The 2022 Spanish GP delivered everything a Formula 1 fan could hope for. The sixth circuit of the 2022 F1 season was action-packed, full of surprises, and it delivered a change at the top of Driver Standings. Reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen got his fourth win of the season and leaped over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who had to quit the race due to car issues.
Things looked great for Leclerc early on, as he defended his pole position and managed to get a comfortable lead at the top. Meanwhile, Verstappen made a costly mistake on lap nine and ended up in the gravel. This saw him slip to fourth behind teammate Sergio Perez and Mercedes’ George Russell.
Leclerc was cruising towards another win until lap 27 when his car just gave up on him. He suddenly lost power and had to retire. This surprising development gave Verstappen an opportunity to get in charge of the title run, but he had to win to capitalize on it fully.
Verstappen quickly got on Russell’s tail, although he had a much harder time passing him. A dysfunctional DRS didn’t allow him to get in the best position for overtaking, but a clever pit strategy by Red Bull gave the Dutchman the edge at the end.
Russell slipping to third gave Red Bull the first two positions, although not in their envisioned order. This prompted the team’s boss to order Perez to let Verstappen past him without a fight, ensuring their No. 1 driver uses Leclerc’s retirement in the best way possible.
Leclerc will have a chance to bounce back quickly, as the next GP is scheduled to take place on May 29th in his home country of Monaco.
