Dylan Bettencourt
The often-boring Spanish Grand Prix was anything but on Sunday as Max Verstappen claimed his third consecutive victory.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc started on pole and looked to be cruising to another victory this season.
Meanwhile, Mercedes driver George Russel was holding Verstappen back as the Dutch driver struggled with a Drag Reduction System (DRS) issue.
DRS offers a chasing driver a major boost because it reduces the amount of drag they have which in turn increases their speed, making it easier to overtake.
However, Verstappen’s DRS was malfunctioning at a critical moment, preventing him from overtaking Russel.
The battle for second allowed Leclerc to open up a 30 second lead at the front of the pack, the huge lead allowed him to pit without any notable consequences.
However, Leclerc’s joy soon came to an end when his Ferrari began losing power and he shortly thereafter had to retire the car.
This was not the only issue for Ferrari, as Carlos Sainz spun into the gravel earlier in the race. Only a few laps earlier, Verstappen spun in the same manner.
Track temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius did not make conditions any easier for the drivers, who struggled all-race long with gusts of wind, tyre wear and overheating engines.
Leclerc’s retirement opened the door for the Red Bulls, who quickly took first and second spot in the Spanish Grand Prix.
Sergio Perez was leading the race when his Red Bull team indirectly told him to hand the lead over to Verstappen.
However, it was not smooth sailing for the Red Bull team, who had an angry Verstappen screaming down the radio over his car’s DRS issues.
It was the first time this season we have seen the Formula 1 champion lose his temper, but he was able to breathe a sigh of relief when Leclerc retired and his DRS issue was resolved.
A third victory in a row for Vertsappen and Red Bull saw the champion take the lead of the driver standings, and the team take the lead of the constructor standings.
Image source: @WTF1Official
