*Piastri extends lead to 10 points with fifth win of season
*Norris second, Leclerc third
*Verstappen demoted from fifth to 10th
*Red Bull driver clashed with Leclerc and Russell
*Hulkenberg fifth for Sauber and passed Hamilton
BARCELONA: The Formula One 2025 Spanish Grand Prix finished the way it started on Sunday, with the McLaren pair of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finishing 1-2 to further build their commanding lead in the team standings.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished third to grab the remaining podium spot at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The quest for third was where all the real drama happened in the race.
Piastri, from Australia, was in command from the start, sacrificing the early lead after the initial pit stops when four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen grabbed first.
Piastri retook the lead as Red Bull's Verstappen, from the Netherlands, took an early second stop. The question at that point was whether Verstappen would take a third pit-stop, which could give him a tire edge late in the race.
Verstappen did pit for a third time, but any strategic advantage he could have had was lost when Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli was forced off the track due to a problem with his car, with a safety car being deployed.
That sent the leaders back to the pit stop again, with Piastri and Norris, from Great Britain, still 1-2 with six laps to go. But Verstappen was passed by Leclerc on the restart, and Verstappen then tangled with Mercedes' George Russell as they collided twice. Verstappen was penalised 10 seconds, plummeting him to 10th place, with Monaco's Leclerc finishing third and Russell fourth.
Kick Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg of Germany drove a masterful race, finishing fifth after starting 15th.
This was the fifth win of the season for Piastri, who leads the driver standings with 186 points, followed by Norris (176) and Verstappen (137).
On the team side, McLaren has a huge advantage over Ferrari, 362 to 165 points. — Reuters
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