00:00The battle in Barcelona is five lights away
00:05and the Spanish Grand Prix is underway.
00:09Lando Norris immediately trying to deal with Max Verstappen,
00:11he tries to chop across, but what a launch off the line that was
00:14from the World Championship leader, who's going to have an opportunity
00:16to go to the inside, who's bravest on the brakes.
00:19Oh my word, around the outside to take the lead, George Russell.
00:24What a start, that is absolutely incredible stuff.
00:28We were watching Norris, we were watching Verstappen,
00:31but Russell somehow goes from fourth on the grid to the lead.
00:36He has moved up three places in the opening 600 meters of the race.
00:40Then it's Max Verstappen in second, our pulse hitter Lando Norris drops to third.
00:46Yeah, you see, Max just got that initial drive off the line,
00:50on the grass actually, as he's trying to give enough space for Lando.
00:53And as these two guys are going wheel to wheel, George gets a mega tool,
00:57full commitment, and around the outside.
01:00Might be our best opportunity now, Max, think wisely.
01:03Russell, super defensive, Max Verstappen trying to roll around the outside,
01:07the leading two in the Grand Prix, go wheel to wheel, and we have a new leader.
01:12His name is Max Verstappen.
01:14And then there's mega tool, slipstream, DRS, George goes defensive, and then Max goes,
01:21okay, I'm going around the outside.
01:23So, as you saw on the opening lap, it was Charles Leclerc ahead of Carlos Sainz.
01:27Now we see the move.
01:29Sainz leaving the track and gaining an advantage has been reviewed by Race Control,
01:33and there is no further investigation for this.
01:36Yeah, there's definitely contact, and Carlos pulling Max Verstappen around the outside.
01:40That is a great, great maneuver to see, as we see Mercedes making the call.
01:46George Russell taking the last of the life from that Pirelli tyres.
01:51Carlos Sainz was told to do the opposite to Lewis Hamilton.
01:55Doesn't look the quickest at the back there.
01:57Right rear is causing trouble, and will that be a position gained?
02:00Oh my word, that is close, into the fast lane.
02:02But the Mercedes just gets away with it.
02:05Is there an opportunity now for Lando Norris?
02:09Lando, it's possible we could cover Russell this lap.
02:12What do you think?
02:13No, I think we need to go good, Max.
02:16Lando Norris is fighting for the win in the Spanish Grand Prix.
02:21Lewis Hamilton has the DRS.
02:23They're building up to 200 miles per hour.
02:26Sainz knows it, makes the move.
02:27Hamilton to the inside, though.
02:29Hamilton risking it all.
02:31We get contact between the two of them.
02:33We get Hamilton going by, and there's another one for the highlight reel.
02:37So many moves at Turn 1 that show you the skill of the drivers in the field.
02:46Perfect.
02:47Well, in fairness, there was definitely a little bit of rubbing.
02:50But some would say that's racing.
02:53Norris has been called to the pit lane.
02:57Box, box.
02:57You can see how much he's given up by extending the stint.
03:01He'll hope he can get that benefit back with the fresher mediums.
03:04His heart is going to sink when he pulls out of the end of the pit lane, finds himself looking
03:09at the back of Sainz.
03:10But he will be on those fresher, younger, new tyres.
03:15Why are we on plan A?
03:17We're in line with everyone else that was the choice.
03:20Here's the move.
03:21We're hearing from Charles Leclerc, but we're watching Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris, who goes through and claims fourth position.
03:56He got the great run further back in the pack.
03:57Moving past Esteban Ocon.
03:59That is how he took eighth place.
04:01And you would expect, given the evidence of car performance so far, he will make light work of Pierre Gasly
04:07in the next couple of laps.
04:08That's the car.
04:11That's a good exit, isn't it?
04:12Yeah.
04:12Here's the opportunity now for Lando Norris.
04:15And that is a slam dunk move.
04:17Lando Norris able to pass the Mercedes with a clean move.
04:23Can he do the same thing to George Russell?
04:27Such a dominant run for Stappen in recent times.
04:30He's won 50 of the last 75 Grand Prix.
04:33That is laid on the brakes.
04:34And that's the move that we predicted was going to come Oscar Piastri's way.
04:37That is how he took seventh place.
04:40Checo Perez on those fresher tyres.
04:43We can expect to see him now working his way past Alonso onto Stroll.
04:47And finally working his way back into the top ten.
04:51Side by side we go with Lando Norris.
04:53George Russell went mega defensive.
04:55Lando Norris goes around the outside of turn number three.
04:59Uses that fresher rubber.
05:01And now Russell tries to come back around the outside.
05:04He'll get the inside line for turn number five.
05:07All of this battling is giving an advantage to Max Verstappen out front.
05:11And it was a brilliant battle.
05:13A battle that continues.
05:14Traction race, fresher rubber, inside line.
05:18And third place for Lando Norris.
05:20And they've been fighting for most of the lap, DC.
05:22They've been fighting for most of their racing careers.
05:25And that is Formula One 2024.
05:28You've got to love it.
05:30That's a pass for Sergio Perez, who gets past Esteban Ocon.
05:34And he is now nine seconds away from Pierre Gasly.
05:39Yeah, well, Perez, that's got to be his clear goal from the team.
05:42To try and work his way into that eight seconds of the Alpine of Gasly.
05:47Every point is a prisoner.
05:49Oh, Lewis Hamilton once again finds his way alongside and past.
05:55This time it's his teammate at the first turn.
05:58And it's a place on the podium for the seven-time world champion.
06:03DRS coming from a long way away, but with a big overspeed.
06:07George defends the inside.
06:08And Lewis goes, you know what?
06:09I believe in this tire.
06:10I've got the confidence.
06:11I know you're on the back foot on that hard tire.
06:15And, well, Alex, we know what the debate will be in the debrief from George's side.
06:19It'll be like, why did you put me on the hard?
06:23So from the battle for first and second to the Ferrari swapping the cars round.
06:27Mercedes, they battled it all the way through turn number one.
06:30Ferrari, well, they just swapped the cars.
06:32And that's Charles Leclerc back to where he started the Grand Prix.
06:36He's in fifth place.
06:39Oh, my word, gather it together.
06:41Alexander Alvin, he can't do it.
06:43And he is in the gravel trap.
06:45Seems to take forever to get back out of it.
06:49Here he is, Max Verstappen, out of the final corner for the final time.
06:54He's been pushed all the way.
06:56But Max Verstappen wins once again in Formula One and takes the chequered flag in Spain.
07:01Hurried home by Lando Norris, who takes second place.
07:042.2 seconds at the chequered flag.
07:08Lewis Hamilton is about to climb on a Formula One podium for the first time this year.
07:13And there won't be much between fourth and fifth over the line.
07:16But it will be George Russell who keeps the Ferrari at bay by three tenths of a second.
07:22Yes, nice.
07:24Oh, yeah, we were definitely not the quickest out there today.
07:27But we did everything well, strategy as well.
07:30Yes.
07:32And for the 61st time at the venue where he began it all for Red Bull, Max Verstappen celebrates a
07:38victory.
07:39And you can see sometimes it's all a little bit easy and it's simply lovely on the radio.
07:44He's being chased home for every win that he takes at the moment.
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