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Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12 and Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B battle
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Analysis

How Red Bull’s deja vu set Hamilton on the winning path in Spain

An aggressive first corner move from Max Verstappen appeared to have set the Red Bull driver on course for victory in the Spanish Grand Prix. But canny strategy from Mercedes - combined with the absence of Red Bull's number two from the lead group - allowed Lewis Hamilton to pull off a demoralising reversal

“It could be Hungary all over again here.”

Gianpiero Lambiase called it painfully perfectly as Lewis Hamilton peeled off from behind his charge – Max Verstappen – to pit for a second time with a third of the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix remaining.

In that moment, Red Bull realised Mercedes had set the board in horribly familiar fashion – sending Hamilton on a late-race charge with a tyre-life offset advantage to win the encounter in much the same way he had done at the Hungaroring in 2019.

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