Max Verstappen rates chances of retaining F1 crown after Spanish GP nightmare
Max Verstappen's F1 title hopes have been dealt a blow after the Red Bull driver was slapped with penalty points following his collision with George Russell in the Spanish Grand Prix
Max Verstappen's aspirations for the Formula One championship suffered a huge setback in Barcelona, where an assertive move on George Russell earned him a significant penalty.
Earning only a single point from the event, the Dutch driver now precariously hovers at the edge of a one-race suspension with his accumulation of 11 penalty points due to the transgression.
Meanwhile, McLaren basked in victory under the Iberian sunshine, securing their third dual triumph of the year, a feat they hadn't achieved on Spanish soil in over 25 years. With pole-sitter Oscar Piastri spearheading the race and Lando Norris following, albeit unable to challenge Piastri for the victory, they nonetheless clinched a satisfying finish.
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Reflecting on the race, Norris stated: "Oscar drove a very good race today - I didn't quite have the pace to match him. We gave it our best shot. It was a good, fun race and for us as a team to finish one-two is even better."
Piastri, enjoying the string of victories, commented: "It's a lot of fun winning races at the moment. Hard to complain, it has been a great year and this weekend has been exactly the kind of weekend I was looking for. We executed everything we needed to when it counted and that's all we could ask for."
Despite being ahead, Piastri remains vigilant, aware that Norris is just 10 points behind in pursuit. Verstappen, facing a daunting 49-point gap, concisely summed up his position: "We are way too slow anyway to fight for the title, that was clear again today."
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc defied expectations with a podium finish, attributing his success to an unconventional strategy.
He revealed: "I didn't know whether it would pay off - at the end it did. I think P4 in a normal race would have been our position. With a safety car we got lucky and a podium, so I'm really happy with that."
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton's hunt for his first win with Ferrari remained elusive after a disappointing run at the Grand Prix, overshadowed by teammate Leclerc's achievement.
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The F1 legend endured a noticeably tough post-race interview, which Nico Rosberg, former Mercedes team-mate, found particularly "hard to watch".
Reflecting on the day, Hamilton commented: "It was just not a great day. Strategy was good, the team did a great job."
However, his further comments raised concerns about Ferrari's potential to tackle his current problems, as he somberly conceded: "It's probably just me."
