Ferrari claims a podium with Charles Leclerc in the Spanish Grand Prix, the ninth spherical of the 2025 Method 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, nevertheless, issues didn’t go as anticipated. The Englishman struggled with stability points whereas carrying lots of gas and was unable to ship his finest efficiency within the SF-25.
At 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 formidable tempo.
However his set of tires was two laps older than Oscar Piastri’s, the race chief. Then the Dutchman started to undergo, 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 few stability geared toward favoring rotation, however on the identical time it confused the rear axle of the papaya-colored vehicles a bit an excessive amount of. In distinction, different groups targeted on defending the rear axle as a lot as potential, however this mechanically compromised the front-end’s effectiveness.
Ferrari responded to a Mercedes transfer, whereas Pink 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.
Pink Bull discovered itself within the excellent 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 shedding place to the seven-time Method 1 world champion, the Italian group selected to carry him in early, accepting to increase the following stint.
In the meantime, Mercedes confronted a tough alternative: lengthen the stint or pit instantly. Nonetheless, 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 motive to keep away from shedding positions through 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 strain 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 a few of the benefit.
Pink Bull’s plan was to achieve 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 well at the least four-tenths per lap. Within the center section, 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.
Based on 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 closing 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 towards any Mercedes comeback.
Once more, the selection fell on a second set of Mediums, thought-about extra constant than the Softs. Nonetheless, the Ferrari group most well-liked to not threat, 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 Automotive ruined the whole lot for Verstappen and proved an surprising alternative for the Maranello group. On lap 54, the Security Automotive got here out as a result of Kimi Antonelli’s retirement. Nonetheless, its look didn’t provide vital strategic benefits for the reason that principal stops had been already completed. The truth is, for Max Verstappen—already having pitted 3 times—the neutralization was a blow.
With Tender 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 (virtually all on Softs used for 4 laps). Solely Nico Hülkenberg had a brand new set. Primarily, Pink Bull judged Max Verstappen’s tires too worn to defend on the restart, particularly towards rivals with more energizing compounds.
With out another units of Tender tires out there, they opted for the Laborious tires, the one different left. On the restart, nevertheless, the exhausting compound proved ineffective: the temperature had not but reached the best vary and Verstappen misplaced grip exiting the final nook. The outcome was a double overtake by Charles Leclerc and George Russell, which excluded the Dutchman from the rostrum.
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