The fifth race of the 2019 season: The Spanish Grand Prix 2019 in Barcelona. All results, data and figures from the Spanish GP are listed here.
The Race – Hamilton’s Victory
Fifth Mercedes double victory in a row: Lewis Hamilton wins in Spain ahead of Valtteri Bottas. Sebastian Vettel missed the podium (P4).
World Champion Lewis Hamilton wins the Spanish Grand Prix ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas. A nice farewell gift for Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche, who is in his function visited his team the last time. For his work and supported he was rewarded to be on the podium, where his drivers lifted him on the shoulders.
The Silver Arrows achieved the fifth double win in the fifth race. No team has ever achieved this in F1 history. Third place goes to Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, who also benefited from Ferrari’s mismanagement of their drivers.
Already the start was a blast. Pole position holder Bottas got away badly being sandwiched by Vettel and Hamilton during the first corner. Later, Bottas explains: “I lost the race at the start. I had a weird vibration on the clutch that has never occurred before. I’m curious about what was going on there.
Hamilton benefited from the confusion while Bottas was able to maintain P2. However, Vettel lost a place to Verstappen who was fast to take advantage. The German remained in fourth place ahead of Leclerc but reported “light brake plates” and vibrations.
On lap eight Leclerc closed in on Vettel, even started an overtake maneuver. But Vettel fought back and kept his line until lap 13. Finally, Vettel gets an order to let Leclerc pass and thanked it with a very fast lap. Sky expert Ralf Schumacher criticized Ferrari: “A nuisance, this decision was way too late. They should really rethink to keep the person who makes the strategy at the command post.”
On team radio, Vettel literally pleaded to pit: “Get me in.” In the second sector alone he lost seven-tenths of a second on his teammate. Nevertheless, he was ordered to continue. Finally, on lap 20, Ferrari changed Vettel’s tires, but not without problems. A wheel nut stuck got stuck causing a brief delay. Vettel’s pitstop a long 4.4 seconds.
Leclerc’s pit stop that followed wasn’t any better – the same problem. Also, Leclerc continued with hard tires instead of Vettel’s medium. Leclerc comes out just before Vettel, but apparently on a different strategy.
One lap later, Bottas and Hamilton have their pit stops. Nothing changes at the top. Hamilton led with ten seconds ahead of the Finn. Verstappen third with twelve seconds behind.
But behind an interesting battle between Leclerc and Vettel emerged. On lap 33 Vettel almost crashed into Leclerc rear. Ralf Schumacher: “You can see that the two don’t see eye to eye with each other. And Seb definitely destroys his tires break when driving behind him.”
Finally, on lap 36, the new team order: Leclerc lets Vettel pass.
On lap 41, the German comes in for his second stop. This time, everything works out fine.
Lap 46: Stroll and Norris got off the track – Safetycar. Hamilton and Leclerc stop. Bottas already completed his.
After that no more notable changes. Hamilton wins in front of Bottas and Verstappen. Vettel couldn’t overtake the Dutchman.
Race result
| POS | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | GAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 66 | 1h35m50.443s |
| 2 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 66 | 4.074s |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda | 66 | 7.679s |
| 4 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 66 | 9.167s |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 66 | 13.361s |
| 6 | Pierre Gasly | Red Bull/Honda | 66 | 19.576s |
| 7 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas/Ferrari | 66 | 28.159s |
| 8 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | McLaren/Renault | 66 | 32.342s |
| 9 | Daniil Kvyat | Toro Rosso/Honda | 66 | 33.056s |
| 10 | Romain Grosjean | Haas/Ferrari | 66 | 34.641s |
| 11 | Alexander Albon | Toro Rosso/Honda | 66 | 35.445s |
| 12 | Daniel Ricciardo | Renault | 66 | 36.758s |
| 13 | Nico Hulkenberg | Renault | 66 | 39.241s |
| 14 | Kimi Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 66 | 41.803s |
| 15 | Sergio Perez | Racing Point/Mercedes | 66 | 46.877s |
| 16 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 66 | 47.691s |
| 17 | George Russell | Williams/Mercedes | 65 | 1 Lap |
| 18 | Robert Kubica | Williams/Mercedes | 65 | 1 Lap |
| – | Lance Stroll | Racing Point/Mercedes | 44 | Collision |
| – | Lando Norris | McLaren/Renault | 44 | Collision |
Drivers’ standings
| POS | DRIVER | POINTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | 112 |
| 2 | Valtteri Bottas | 105 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | 66 |
| 4 | Sebastian Vettel | 64 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | 57 |
| 6 | Pierre Gasly | 21 |
| 7 | Kevin Magnussen | 14 |
| 8 | Sergio Perez | 13 |
| 9 | Kimi Raikkonen | 13 |
| 10 | Lando Norris | 12 |
| 11 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | 10 |
| 12 | Daniel Ricciardo | 6 |
| 13 | Nico Hulkenberg | 6 |
| 14 | Lance Stroll | 4 |
| 15 | Alexander Albon | 3 |
| 16 | Daniil Kvyat | 3 |
| 17 | Romain Grosjean | 1 |
| 18 | Antonio Giovinazzi | 0 |
| 19 | George Russell | 0 |
| 20 | Robert Kubica | 0 |
Constructors’ standings
| POS | CONSTRUCTOR | POINTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes | 217 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 121 |
| 3 | Red Bull/Honda | 87 |
| 4 | McLaren/Renault | 22 |
| 5 | Racing Point/Mercedes | 17 |
| 6 | Haas/Ferrari | 15 |
| 7 | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 13 |
| 8 | Renault | 12 |
| 9 | Toro Rosso/Honda | 6 |
| 10 | Williams/Mercedes | 0 |
Saturday Qualifying
Already his third pole in a row for Valtteri Bottas! The Finn qualified for the Spanish GP with a lap time of 1: 15.406 minutes, six-tenths of a second ahead of his team-mate Lewis Hamilton. At the same time, Bottas set a new course record. Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel in third place, almost eight-tenths behind the top. Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc was only fifth behind Max Verstappen (P4). Nico Hülkenberg already out in Q1 after a driving error.
Ferraris performance here in Barcelona is a bit of a surprise. Sebastian Vettel (P3) with almost eight-tenths of a second behind leader Bottas.
“We got everything out of the car. I am satisfied, but at the same time not really. The car doesn’t feel bad, but we are not fast enough. We probably don’t have the grip,” Vettel explains Ferrari’s problem in slow corners.
His team-mate Charles Leclerc achieved only fifth place three-tenths of a second behind the Germans. But Ralf Schumacher believes: “Leclerc does not care: If he is faster than Sebastian, he is great. If he is slower, he is still young.”
Between the two Ferrari drivers, we can find Max Verstappen (P4) in his Red Bull. Verstappen wasn’t concerned with him being able to wedge the Ferraris. Instead, he expressed disappointment towards the gap between him and Mercedes. His teammate Pierre Gasly (P6) was more upbeat, yet, he clearly wasn’t able to keep up with Verstappen, who, according to Dr. Marko has been the best driver in 2019 so far.
Provisional starting grid
| POS | DRIVER | CAR | TIME | GAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1m15.406s | – |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1m16.040s | 0.634s |
| 3 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1m16.272s | 0.866s |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda | 1m16.357s | 0.951s |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1m16.588s | 1.182s |
| 6 | Pierre Gasly | Red Bull/Honda | 1m16.708s | 1.302s |
| 7 | Romain Grosjean | Haas/Ferrari | 1m16.911s | 1.505s |
| 8 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas/Ferrari | 1m16.922s | 1.516s |
| 9 | Daniil Kvyat | Toro Rosso/Honda | 1m17.573s | 2.167s |
| 10 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Renault | 1m17.338s | – |
| 11 | Alexander Albon | Toro Rosso/Honda | 1m17.445s | – |
| 12 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | McLaren/Renault | 1m17.599s | – |
| 13 | Daniel Ricciardo | Renault | 1m18.106s | – |
| 14 | Kimi Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1m17.788s | – |
| 15 | Sergio Perez | Racing Point/Mercedes | 1m17.886s | – |
| 16 | Nico Hulkenberg | Renault | 1m18.404s | – |
| 17 | Lance Stroll | Racing Point/Mercedes | 1m18.471s | – |
| 18 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1m18.664s | – |
| 19 | Robert Kubica | Williams/Mercedes | 1m20.254s | – |
| 20 | George Russell | Williams/Mercedes | 1m19.072s |
3rd Free Practice, Saturday 11th
Mercedes-Star Lewis Hamilton toppt mit einer Zeit von 1:16.568 Minuten das Abschlusstraining in Spanien – 0,555 Sekunden fehlen Teamollege und WM-Leader Valtteri Bottas als Drittem zur Spitze.Zwischen die beiden Silberpfeile schiebt sich Ferrari-Pilot Charles Leclerc, der gerade einmal 24 Tausendstel schneller ist als Bottas. Sebastian Vettel wird Vierter, Nico Hülkenberg Zwölfter.
Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton topped the final training session with a time of 1: 16.568 minutes – 0.555 seconds ahead of his team-mate and championship leader Valtteri Bottas (P3). Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, in between the Silver Arrows with P2. Sebastian Vettel came in fourth (P4) and Nico Hülkenberg (P12).
1. Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes 1:16,568s
2. Charles Leclerc – Ferrari +0,531s
3. Valtteri Bottas – Mercedes +0,555
4. Sebastian Vettel – Ferrari +0,604
5. Romain Grosjean – Haas +0,624
6. Kevin Magnussen – Haas +0,962
7. Max Verstappen – Red Bull +0,990
8. Alexander Albon – Toro Rosso +1,296
9. Kimi Räikkönen – Alfa Romeo +1,401
10. Carlos Sainz Jr. – McLaren +1,435
11. Daniil Kvyat – Toro Rosso +1,537
12. Nico Hülkenberg – Renault +1,782
13. Sergio Perez – Racing Point +2,088
14. Pierre Gasly – Red Bull +2,125
15. Lance Stroll – Racing Point +2,166
16. Antonio Giovinazzi – Alfa Romeo +2,172
17. Daniel Ricciardo – Renault +2,406
18. Lando Norris – McLaren +2,439
19. George Russell – Williams +2,853
20. Robert Kubica – Williams +4,002
Friday Practice – Bottas Ahead in Both Sessions
World championship leader Valtteri Bottas continued to underline his good form here at the first European race of 2019 in Barcelona. On Friday, the Mercedes driver set the fastest time in both sessions, finishing second in the afternoon with a lap time of 1:17.284 minutes 0.049 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
According to the experts, Mercedes brought a comprehensive upgrade to Barcelona. Good to see: Front and rear wings are new, plus the side boxes, baffles, underbody, rearview mirror, and cooling.
Ferrari came in second with Charles Leclerc three tenths behind Bottas. Sebastian Vettel was missing 88 thousandths of a second on his teammate.
Red-Bull driver Max Verstappen was fifth. “Mercedes looks very competitive again, and most of all, they do a great job of getting the energy into the tires, which used to be one of their weaknesses. But this season it’s one of their strengths,” comment Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner comments:
But not everything went perfect for Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton made several modifications to his car and on radio he complained about driveability:
“I have difficulties, something is not true.” Later he tried to clarify his comments:
“It was okay, but it wasn’t the best day, especially with the balance we still have to work on and find the right grip on different tire components.
2. Second Practice, May 10th, 2019:
1. Valtteri Bottas – Mercedes 1:17,284 minutes
2. Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes +0,049 seconds
3. Charles Leclerc – Ferrari +0,301
4. Sebastian Vettel – Ferrari +0,389
5. Max Verstappen – Red Bull +0,751
6. Romain Grosjean – Haas +0,869
7. Pierre Gasly – Red Bull +0,954
8. Kevin Magnussen – Haas +1,071
9. Carlos Sainz Jr. – McLaren +1,374
10. Daniil Kvyat – Toro Rosso +1,438
11. Kimi Räikkönen – Alfa Romeo +1,443
12. Alexander Albon – Toro Rosso +1,495
13. Lance Stroll – Racing Point +1,555
14. Nico Hülkenberg – Renault +1,577
15. Daniel Ricciardo – Renault +1,650
16. Lando Norris – McLaren +1,757
17. Antonio Giovinazzi – Alfa Romeo +2,143
18. Sergio Perez – Racing Point +2,164
19. George Russell – Williams +2,907
20. Robert Kubica – Williams +3,497
1. First Practice, May 10th, 2019:
1. Valtteri Bottas – Mercedes 1:17,951 minutes
2. Sebastian Vettel – Ferrari +0,115 seconds
3. Charles Leclerc – Ferrari +0,221
4. Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes +0,624
5. Romain Grosjean – Haas +0,992
6. Carlos Sainz Jr. – McLaren +1,204
7. Kevin Magnussen – Haas +1,229
8. Pierre Gasly – Red Bull +1,334
9. Daniil Kvyat – Toro Rosso +1,413
10. Nico Hülkenberg – Renault +1,499
11. Daniel Ricciardo – Renault +1,560
12. Max Verstappen – Red Bull +1,893
13. Lance Stroll – Racing Point +1,904
14. Antonio Giovinazzi – Alfa Romeo +2,070
15. Alexander Albon – Toro Rosso +2,079
16. Lando Norris – McLaren +2,115
17. Sergio Perez – Racing Point +2,508
18. Kimi Räikkönen – Alfa Romeo +2,640
19. Robert Kubica – Williams +2,938
20. George Russell – Williams +3,039
*This article was first published in German at autobild.de/motorsport.
