Tops / Flops of the Spanish GP: Red Bull almost perfect, first hiccup for Ferrari

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• Formula 1: the calendar for the 2022 season

• Formula 1: manufacturers' classification

• Formula 1: drivers classification

Red Bull, a royal Sunday

On Spanish soil, Red Bull achieved full success.

The Austrian team scored twice, the second this season, with victory for Max Verstappen (the third in a row) and second place for Sergio Perez.

The Mexican even took the fastest lap in the race.

44 points in the bag for Red Bull, which is in the lead in the drivers' championship with Max Verstappen (six points ahead of Leclerc) and among the manufacturers (26 points ahead for Red Bull over Ferrari).

Hard to beat.

Mercedes' progress

The improvements had been perceived throughout the weekend and they were validated in the race.

Solid and despite problems with water leaks at the end of the race, George Russell secured a second podium this season with his third place in Catalonia.

For his part, Lewis Hamilton had a lively Sunday.

Starting in mediums, the only one on the grid, the Briton saw his strategy go up in smoke on the first lap following a collision with Kevin Magnussen.

Nineteenth after a hasty passage through the pits, the seven-time world champion moved up to fourth place before finishing fifth following this problem of water leaks at the end of the race.

Valuable points for Mercedes which is still recovering in the right direction.

Valuable points for Alpine

The top 10 was hoped for at Alpine but looking at the starting grid, it still seemed complicated.

And yet.

Twelfth at the start, Esteban Ocon delivered another solid race to take a fine seventh place.

For the fifth time in six races, the Frenchman scores points.

And he is imitated this time by Fernando Alonso.

At home, the Iberian started last following an engine change but the French car was working well at Montmelo at race pace.

The double world champion then came back and finished ninth.

He is thus back in the top 10 for the first time since the Bahrain Grand Prix.

flops

Ferrari loses big

After 26 laps, Charles Leclerc had control of the race.

He was more than twelve seconds ahead of the competition on fresher tyres.

The scenario was perfect but everything changed on lap 27. An engine problem forced the Monegasque to retire.

A first blow this season for the Scuderia, coupled with the success of Max Verstappen, it hurts.

Ferrari loses the lead in both classifications and Carlos Sainz is still at fault.

The Spaniard has made a series of errors this year and it started with a bad start then with a fault at turn 7. Forced to fight to get back up, Sainz still managed to return to fourth place but his twelve points do not console the Reds Sunday.

Haas misses the points

The opportunity was great for the American team, which had placed its two cars in Q3 on Saturday.

Eighth on the grid, Kevin Magnussen saw his race be ruined from the start following his collision with Lewis Hamilton on the first lap.

The Dane then sailed very far from the peloton to take a modest 17th place at the finish.

On the other hand, Mick Schumacher fought for a long time for points but the young German cracked at the end and finally finished 14th.

A disappointment for Haas.

Gasly still far

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The weekends follow one another and look alike for Pierre Gasly.

The French still suffered enormously with his Alpha Tauri.

Modest 13th, the Norman, touched on arrival, never seemed in rhythm in Catalonia and was not helped by his single-seater which still does not have improvements.

For the third time in a row, Gasly does not score points.

A first since 2018 for him.