Thrilling Highlights of the Spanish Grand Prix: Verstappen Dominates, Hamilton Back on Podium

The Spanish Grand Prix saw Max Verstappen secure his seventh win of the season, solidifying his lead in the championship. Notably, Lewis Hamilton achieved his first podium finish of the season, marking Mercedes' strong recovery. The race featured various strategic moves and challenges across all teams.

Team by team review of Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya, 10th round of the 24 race Formula One championship (listed in current order): RED BULL (Max Verstappen 1, Sergio Perez 8)

Verstappen started on the front row, passed pole-sitter Norris into the first corner but stayed second after Russell overtook both. He was in the lead by lap three and finished 2.2 seconds ahead of Norris for his seventh win of the season and 61st of his career. He now leads Norris by 69 points. Perez started 11th and eighth was the strategists' prediction. The win was Red Bull's 120th in F1. FERRARI (Charles Leclerc 5, Carlos Sainz 6)

Leclerc started fifth with Sainz sixth, both on softs but different strategies with Sainz the first to pit for mediums on lap 15 and Leclerc staying out six laps longer before going to mediums. Sainz pitted again for hards on lap 36 and Leclerc going back to softs on lap 47. Sainz let Leclerc through on lap 55 so the Monegasque could make the most of his fresher tyres to chase Russell. The pair also banged wheels early on. MCLAREN (Lando Norris 2, Oscar Piastri 7)

Norris started on pole for only the second time in F1 but a poor start left him third going into the first corner. He fought back on strategy and was only 2.2 seconds behind Verstappen at the finish. The bonus point for fastest lap helped send him second overall, ahead of Leclerc. Piastri had a difficult afternoon, starting ninth on the grid. A fire in the team's paddock base on Saturday was also an obstacle to overcome. MERCEDES (Lewis Hamilton 3, George Russell 4)

Hamilton started third and Russell fourth. The podium was Hamilton's first of the season and since October last year. He has now finished on the podium in 18 successive seasons. Russell seized the lead into the first corner but was soon passed by Verstappen and later Hamilton. Mercedes' recovery of form looks solid, with the team's second top three finish in two races. ASTON MARTIN (Fernando Alonso 12, Lance Stroll 14)

Aston Martin failed to score points for the second time this season and in the space of three races. Alonso, in his 21st home Spanish Grand Prix, started 10th and Stroll 14th. Both drivers suffered high tyre wear. RB (Daniel Ricciardo 15, Yuki Tsunoda 19)

No points this time for RB, despite bringing upgrades to their cars, after four straight top 10 finishes. Ricciardo started 18th and Tsunoda 17th. Tsunoda was the first to pit on lap nine and said something was not quite right with his car. The Japanese and Perez were the only ones to make three stops. ALPINE (Pierre Gasly 9, Esteban Ocon 10)

A double points finish for the second race in a row lifted Renault-owned Alpine ahead of Haas to seventh place, with former boss Flavio Briatore back in the paddock as an advisor. Gasly has now scored three races in a row. Ocon started eighth and Gasly seventh, both on used softs before mediums and then hards. Gasly said it was the team's best race so far this season. HAAS (Nico Hulkenberg 11, Kevin Magnussen 17)

Hulkenberg started 13th and collected a five second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Magnussen was given a similar penalty for a false start from 16th, which he served on lap 30 at his second stop for hard tyres. WILLIAMS (Alexander Albon 18, Logan Sargeant 20)

Albon started from the pit lane due to changes after qualifying. Sargeant qualified last, had a three place penalty for impeding in qualifying and still started 19th. He finished two laps down on the winner. SAUBER (Zhou Guanyu 13, Valtteri Bottas 16)

Zhou started 15th and Bottas 12th. The team swapped them around to try and get the most from different strategies. Bottas made the longest stint of the race, 37 laps on the hard tyre. Zhou did 32 on the medium.

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