Oscar Piastri has won the Spanish Grand Prix, after a dramatic clash between Max Verstappen and George Russell.
Piastri took home his fifth win of the campaign, as McLaren claimed the top two spots in a fascinating race in which they kept their grid positions.
The victory was not as routine as many had expected, but McLaren stood firm.
After the race, Verstappen, who started in third, was demoted from fifth to 10th after receiving a 10-second penalty.
Max Verstappen had been left fuming after being ordered to allow George Russell through
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Ordered to let Russell through, a furious Verstappen began to slow down to let the Mercedes driver through around the outside.
However, he sped back up enough to get next to him and turned into Russell, causing the crash that some pundits believe to be intentional.
The punishment came very quickly, despite the race being already finished.
Nico Rosberg spoke on Sky Sports, describing the decision as “lenient”.
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Nico Rosberg thought the 10-second penalty was 'lenient'
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"That's a very lenient one from my point of view. Remember Sebastian Vettel against Lewis Hamilton in Baku 2017."
Vettel got a 10-second stop and go penalty for that incident back then.
It was also a day to forget for Lewis Hamilton, who was overtaken by Nico Hulkenberg of Sauber in the penultimate lap to finish seventh, prior to Vertappen’s penalty.
Ferrari had got off to a spectacular start, as Lewis Hamilton took George Russell around the outside at the first corner, while Charles Leclerc followed him through just a few corners later.
Ultimately, though, it was a disappointment for Hamilton, with the seven-time champion forced to let his younger teammate through.
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He had previously said he was eyeing up a first podium finish for Ferrari on the day.
Speaking to Sky Sports on his win after the race, Piastri said: “It was a great weekend overall. We kept up the pace.
“Very proud of the work we have done this weekend. It wasn’t the best first practice. But it is a nice way to bounce back from Monaco. A superb weekend.”
McLaren teammate Norris was complimentary of Piastri.
“Oscar [Piastri] drove a very good race today, didn’t quite have the pace to match him. Anything could have happened at the end.
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Oscar Piastri extended his league at the top of the table with his fifth victory
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“It could have gone sideways with the safety car, but it was a good fun race.”
In lap 56, the latest ever Safety Car in Barcelona entered the track, with the previous being 2019 in lap 52.
It was due to a suspected engine failure for Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, with the Safety Car remaining on the track for multiple laps.
Despite this complication, Piastri was able to remain in pole position to take him his fifth victory of the season.
“It’s hard to complain, it’s been a great year,” Piastri continued. “This weekend was exactly what I was looking for. The team gave me a great car once again.
“I’ve been enjoying it, and I hope the team are too. A lot of support and a lot of traffic out here, but that’s the sign of a lot of fans.”
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