Seven races, five wins and a much bigger dominance than the numbers indicate. The walk of Max Verstappen in the Formula 1 season can not be measured only by those statistics, but also forces to see what he did a week ago in the impossible rain in Monte Carlo and how he solved this Sunday the Grand Prix of Spain, in which the Dutchman provided a new masterclass of driving to stay with the victory and all the possible points of the weekend, Eighth stop of the season.
Thus, the Red Bull driver reinforced his leadership in the World Championship, where he travels an inescapable path towards the consecutive three-time championship and, in addition, to get among the five most winners in history, since after the victory at the Montemeló circuit, he was just one checkered flag away from equaling the myth Ayrton Senna (41 wins).
Photo: REUTERS/Nacho Doce
In a landslide, Verstappen prevailed ahead of the resurgent Mercedes of the Englishmen Lewis Hamilton and George Russell; and his teammate, Mexican Sergio Pérez. At home, meanwhile, Spaniards Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) had a weekend with nuances in which they finished fifth and seventh, respectively.
Verstappen, 25, officially presented his candidacy to score a third title in a row, with another exhibition exchangeable for his fortieth victory in Formula 1, the fifth of the season and the third at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya; where seven seasons ago he had become the youngest winner in history and in which he had climbed to the top of the podium last year. He did it, in addition, with a 'Grand Slam' (or 'Grand Chelem'): starting from the 'pole' and leading from start to finish a race in which, in addition, he set the fastest lap.
Many of the 125,565 fans who, according to official sources, filled the Barcelona circuit this Sunday faced the weekend waiting for the long-awaited '33', which would be the next victory of the double world champion Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and the first podium of the season of the other Spaniard, the Madrid Carlos Sainz (Ferrari). But things do not always go as you want and on this occasion, Sainz, who started second, could only be fifth; and Alonso, who maintained third place in the World Championship, could barely advance one place from the starting formation, to finish seventh.
Photo: Josep LAGO / AFP.
That under normal conditions Verstappen was going to win this Sunday was known even by the most clueless in the area. The surprise was given by the once invincible Mercedes, who dominated the hybrid era with eight constructors' titles – and seven drivers' titles – in a row. And that, without being where they wanted, they snatched second place in the constructors' World Championship from Aston Martin.
Hamilton, who only the other seven-time world champion, the German Michael Schumacher – still convalescing from the serious skiing accident he suffered in 2013 – equals his six victories in Montmeló, climbed for the eleventh time on the podium in Barcelona. He finished second, ahead of teammate Russell, author of the day's comeback, starting twelfth and finishing third; stealing the limelight from 'Checo', who was the one everyone was betting on to make the biggest jump of the day.
Verstappen swept and made it clear that, with fifteen races remaining, nothing can stop him from his goal of achieving this year's third title in a row; with the very dominant car designed by the great English engineer Adrian Newey, the guru of aerodynamics, 'father' of the ship with which the German Sebastian Vettel led the other glorious journey of the Austrian team, between 2010 and 2013, with four drivers' titles and as many teams.
If you give the best driver of the moment the best possible car, the result is very predictable. After sweeping the Circuit, 'Mad Max' -who is a wild and, in addition, does not fail-, leads the World Championship with 170 points, 53 more than his Mexican teammate; while Alonso remains third in the contest, with 99.
Photo: Albert GEA / POOL / AFP.
And Charles Leclerc? The Ferrari driver who had been eliminated on Saturday in Q1, started from the 'pit lane' after the 'Scuderia' decided to replace "the entire rear of the car" of the Monegasque - 'poleman' last year in Barcelona - and could not twist history.
All came out with soft tires, except for the Red Bulls, who did it with means; and Leclerc, with the hard. It was a race in which management was going to be key due to the degradation of the tires.
Leclerc finished eleventh and remains behind in the World Championship, 16 of the 58 points that keep Sainz in sixth place in the championship.
The European journey of Formula 1, which the human tragedy derived from the floods prevented from starting in Imola (Italy) and which will resume the first weekend of July at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg (Styria), home of the Austrian Grand Prix; it will be briefly interrupted with the Canadian Grand Prix, which will be held in two weekends at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.
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