we managed to do a good strategy together. We did our own race and eventually won. It was a difficult beginning but a good end.”

“I tried to stay focused. At the end, I was very happy to win. The car was good on the soft tyres but the mediums were also working well.”

Sergio Perez followed his teammate home in a one-two for Red Bull. George Russell rounded out the podium in third with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz coming in fourth.

Russell’s Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton came home an impressive fifth after an early collision with Kevin Magnussen, although he was on to fourth until a late issue with the cooling system in his Mercedes allowed Sainz past.