Ferrari claims a podium with Charles Leclerc in the Spanish Grand Prix, the ninth spherical of the 2025 Components 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 gas and was unable to ship his greatest efficiency within the SF-25.
In the beginning, 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 purple 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 more practical 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 geared toward favoring rotation, however on the identical time it pressured the rear axle of the papaya-colored automobiles 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 Pink 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.
Pink Bull discovered itself within the superb place to try a extra aggressive technique. The primary of the 2 Ferrari automobiles to cease was Lewis Hamilton’s, pressured to cowl the undercut try by George Russell. To keep away from dropping place to the seven-time Components 1 world champion, the Italian group selected to deliver him in early, accepting to increase the subsequent stint.
In the meantime, Mercedes confronted a tough alternative: prolong the stint or pit instantly. Nevertheless, the overcut proved to be ineffective and even counterproductive. Charles Leclerc was additionally referred to as within the following lap to forestall Lewis Hamilton from gaining floor with new tires. As typically occurs, Ferrari set a cautious begin to the stint for each drivers, an additional cause to keep away from dropping positions throughout 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 sport, 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 may have mattered within the second half, however entrance tire degradation confirmed up sooner than anticipated, negating among the benefit.
Pink Bull’s plan was to realize by means of tempo. Between laps 21 and 22, each McLaren automobiles made their first stops, becoming Medium tires as predicted. Every pit cease prices about 21 seconds, and figuring out he needed to make three stops, Max Verstappen wanted to get well at the least four-tenths per lap. Within the center section, till the MCL39 automobiles stopped, the Dutchman reduce the hole by about one and a half seconds per lap, sufficient to alarm the Woking pit.
In accordance with Pink Bull’s calculations, round lap 40 McLaren really felt the danger. After a really intense second half, Max Verstappen pitted for the final time on lap 41 switching to Softs: the thought was to attempt a remaining cost to seize at the least one podium step. On the identical second, Charles Leclerc made his second tire change. The one practical goal was to lock in fourth place and defend in opposition to any Mercedes comeback.
Once more, the selection fell on a second set of Mediums, thought of extra constant than the Softs. Nevertheless, the Ferrari group most well-liked to not danger, selecting strategic consistency over creativity. The administration of the Pirelli tires appeared stable, as already seen in Imola, particularly for Charles Leclerc, an indication of improved management over floor temperatures.
The Security Automobile ruined every thing for Verstappen and proved an sudden alternative for the Maranello group. On lap 54, the Security Automobile got here out because of Kimi Antonelli’s retirement. Nevertheless, its look didn’t supply important strategic benefits because the major stops have been already completed. In reality, for Max Verstappen—already having pitted thrice—the neutralization was a blow.
With Comfortable tires used for 11 laps, Pink Bull was pressured to pit for a fourth cease as a result of the competitors was getting ready to mount more energizing tires (nearly all on Softs used for 4 laps). Solely Nico Hülkenberg had a brand new set. Basically, Pink Bull judged Max Verstappen’s tires too worn to defend on the restart, particularly in opposition to rivals with more energizing compounds.
With out another units of Comfortable tires obtainable, they opted for the Onerous tires, the one various left. On the restart, nonetheless, the laborious compound proved ineffective: the temperature had not but reached the perfect 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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