BARCELONA: Formula One world champion Max Verstappen won the Spanish Grand Prix in a Red Bull one-two on Sunday totake over at the top from Ferrari's luckless Charles Leclerc, who retired with an engine failure while leading.
Mexican Sergio Perez finished a dutiful second, 13 seconds behind but with the consolation of a bonus point for fastest lap, after being told to let his team mate pass for a third victory in a row after Imola and Miami.
The 24-year-old Dutch driver is now six points clear of Leclerc after winning four of six races - all those he has finished.
"A difficult beginning, but a good end," was how Verstappen summed up a baking afternoon in which he was blown into the gravel by a sudden gust of wind and wrestled with a malfunctioning rear wing.
Britain's George Russell came third for a revived Mercedes and after going wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen early on in a thrilling display of defensive driving as they battled for second place behind Leclerc.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was fourth, after fighting back from a slow start and a spin into the gravel, but it was scant reward for a team who had brought upgrades to try and turn the tables on Red Bull.
Leclerc was leading comfortably from pole position but a sudden loss of power before the halfway mark led to his retirement in the pits.
"No, no, no! Lost power," the Ferrari driver shouted over the radio as a seemingly sure victory was plucked from his hands by the engine failure.
The Monegasque waved to the capacity Circuit de Catalunya crowd but from then on could only watch his 19-point advantage evaporate.
"I had no indications before then. It just broke and lost the power completely," he told Sky Sports television.
Verstappen also suffered intermittent problems with his car's drag reduction system (DRS), leading to plenty of cursing over the radio, and he went off at turn four on lap eight.
"I went off when I had a lot of tailwind and lost the rear. My DRS was not always working. That made it very tough but we managed use strategy to get ahead," he said.
"I tried to stay focused. It is not nice when stuff like that happens. I am very happy to win and happy for Checo (Perez). It is a great result for the team."
Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was fifth for Mercedes with a fine recovery drive after an opening lap collision with Kevin Magnussen's Haas dropped him to 19th.
He was passed by Sainz on the closing laps after Mercedes warned of a potentially terminal cooling issue.
"A race like that is like a win. It actually feels better than a win when you’ve come from so far back and through so much adversity," said Hamilton.
Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas was sixth, ahead of Alpine's Esteban Ocon and McLaren's Lando Norris in eighth.
Norris revealed afterwards that he had been suffering tonsillitis and said it was that "one of the hardest races I’ve ever done."
Spain's twice world champion Fernando Alonso finished ninth in front of his home fans, after starting at the back of the grid, and AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda collected the final point.
Reuters
Mon May 23 2022
Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates after winning the race, Formula One F1 - Spanish Grand Prix - Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain - May 22, 2022. - REUTERS
[LAPOR LANGSUNG] Israel serang Iran, peluru berpandu Zionis bedil Isfahan
Letupan kedengaran di lapangan terbang di bandar Isafahan di Iran tetapi puncanya masih belum dapat dipastikan.
"Itu fake news, saya tidak tahu siapa reka cerita" - Angeline Tan jawab dakwaan hamil
Kata Angeline, pada usia begini, dia dan suami mahu hidup tenang serta memadai timang cucu sahaja.
Polis buru suspek pecah rumah sebabkan kerugian kira-kira RM5,000
Polis berjaya mendapat kesan cap jari dipercayai milik suspek.
Penerbangan ke Tehran, Isfahan dan Shiraz digantung
Penggantungan itu berkuat kuasa serta-merta, tetapi penerbangan belum dibatalkan, kata pengarah itu.
RHB tingkatkan sasaran perkhidmatan kewangan mampan kepada RM50 bilion menjelang 2026
RHB tingkatkan sasaran perkhidmatan kewangan mampan 2026 kepada RM50 bilion berbanding RM20 bilion sebelum ini berikutan pencapaian kukuh setakat ini.
Ringgit dibuka rendah berbanding dolar AS
Ringgit susut berbanding dolar AS pada sesi awal Jumaat ketika unit negara maju itu meneruskan pengukuhannya.
[TERKINI] Peluru berpandu Israel jatuh di Iran
Peluru berpandu dipercayai milik Israel mengenai sebuah tapak di Iran, menurut laporan ABC News memetik seorang pegawai tertinggi Amerika Syarikat (AS).
Agensi berita Iran FARS pula berkata, letupan kedengaran di lapangan terbang di bandar Isafahan di Iran tetapi puncanya masih belum dapat dipastikan.
CNN turut melaporkan beberapa penerbangan yang melalui ruang udara Iran telah dilencongkan.
Agensi berita Iran FARS pula berkata, letupan kedengaran di lapangan terbang di bandar Isafahan di Iran tetapi puncanya masih belum dapat dipastikan.
CNN turut melaporkan beberapa penerbangan yang melalui ruang udara Iran telah dilencongkan.
Kepulangan Syamer kekuatan tambahan Penang FC - Jurulatih
Pengalaman Syamer bersama pasukan JDT dan skuad kebangsaan merupakan peluang terbaik untuk membantu pasukan bersaing dengan lebih hebat.
Penerbangan komersial dilencongkan selepas dakwaan letupan di Isfahan
Syarikat penerbangan Emirates dan FlyDubai yang berpangkalan di Dubai mula melencong pesawat mereka kira-kira 4.30 pagi waktu tempatan.
KBS umum syarat pelepasan cukai latihan sukan
Pelepasan ini akan diperluas meliputi perbelanjaan yuran mengikuti latihan sukan.
Verstappen ganti Hamilton musim depan?
Toto Wolff mendedahkan buat pertama kali bahawa dia berbesar hati untuk menerima kehadiran Max Verstappen menyertai pasukan Mercedes.
Verstappen unggul tawan GP F1 Las Vegas
Max Verstappen merangkul kemenangan ke-18 musim ini ketika dia dikenakan penalti lima saat untuk mengungguli Grand Prix (GP) Las Vegas.
F1: Alonso puji Verstappen sebagai pemandu terbaik selepas Schumacher
Verstappen hanya perlu mengumpul tiga mata dalam perlumbaan pecut Sabtu ini di Qatar bagi melengkapkan hatrik gelaran dunia.
F1: Verstappen sambar petak pertama GP Jepun
Max Verstappen pamer pemanduan bertenaga untuk menyambar petak pertama untuk perlumbaan Formula Satu (F1) Grand Prix Jepun.
F1: Max Verstappen terus bergelut di GP Singapura, mulakan saingan di tempat ke-11
Max Verstappen akan memulakan perlumbaan Grand Prix Singapura malam ini dari tempat ke-11.
F1: Rekod cemerlang Verstappen kini dalam bahaya
Di Itali dua minggu lalu, Verstappen menjadi pemandu pertama dalam sejarah 73 tahun sukan itu memenangi 10 perlumbaan berturut-turut.
F1: Verstappen cipta sejarah, lakar kemenangan ke-10 berturut-turut
Verstappen di belakang Carlos Sainz selama 14 daripada 51 pusingan di Monza sebelum berhempas pulas melepasi pelumba jentera Ferrari itu.
F1: Dominasi Max Verstappen tidak peroleh penghargaan sewajarnya - Fernando Alonso
Verstappen menyamai rekod Sebastian Vettel yang mencatatkan sembilan kemenangan berturut-turut dengan aksi cemerlang dalam GP Belanda.
F1: Lewis Hamilton tidak tolak Max Verstappen sapu bersih baki perlumbaan
Lewis Hamilton khuatir bahawa Max Verstappen berpeluang tinggi memenangi kesemua baki 10 perlumbaan Formula Satu (F1) musim ini.
F1: Verstappen atasi Norris peroleh petak pertama di Silverstone
Pemandu Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, hanya mampu menduduki tempat ketujuh, satu tempat di belakang rakan sepasukan George Russell.