Hamilton “in harmony” with his Mercedes: reactions from the top 3 in Barcelona!
The winner of the day in Catalonia does not hide his excellent relationship with his single-seater! Also find the reactions of Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen, who finished second and third at the end of this Spanish Grand Prix.
His victory in Azerbaijan was fortunate, his success in Spain owes nothing to anyone. Lewis Hamilton has made a strong comeback in Formula 1, dominating the Grand Prix held on the hills of Barcelona from start to finish. The Briton was able to take advantage of the updates made by Mercedes, in weather favorable to the W09. Sebastian Vettel, his main rival, never stood a chance, falling more than five seconds behind within six laps after the Safety Car restart. Lewis Hamilton secured the 64th victory of his career, his third in Spain after his wins in 2014 and 2017. He will arrive in Monaco as the solid leader of the world championship, with 95 points on the board, 17 more than his runner-up, Vettel.
First: Lewis Hamilton
« I couldn’t have achieved this victory without my team. What a result! The guys did an amazing job and I’m just really proud of them. It’s incredible to see how much we’ve progressed. »
« Today, I was in sync with my car; it’s the first time I’ve felt this way this year. It’s a beautiful emotion. I hope we continue like this. »
That moment when you win the #SpanishGP!! 🇪🇸
📸 x @paulripke pic.twitter.com/PQxXOdPceN
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) 13 mai /f1/actualite/22686-espagne-course-lewis-hamilton-intouchable-de-bout-en-bout.html
Second: Valtteri Bottas
He was a tone below his teammate throughout the weekend. For the 25th podium of his career, the Finnish driver still brings home a second place, the third in five races. He notably allows Mercedes to secure their first one-two finish of the season. The former Williams driver will thank the Virtual Safety Car after Ocon’s retirement, which allowed him to reclaim his second place from qualifying, lost at the start to Sebastian Vettel.
Of course, I would have liked to fight for the victory… But on the team level, it’s an excellent race. The pit wall reacted quickly with the strategy (note: during Vettel’s first stop on lap 18). We only made one stop, which turned out to be a good thing.
« We really achieved the perfect weekend. We need to continue. On my side, I now hope to win a race! »
YES YES YES!!! It’s a 1-2 at the #SpanishGP!!!! @LewisHamilton leads @ValtteriBottas home!!!! Unbelievable result!!!!#F1 #DrivenByEachOther pic.twitter.com/s440lvfRyI
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) 13 mai /f1/actualite/22686-espagne-course-lewis-hamilton-intouchable-de-bout-en-bout.html
Third: Max Verstappen
The young wolf redeems himself somewhat. After his early-season excesses, the Dutchman fell in line in Catalonia. Despite a small mistake and a minor clash with Stroll under VSC. Starting fifth, the 2016 edition winner climbed onto the lowest step of the podium, his first of the season. He can thank Räikkönen’s mechanical problem and (especially) Vettel’s ill-timed pit stop under the same Virtual Safety Car regime.
« The car really worked well. As you know, it’s very difficult to overtake here. We were lucky that Kimi retired. But our tire management was also very good. »
« I thought Valtteri was too far ahead, but I still had to push because Sebastian was behind me. I only discovered the state of my front wing at the finish; it wasn’t very pretty, but at least it held up! »
A top three finish for @Max33Verstappen in Barcelona 💪 Making it 150 podiums for the Team! 🏆 #SpanishGP 🇪🇸 #F1 pic.twitter.com/78t38eRXOo
— Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) 13 mai /f1/actualite/22686-espagne-course-lewis-hamilton-intouchable-de-bout-en-bout.html
