Spanish F1 Grand Prix 2016 Results: Winner, Standings, Highlights and Reaction
Red Bull's Max Verstappen won a dramatic Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, becoming the youngest driver ever to win a Formula One race, as Mercedes duo Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton crashed out on the opening lap.
The 18-year-old eventually came home ahead of Ferrari duo Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel in Barcelona. However, the main talking point from Catalonia came in the early stages, as Hamilton, overtaken by Rosberg on the opening lap, darted onto the grass, lost control of his car and collided with his team-mate.
Here are the results from the race and a closer look at how things panned out in a gripping grand prix:
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Here's a run through the current constructors' standings:
Having taken pole position with a brilliant performance on Saturday, there was a superb chance for Hamilton to close the gap on the immaculate Rosberg, who had won all four races in 2016 coming into this one. But instead of a drawn-out battle between the two, they both went out in a blaze.
Rosberg got the better start and did superbly to charge past his team-mate around the outside of the opening corner. Hamilton looked to have responded, though, picking up a brilliant tow into Turn 3. However, as we can see courtesy of Gianlu D’Alessandro, it was a little too quick for Rosberg:
"The crash between the 2 Mercedes - #SpanisGp #Hamilton #Rosberg pic.twitter.com/Bappvke3Il
— Gianlu D'Alessandro (@Gianludale27) May 15, 2016"
While many sought to attribute blame to one of the drivers, F1 journalist Chris Medland was unsure whether either man was solely at fault in this instance:
“They are both upset, upset for themselves and the team,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, per BBC Sport. "They were both apologetic towards the team. We have lost a potential one-two, a potential 43 points and a lot of effort has been thrown away. It is a very difficult situation and it is not clear cut so I would not want to blame either of them at this point.”
It was unfortunate for the Mercedes duo, but it was an incident that left the race wide open, with Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo leading from his Red Bull team-mate Verstappen, who, on a two-stop strategy, eventually moved to the front.
As the Red Bull Twitter feed noted, it was shaping up to be a memorable afternoon for the youngster:
The Ferrari duo of Vettel and Raikkonen were in with a sniff too, and they quickly scythed through the field to get in touch with the leading duo. After some pit stops and strategy adaptation, Verstappen was still in front with 20 laps to go, and Raikkonen—18 years his senior—was keeping the Dutchman honest a second back.
A little further back, a lot of the Spanish crowd were keeping tabs on their compatriot Fernando Alonso. However, his afternoon didn't pan out as he may have dreamt, per the F1 Twitter feed:
Two separate battles were ongoing as the race wound into the final stages, with Raikkonen still trying to find a way past the obdurate youngster. Meanwhile, Ricciardo, on fresher tyres, was all over the back of Vettel.
At the front, Verstappen was driving with the composure of a wily veteran, not giving Raikkonen a chance as the laps ticked down. And he was eventually able to fight off the Finn, pulling away in the latter stages and enjoying a historic moment as he took the chequered flag.
"It's amazing, I couldn't believe I was leading," said the winner, per Lawrence Barretto and Glenn Freeman of Autosport. Verstappen continued:
"It's a very big surprise, I didn't expect that. Unbelievable, I can't believe it. I was targeting a podium but to win straight away is an amazing feeling.
In the last laps I got a bit of cramp—I was getting very excited, I couldn't believe it. I was looking at the pitboard, saw my name with 10 laps to go, then started to watch the board. I was thinking 'don't look at it, focus on the tyres and bring it home.' It's a great feeling. I absolutely didn't expect this.
"
Ricciardo, as we can see here, suffered a dramatic puncture on the penultimate lap to put him out of the running:
It's a remarkable achievement for Verstappen, who has showcased immense promise ever since he made his debut in the sport. To keep things together so well in the final stages with someone like Raikkonen in close pursuit was stunning given his inexperience, and it capped off a performance that will be remembered for years to come.
Mercedes will want to keep a lid on things in the wake of the Lap 1 incident, especially given the tense relationship between their two drivers as it is. Hamilton will ultimately be the man most disappointed, though. A strong start and a lead into the first corner would have made him very tough to beat, instead he gave his team-mate a chance.
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