Fresh tires help lift Hamilton in Spain
MONTMELÓ, Spain – At least Max Verstappen made Mercedes work for the win.
Verstappen got a great jump on Lewis Hamilton at the start of the Spanish Grand Prix to take an early lead over the seven-time world champion. But Mercedes stopped a Red Bull runaway by using strategy and fresh tires to push Hamilton to his 98th career victory Sunday.
It was the third win in four races to start the season for Hamilton, who extended his lead to 14 points over Verstappen in a championship fight already off to an intense start. Verstappen won the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix last month.
“I am beginning to love this battle we are having,” Hamilton said. “Red Bull has started incredibly strong. With Max, they have a championship-winning car. We have to bring our A-game every week.”
Mercedes outwitted Red Bull by using a two-stop strategy that helped Hamilton make it look easy: Verstappen led 54 of 66 laps and Hamilton still beat him by 15.8 seconds.
Hamilton used a fresh set of tires to overcome a 22-second gap and pass Verstappen with six laps remaining. He tied Michael Schumacher’s mark of six victories at the Circuit de Barcelonacatalunya, including five straight.
Verstappen was disheartened after leading 54 laps. But he said he didn’t have the pace that Hamilton had in the Mercedes once Mercedes decided it would go with a two-stop strategy. Red Bull chose to make only one pit stop.
“Of course we wanted to win but I cannot feel too disappointed as I did everything I could out there and maximized the opportunities,” Verstappen said. “Even if we had looked at another strategy and done a two stop and pitted before them, we wouldn’t have made the time up as they were just faster than us.
“It was just a day where we lacked a bit of pace and second was the best result possible.”
Hamilton started from the pole for the 100th time in his career but Verstappen pounced headed into the very first corner. He threw his Red Bull inside of the Mercedes and Hamilton had to back out to avoid contact and yield the lead to his rival.
“As I went into turn one, I just gave Max as much space as I could. This is a race, not a sprint. I always have my mind on the long game,” Hamilton said. “As soon as I got past turn one, I switched into a different mode.”
Verstappen was in control of the race, but Hamilton never stopped stalking the Dutchman. Red Bull was committed to its strategy and so Mercedes did the opposite.
When Verstappen pitted, Hamilton stayed on track.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had said before the race he expected to make just one pit stop, but as Verstappen led Hamilton around the circuit, Wolff must have changed his mind.
Verstappen made the swap from softer tires for the more durable mediums while Hamilton waited several laps before he made his stop.