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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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.
Norris has cleared the traffic and he took 0.85s out of Verstappen. He's coming!
The margin is closing at the front with Verstappen perhaps saving some life. 5.2s now separates the Red Bull drivers and Norris.
"This tyre does not feel good. Sliding around already," reports Russell. He's only recently fitted the hard compound!
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.
Gasly then pits, a lap after Ocon, with the hard tyres definitely the preferable option now.
That drops Russell right behind Gasly and it will be the best part of a lap before he gets through into sixth.
Russell stops from third. He did 20 laps on the mediums and now has fitted the hard compound. Sainz has made the same change.
While that was happening, Perez made his way past both Aston Martins on his recovery run.
The DRS flap opens, Norris pulls out but Russell defends the inside and WOW! Around the outside at Turn 3 and Norris takes the place, but Russell takes it back at Turn 4!
Turn 6 and Norris finally makes the move stick. Incredible action!
Norris is within DRS range of Russell and we're heading onto the main straight
Piastri's offensive has continued - the McLaren now into seventh. But the traffic has left him 12 seconds down on sixth-placed Leclerc.
Perez managed to get a move completed on Ocon for ninth - a fine overtake it was, around the outside of T1.
But then he pits for a set of mediums and drops to 14th.
Lap 32 and Norris uses DRS to pass Hamilton for P3, who puts up no defence.
Piastri repeats his move on Perez a lap later as he breezes past Ocon for eighth.
Magnussen now pits.
"The tyres are very inconsistent," reports Verstappen.
He's relatively locked into the current plan now though, so there is little Red Bull can do to alter things.
Confirmation that pitstops are starting again.
Tsunoda and Bottas have made the move to hards.
Piastri is trying to fight back up the order and glides by Perez down the main straight, DRS assisted. That's P9 and Ocon is three-tenths ahead.
Slowly, slowly catchy Norris...
Norris is past Sainz and is now approaching DRS range of Hamilton and Russell.
"Why are we on plan A?" asks Leclerc.
"We are in line with everyone else," is the response. Where can we get a ticket for that debrief?
Leclerc is unhappy to be running to Ferrari's plan A, but he gets past Gasly and back into the top six.
A few clear swaps of position down the field as Zhou gets past Bottas for 12th - swiftly followed by Stroll.
Albon is by team-mate Sargeant for 19th.
"I don't understand why there's a rule book and we don't follow it."
Safe to say that Sainz is less than impressed by the no further investigation decision over Hamilton's earlier overtake.
We won't be far away from the early stoppers maybe stopping again - especially Perez and Bottas on the softs.
There are clouds starting to roll in around the circuit as well.
Pit stop bingo is complete! Leclerc now stops for mediums and returns to the track behind Gasly in P7.
It's medium tyres for Norris and a 2.4s stop. He's down to sixth but has a significant tyre delta on those ahead. Time to channel Lightning McQueen, Lando!
Not a one-stop for Norris. In he comes!
McLaren explains to Norris that he has lost positions that would drop him to sixth if he stops now, but that his tyre delta is good so there is no need to panic.
We have a proper strategy battle!
That's dropped Piastri down to 11th, behind Perez and Hulkenberg, such is the power of the undercut.
But the power of fresh tyres puts the McLaren straight past the Haas - an easy move to the inside of Turn 10.
In comes Piastri for medium tyres. Could Norris and Leclerc be trying for a one-stop strategy? Verstappen is 14s back on Norris.
Scratch that - Piastri is now out of the top three, with Verstappen up into the podium places. Is someone playing the Jaws theme?
Sainz: "Any news?"
Well, the incident with Hamilton has been noted, but it's not with the stewards yet.
Only the top three of Norris, Leclerc and Piastri are yet to stop and are still running their original softs. Of those that have pitted, only Perez, Bottas and Albon have fitted a second set of the soft compound.
A lap later and Hamilton muscles his way past Sainz at Turn 1. Great racing from both as the Mercedes goes down the inside - small contact but nothing too bad.
Sainz calls to be let by. I'm sorry, that's just good racing.
There's the answer - McLaren leaves Norris out on the track.
The ball is in McLaren's court. Go long and hope to stop one less time or answer Red Bull's stop?
And now the Mercedes is all over Sainz into Turn 1. They remain close through Turn 3 - they almost make contact - but Sainz keeps strong for now.
Mediums for Verstappen with a 1.9s stop. Norris stays out, as does Leclerc.
Hamilton was behind Alonso as well, but not for long, as he cuts back when exiting Turn 5.
A clear stop for Hamilton but he returns to the track on mediums behind Russell and Sainz.
By: Autosport Staff
