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 plenty of gas and was unable to ship his greatest efficiency within the SF-25.
In the beginning, most drivers opted for Tender 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 powerful 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 similar time it confused 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 attainable, however this mechanically compromised the front-end’s effectiveness.
Ferrari responded to a Mercedes transfer, whereas Purple Bull tried one thing completely 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 supreme place to try a extra aggressive technique. The primary of the 2 Ferrari vehicles 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 staff 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. Nonetheless, the overcut proved to be ineffective and even counterproductive. Charles Leclerc was additionally known as within the following lap to forestall Lewis Hamilton from gaining floor with new tires. As usually occurs, Ferrari set a cautious begin to the stint for each drivers, an additional purpose to keep away from dropping positions through the pit stops.
Each mounted Medium tires, the identical compound the Maranello staff deliberate to make use of once more on the finish. With the cease recreation, Mercedes managed to strain 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.
Purple Bull’s plan was to realize by means of 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 realizing he needed to make three stops, Max Verstappen wanted to get better at the very least four-tenths per lap. Within the center part, till the MCL39 vehicles stopped, the Dutchman lower 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 danger. After a really intense second half, Max Verstappen pitted for the final time on lap 41 switching to Softs: the concept was to strive a closing cost to seize at the very least one podium step. On the similar second, Charles Leclerc made his second tire change. The one real looking 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. Nonetheless, the Ferrari staff most well-liked to not danger, 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 Automotive ruined all the things for Verstappen and proved an surprising alternative for the Maranello staff. On lap 54, the Security Automotive got here out on account of Kimi Antonelli’s retirement. Nonetheless, its look didn’t provide vital strategic benefits because the fundamental stops have been already performed. Actually, for Max Verstappen—already having pitted 3 times—the neutralization was a blow.
With Tender tires used for 11 laps, Purple Bull was pressured to pit for a fourth cease as a result of the competitors was making ready to mount more energizing tires (nearly all on Softs used for 4 laps). Solely Nico Hülkenberg had a brand new set. Primarily, Purple 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 Tender tires obtainable, they opted for the Laborious tires, the one various left. On the restart, nonetheless, the laborious compound proved ineffective: the temperature had not but reached the best vary and Verstappen misplaced grip exiting the final nook. The consequence was a double overtake by Charles Leclerc and George Russell, which excluded the Dutchman from the rostrum.
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