Ferrari claims a podium with Charles Leclerc in the Spanish Grand Prix, the ninth spherical of the 2025 Formulation 1 championship. The Barcelona F1 race ends with out penalties for the Monegasque driver, who after the FIA investigation comes out “clear” from the shut encounter with Max Verstappen. For Lewis Hamilton, nonetheless, issues didn’t go as anticipated. The Englishman struggled with steadiness points whereas carrying lots of gasoline and was unable to ship his finest efficiency within the SF-25.
Firstly, most drivers opted for Comfortable tires, each new and used. Strategic forecasts indicated a two-stop Spanish Grand Prix to keep up a excessive tempo. Ferrari selected Pirellis marked with crimson for each drivers, however Charles Leclerc had a barely more energizing set than the one Lewis Hamilton was utilizing. Within the first laps, Max Verstappen confirmed a formidable tempo.
However his set of tires was two laps older than Oscar Piastri’s, the race chief. Then the Dutchman started to endure, whereas McLaren stood out for a simpler thermal administration. Oscar Piastri nonetheless reported some rear difficulties, comprehensible contemplating how front-loaded the MCL39 single-seater was.
We’re speaking a couple of steadiness aimed toward favoring rotation, however on the similar time it careworn the rear axle of the papaya-colored vehicles a bit an excessive amount of. In distinction, different groups centered on defending the rear axle as a lot as doable, however this robotically compromised the front-end’s effectiveness.
Ferrari responded to a Mercedes transfer, whereas Purple Bull tried one thing totally different by bringing Max Verstappen in for his first cease on lap 14. As soon as again on monitor, the Dutchman pushed at full throttle, with out even a lap to adapt: a transparent signal of the intention to play the three-stop card. The tempo was not sufficient to threaten the McLarens however was higher than Ferrari and Mercedes.
Purple Bull discovered itself within the ultimate place to try a extra aggressive technique. The primary of the 2 Ferrari vehicles to cease was Lewis Hamilton’s, compelled to cowl the undercut try by George Russell. To keep away from dropping place to the seven-time Formulation 1 world champion, the Italian group selected to carry him in early, accepting to increase the following stint.
In the meantime, Mercedes confronted a troublesome alternative: lengthen the stint or pit instantly. Nonetheless, the overcut proved to be ineffective and even counterproductive. Charles Leclerc was additionally known as within the following lap to stop Lewis Hamilton from gaining floor with new tires. As usually occurs, Ferrari set a cautious begin to the stint for each drivers, an extra purpose to keep away from dropping positions in the course of the pit stops.
Each mounted Medium tires, the identical compound the Maranello group deliberate to make use of once more on the finish. With the cease recreation, Mercedes managed to stress Ferrari, forcing it to pit earlier. George Russell pitted on lap 23 to placed on Mediums. The four-lap hole to Lewis Hamilton might have mattered within the second half, however entrance tire degradation confirmed up sooner than anticipated, negating among the benefit.
Purple Bull’s plan was to realize by tempo. Between laps 21 and 22, each McLaren vehicles made their first stops, becoming Medium tires as predicted. Every pit cease prices about 21 seconds, and understanding he needed to make three stops, Max Verstappen wanted to get better not less than four-tenths per lap. Within the center part, till the MCL39 vehicles stopped, the Dutchman reduce the hole by about one and a half seconds per lap, sufficient to alarm the Woking pit.
In line with Purple Bull’s calculations, round lap 40 McLaren actually felt the chance. After a really intense second half, Max Verstappen pitted for the final time on lap 41 switching to Softs: the concept was to attempt a closing cost to seize not less than one podium step. On the similar second, Charles Leclerc made his second tire change. The one reasonable goal was to lock in fourth place and defend towards any Mercedes comeback.
Once more, the selection fell on a second set of Mediums, thought of extra constant than the Softs. Nonetheless, the Ferrari group most popular to not threat, selecting strategic consistency over creativity. The administration of the Pirelli tires appeared strong, as already seen in Imola, particularly for Charles Leclerc, an indication of improved management over floor temperatures.
The Security Automobile ruined all the pieces for Verstappen and proved an sudden alternative for the Maranello group. On lap 54, the Security Automobile got here out attributable to Kimi Antonelli’s retirement. Nonetheless, its look didn’t provide vital strategic benefits for the reason that fundamental stops had been already achieved. Actually, for Max Verstappen—already having pitted thrice—the neutralization was a blow.
With Comfortable tires used for 11 laps, Purple Bull was compelled to pit for a fourth cease as a result of the competitors was getting ready to mount more energizing tires (virtually all on Softs used for 4 laps). Solely Nico Hülkenberg had a brand new set. Basically, Purple Bull judged Max Verstappen’s tires too worn to defend on the restart, particularly towards rivals with more energizing compounds.
With out some other units of Comfortable tires obtainable, they opted for the Exhausting tires, the one various left. On the restart, nonetheless, the arduous compound proved ineffective: the temperature had not but reached the best vary and Verstappen misplaced grip exiting the final nook. The end result was a double overtake by Charles Leclerc and George Russell, which excluded the Dutchman from the rostrum.
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