F1 Spanish GP Live Commentary and Updates – Race
Minute-by-minute updates for the 2024 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix.
Lando Norris will start a Formula 1 Grand Prix from pole position for the second time after pipping Max Verstappen in qualifying, with the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell on the second row.
After a tough season, Alpine start with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon in P7 and 8.
The Spanish Grand Prix will get under way at 3pm local time (2pm BST).
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Russell stops from third. He did 20 laps on the mediums and now has fitted the hard compound. Sainz has made the same change.
That drops Russell right behind Gasly and it will be the best part of a lap before he gets through into sixth.
Gasly then pits, a lap after Ocon, with the hard tyres definitely the preferable option now.
This could be a really, really promising result for Alpine, though with 26 laps to go at the end of the current tour plenty can still happen.
Ocon gets past Ricciardo t get back to 12th for now.
"This tyre does not feel good. Sliding around already," reports Russell. He's only recently fitted the hard compound!
The margin is closing at the front with Verstappen perhaps saving some life. 5.2s now separates the Red Bull drivers and Norris.
Norris has cleared the traffic and he took 0.85s out of Verstappen. He's coming!
A second stop for Hamilton and he fits a used soft set with 22 laps to go. It'll be tough to nurse those for the duration.
Verstappen is in and there's his new set of soft tyres. The gap to Norris was 4.4s - roughly what it was at the end of the first stint.
Hamilton isn't nursing too much though - he is all over Sainz for sixth place. He has so much more grip on the softs but can't find his way through.
"Verstappen has pitted. This is our chance now," say McLaren. Norris has the hammer down!
Now Hamilton makes his way through - that was easy. Grip, DRS, slipstream, Turn 1, thank you.
Hulkenberg makes it a double for Haas on the penalty front. The German is penalised five seconds for speeding in the pits.
In comes Norris and he fits a used set of soft tyres. He exits ahead of the two Mercedes drivers despite a slow stop and it's a straight fight with Verstappen for the win.
Perez makes his final stop of the afternoon - that's his third of the race.
He exits the pits on soft tyres, just behind Ocon. Then it will be a 10-second push to Gasly in eighth.
Another pit-speeding penalty, this time for Tsunoda, who is running last.
There goes Perez past Ocon down into Turn 1. Like most moves today, it's a breeze with DRS.
Will Mercedes let Russell and Hamilton race? 0.5s between the pair and Hamilton has soft tyres and clear pace over his team-mate.
Around the outside of Turn 1 goes Hamilton, up to P3.
Here comes Norris again. A new fastest lap of 1m17.115s is 0.7s faster than Verstappen that time around. The gap is 5.5s.
The closest battle on track between Zhou and Alonso for P12. Both are on hard tyres and the Aston Martin is half a second down on the Sauber.
Here goes Alonso - again, it's an candy-from-baby move into T1.
11 laps to go and Verstappen has found an answer to Norris' pace. Perhaps we were being overly optimistic of something happening.
After you sir...Sainz pulls aside to allow Leclerc through into P5. He's 6s off Russell so catching the Mercedes could be a struggle.
Barring anything extraordinary, Alpine looks set for a double points finish. Gasly is 14 seconds down on Piastri and five seconds up on Perez to hold eighth, while Ocon is comfortably 10th.
Some positive news for RB, Ricciardo gets past Magnussen. Bad news, that's for 16th only.
Albon: "What the hell was that."
"It's ok on our side."
"Don't tell me it's ok."
Yikes.
Five laps remain and 4.9s separates the lead pair. Hamilton is also safe in third. Leclerc is closing on Russell but may well run out of time to try for a pass.
Another move for Ricciardo, this time on Bottas. A good move on the outside of the Sauber gives him 15th.
Perez is now all over the pack of Gasly onto the final lap.
Onto the last lap and Leclerc has closed onto the rear of Russell's Mercedes. It'll take a bold move to make a position now.
Verstappen wins the Spanish Grand Prix from Norris.
And through goes the Mexican for eighth.
Hamilton is on the podium for the first time this season as Russell and Leclerc complete the top five.
Sainz, Piastri, Perez, Gasly and Ocon round out the points.
"They were definitely quicker than us out there today but we executed everything well," says Verstappen.
The early move on Russell was crucial.
"I should have won but I f****d up the start," conceded Norris. He knows that was one that got away from him today.
"Great job guys. What a great surprise to come here and get these points. Let's keep pushing. We're nearly there."
Hamilton reacts to his first top-three finish of the 2024 season.
A proper flying celebration from Verstappen there. That looks like it meant more than some others. Both driver and team are now being forced to work hard for their success now.
Just as Verstappen's post-race reaction was telling, the fact that Norris and McLaren appear unsatisfied about finishing second says a lot about how far they have come as a team now.
By: Autosport Staff
