Max Verstappen showcased his dominance once again at the Spanish Grand Prix, securing his seventh victory of the season in a commanding performance. The Red Bull driver overcame a challenging start to claim the top spot on the podium, demonstrating why he’s a three-time world champion.

The race began with drama as George Russell, starting fourth in his Mercedes, seized an early lead with an impressive start. Verstappen, momentarily frustrated after feeling squeezed by pole-sitter Lando Norris at the start, quickly regained his composure. By lap 3, he had overtaken Norris and then Russell to claim the lead with a bold move on the outside of Turn 1.

Norris, who had celebrated a “perfect lap” in qualifying, found himself trapped behind Russell in the crucial early stages, costing him valuable time in his bid for victory. Despite his efforts to close the gap on Verstappen in the latter part of the race, Norris had to settle for second place.

Lewis Hamilton secured his first podium finish of the season, coming in third after some thrilling on-track battles with Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari. George Russell finished fourth, complaining about the performance of his hard tires in the final stint.

The Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished fifth and sixth respectively, unable to mount a significant challenge at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Further down the field, Alpine enjoyed a double points finish with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon taking ninth and tenth. Sergio Perez managed to climb from his 11th place start to finish eighth, partially recovering from a grid penalty received in Canada.

As the checkered flag waved, Verstappen’s victory not only extended his championship lead but also marked his third consecutive win at the Spanish Grand Prix. While he celebrated another triumph, Norris was left to reflect on a missed opportunity, acknowledging over the radio that he had “messed up” his start.

With no yellow flags or retirements during the race, all 20 cars finished, providing a clean but competitive spectacle for fans of Formula 1.