Lewis Hamilton rallied from an early collision with the Haas of Kevin Magnussen to finish fifth at the 2022 Spanish GP, with his efforts earning him the fans’ vote as Driver of the Day.
Hamilton dropped to the back of the field after suffering a puncture on Lap 1 as Magnussen attempted to go around the outside of the Mercedes at Turn 4, but the seven-time world champion made his way back through the pack.
He could have crossed the line in fourth, but the Mercedes engineers came on the radio to ask him to ease off the throttle and nurse the engine home as cooling issues arose, raising the spectre of a DNF.
That allowed Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz to retake fourth and rescue another place for his home race after an early spin for the Spaniard put paid to any hopes of challenging for a win, while Hamilton’s teammate George Russell secured a hard-fought podium in third.
Max Verstappen came home for his fourth victory of the year in Spain, after Charles Leclerc lost out on what looked like a comfortable win for Ferrari as he was forced to retire from the lead with engine issues.
The victory for Verstappen means that the Dutchman now leads the drivers’ championship for the first time this year ahead of Leclerc.
Red Bull will leave Barcelona the happier of the leading teams after taking a 1-2 with Sergio Perez in second, although the Mexican appeared unhappy at being ordered to swap positions with Verstappen while in the lead in the closing stages of the race.
Next, F1 heads to Monte Carlo for the 2022 Monaco GP, with the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships all still to play for.
