Piastri wins from Norris as Verstappen gets penalised - 2025 Spanish GP results

Oscar Piastri took a commanding victory in the Spanish Grand Prix, leading McLaren team-mate Lando Norris, as Max Verstappen was penalised for ramming George Russell near the end.

Piastri led from pole position and his position was never much threatened despite a late safety car that closed up the pack. He crossed the chequered flag 2.5 seconds ahead of Norris.

Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari after overtaking Verstappen during the post-safety car restart.

George Russell finished in fourth after Verstappen allowed him past near the end. The reigning champion had cut Turn 1 to stay ahead of Russell at the restart and was told to give the position to the Mercedes driver.

Verstappen, who was agitated on the radio when given the order, first backed off and appeared to give up his position at Turn 5, but then accelerated again and rammed the Mercedes as they took the corner. The incident was quickly investigated, leading to a 10-second penalty that dropped Verstappen to 10th.

Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg completed the top five for the team’s best result of the season.

Lewis Hamilton was sixth in the second Ferrari ahead of Isack Hadjar, Pierre Gasly and Fernando Alonso, who recovered from a difficult first part of the race to score his first points of 2025.

Piastri made a perfect start from pole to keep the lead into Turn 1, but Norris was unable to fend off Verstappen, who overtook him around the outside and slotted into second place as the McLaren driver tried to close the door to Russell on the inside.

Several drivers were involved in incidents as they arrived at the first corner – four of them taking the escape road – with Alexander Albon being worst off as his front wing was damaged.

Although Verstappen initially put Piastri under pressure, the Australian started to open a gap and over three seconds separated the two cars by lap 6.

Behind them, Hamilton and Leclerc battled it out for fourth place before the Briton was asked to let his team-mate through as the Monegasque looked a lot faster. Hamilton gave up the position on lap 10.

Norris caught up with Verstappen on lap 12 as the world champion complained of “no grip, compared to them at least” as he kept losing ground to Piastri in front.

Norris passed Verstappen easily using his DRS on lap 13, a move that the Dutchman didn’t even try to defend from.

On the following lap, Verstappen made his first pitstop, putting another set of soft tyres as Red Bull attempted an undercut on Norris.

The world champion quickly recovered the lost positions with some bold overtakes – particularly on the Mercedes driver – as he returned to third place by lap 21, the McLarens still not having pitted.

Norris was the first of the McLarens to pit, on lap 22, returning to the track 10 seconds behind Verstappen but on medium tyres. Piastri stopped to switch mediums a lap later and also lost the position to Verstappen, who had a 5.5-second lead.

Piastri quickly began closing on Verstappen as the Red Bull driver struggled with the handling of his car.

“It’s so hard to drive. I can’t brake and there’s no turn-in in slow corners,” complained Verstappen on the radio.

The Dutch driver pitted for the second time on lap 30, this time switching to medium tyres, returning to the track in fourth behind the McLarens and Leclerc.

On lap 35, Verstappen overtook Leclerc to move back into the top three, six seconds behind second-placed Norris and around 10 behind leader Piastri, who started to lose ground to his team-mate ahead of the final round of pitstops.

Verstappen made his third and final planned stop on lap 48 when running around four seconds behind Norris, the Red Bull driver using another set of softs.

McLaren covered by pitting Norris on the following lap, also putting him on softs. He emerged from the pits less than a second in front of Verstappen.

Piastri pitted from the lead on lap 49, comfortably keeping first place ahead of the final stint.

Norris had managed to open a small gap to Verstappen until Liam Lawson and Ollie Bearman fighting in front of him allowed Verstappen to close right in before the McLaren driver opened up the gap again as the backmarkers impeded Verstappen too.

With 11 laps to go, the safety car was deployed when Kimi Antonelli park his car on the gravel at Turn 10.

The leaders took the opportunity to pit, Verstappen switching to a set of hard tyres, which were the final new tyres he had available. The two McLarens – like all the other drivers except Esteban Ocon on mediums – went for softs, leaving Verstappen exposed.

“Why the ****? What is this tyre?” asked Verstappen on the radio, the world champion then told it was the only option left.

The race resumed with six laps remaining as Leclerc complained: “They do love wasting laps”.

At the restart, Verstappen lost the rear of his car under acceleration, allowing Leclerc to overtake him on the straight, the duo making contact.

Verstappen looked set to be overtaken by Russell as well, but the Red Bull driver cut through Turn 2 and stayed ahead after the Mercedes had made contact with his car.

Verstappen was then asked to let Russell through, and when the Red Bull driver looked set to let the Briton ahead, they made contact as the world champion rammed the Mercedes.

Verstappen let Russell pass a few corners later, but was given a 10-second penalty for the collision, dropping to 10th place.

2025 Spanish GP results