Oscar Piastri beat team-mate Lando Norris to the flag to seal a 1-2 finish for McLaren at the Spanish Grand Prix. However, a late Safety Car led to an explosive finish behind the leading pair as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen banged wheels with Ferrari’s Charles and Mercedes’ George Russell before being hit with a time penalty for a final collision with Russell that result in the defending champion dropping to 10th at the flag. 

When the lights went out at the start polesitter Piastri got away well to take the lead. However, on the other side of the front row, team-mate Lando Norris was slower away from the start line and that allowed Verstappen to pass the McLaren driver around the outside of Turn 1 to steal second place. 

Behind the top three Ferrari had a good start, with both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc powering past the Mercedes of George Russell to take fourth and fifth respectively. Russell slipped to sixth ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in P8 ahead of Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar and the fast-starting Sauber of Nico Hülkenberg. 

Leclerc soon began to pressure Hamilton who was clearly struggling for grip. And though the seven-time champion defended well he was quickly told to swap positions with the Monegasque driver who looked much more confident on his tyres. 

At the front, Verstappen was complaining that he had “no grip” compared to the McLarens and when Norris closed in under DRS at the start of lap 13 the Red Bull driver offered little resistance as the Briton swept past to take second place.

Red Bull brought the defending champion in for the first of three planned stop on lap 14. The Dutch driver was on the march and after dismissing Hadjar and Antonelli he chased down Russell, who opted out of the battle and headed for the pit lane. With a stop under his belt, the champion was back up to third, just 14.5s behind Norris. 

And when the Briton made his first stop on lap 22 for Medium tyres, Verstappen moved back into second place. Piastri made his first stop on the following lap and the Dutchman took the lead for the first time, almost six seconds ahead of the Australian. 

With fresh tyres on board, the McLarens began to reel in Verstappen and the Dutchman this time pitted on lap 30, taking on Medium tyres. With new tyres on board, the Dutchman began to pump in fastest laps. On lap 36 he swept past Leclerc under DRS in Turn 1 and Norris was informed that the Red Bull was now back in the race. 

Leclerc was the first of the front and after Hamilton also stopped, Verstappen made his third stop on lap 48 for used Soft tyres. That prompted McLaren to pit both its drivers in quick succession to avoid the undercut but while Verstappen closed to within half a second of Norris there seemed no way past. 

On lap 54, however, all gaps were erased when Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli suffered an engine failure and went deep into the gravel trap at Turn 10. The Safety Car was deployed, and a slew of cars immediately arrowed into the pit. While his rivals all fitted used Softs for the final dash to the flag, Verstappen, with no strong option available, had to fit a set of slower, harder to heat Hard tyres. 

That left the champion vulnerable at the restart and when Piastri and Norris roared away, Verstappen almost control exiting the final corner. Leclerc immediately attacked and as the Ferrari driver pushed past on the pit straight there was brief contact. Leclerc was already past, however, and the Ferrari driver pushed on to take a well-worked podium finish behind the McLarens.

Russell also saw an opportunity and at the end of the pit straight he attacked. However, the Mercedes driver appeared to outbrake himself and the rivals banged wheels. Verstappen was forced to use the escape road and when rejoined he did so ahead of Russell. He was soon told by his team to give the place to the Mercedes driver. But when he did there was again contact, and this time the Dutchman was handed a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision and when he crossed the line he immediately dropped from fifth to 10th. 

Russell ended the race in fourth, while Kick Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg passed Hamilton after the Safety car to take a surprise fifth place. Hamilton was left with P6 ahead of Hadjar, Gasly, Alonso and Verstappen. 

2025 FIA Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix – Race 
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 66 1:32'57.375 
2 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 66 1:32'59.846 2.471
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 66 1:33'07.830 10.455
4 George Russell Mercedes 66 1:33'08.734 11.359
5 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 66 1:33'11.023 13.648
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 66 1:33'12.883 15.508
7 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 66 1:33'13.397 16.022
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 66 1:33'15.257 17.882
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 66 1:33'18.939 21.564
10 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 66 1:33'19.201 21.826
11 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 66 1:33'22.907 25.532
12 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 66 1:33'23.371 25.996
13 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull/Honda RBPT 66 1:33'26.197 28.822
14 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 66 1:33'26.684 29.309
15 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Renault 66 1:33'28.756 31.381
16 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 66 1:33'29.572 32.197
17 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 66 1:33'34.440 37.065
     Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 53 - Power Unit
     Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 27 - Accident damage
     Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 0 - Withdrawn