F1: Max Verstappen wins Spanish GP after Leclerc is forced to retire –as it happened!

And here’s our report on the day’s drama. Thanks for reading!

And here’s Sergio Perez: “I have been feeling a lot of support this weekend so I am extremely happy to be on the podium for the first time in the Spanish Grand Prix. I think it was close but at the end it is a great team result and I am happy with that. We went on different tyre strategies and I let Max by in the beginning, but then I thought I could go by and not lose crucial seconds to make my strategy work. But anyway… it is a team result.”

And here’s George Russell: “Today was very tough, I gave it everything I could AND AM just so proud to be standing here as the guys have worked so hard. I’M Pleased to be able to bring it home in P3 – lots of points on the board for us. It was a very difficult last few laps: it was a survival race.”

The top 10:

1) Max Versteppen, Red Bull2) Sergio Perez, Red Bull3) George Russell, Mercedes4) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari5) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes6) Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo7) Esteban Ocon, Alpine8) Lando Norris, McLaren9) Fernando Alonso, Alpine10) Yuki Tsunoda, Alpha Tauri

Max Verstappen on his win: “Of course I went off, I just lost the rear. And I was in the train and trying to pass but my DRS was not always working which made it tough. We had the strategy to get ahead again and do our own race. Difficult beginning but a good end! I tried to stay focussed, which is not always easy.”

Max Verstappen takes the chequered flag to lead the world championship. Photograph: Manu Fernández/AP

Updated at 10.53 EDT

Max Verstappen wins the Spanish GP to take championship lead

No one saw that one coming for the first 30 laps but Verstappen cruises over the finish line to leapfrog Leclerc at the top of the championship. Perez makes it a one-two for a jubilant Red Bull, with Russell third, Carlos Sainz fourth and Hamilton fifth.

Max Verstappen wins! Photograph: Nacho Doce/Reuters

Updated at 11.23 EDT

Lap 65/66: Sainz has closed in on Hamilton after what appears to be a technical problem for the Mercedes. “Lift and coast Lewis,” he’s told, “if we have to give up the place we have to, it is a DNF risk.” He duly eases off a bit and Sainz scoots past him for P4! Miserable luck for Hamilton – although fortunately it’s another 9sec back to Bottas and just one lap to go.

Lap 63/66: How they stand (and, surely, how they’ll finish)

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)3. George Russell (Mercedes)4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

Lap 60/66: He can do it over two. Hamilton, who was labouring in 19th at the end of the first lap, hares around the outside of Sainz down the main straight to claim P4.

Lap 58/66: Bottas, Sainz and Hamilton are separated by less than a second. Sainz picks off Bottas with ease and Hamilton rubs salt in his former teammate’s wound by doing the same immediately! Hamilton is half a second behind Sainz in P4 and with pretty fresh tyres. Can he chase him down over seven laps?

Lap 55/66: Bottas has Sainz in his rearviews, the Spaniard 2.5secs away from his rival in P4. His countryman Alonso loses some time with a slow stop but scoots out into P9, and when Tsunoda creeps up behind him it’s at the expense of poor Schumacher. Fun while it lasted.

Updated at 10.27 EDT

Lap 53/66: Russell reclaims his podium place, zipping past Bottas. Tsunoda pits from P10 which puts Schumacher – for now at least – in a position to earn his first F1 point.

Lap 52/66: Russell pits for a third time, coming out 3secs behind Bottas who is third, while Hamilton sets a new fastest lap.

Lap 51/66: Hamilton, who just made his final pit stop, rattles back past Ocon on the main straight for P6 and sets his sights on Sainz.

Lewis Hamilton is currently in the points. Photograph: Hasan Bratic/DeFodi Images/REX/Shutterstock

Updated at 10.24 EDT

Lap 49/66: The big question is quickly answered: Perez lets Verstappen past, under instruction from his overlords. The Dutchman leads for the first time, and it will take a minor miracle for him not to win this race. His teammate is a couple of seconds behind him, Russell trailing 8secs further back.

Lap 48/66: Some words from a thoroughly miserable Charles Leclerc: “I don’t know anything more than what happened basically. I had no indications before then. It just broke and lost the power completely. We will look at this issue and we cannot afford for this to happen many times in the season so we need to find the problem.”

Lap 46/66: Hamilton passes Ocon for fifth, but the main question now may be what happens with the front two. Perez is six seconds ahead of his teammate, who is 19 points behind Leclerc in the drivers’ standings.

Lap 44/66: It’s a final pit stop for Verstappen, who’ll go top of the standing should he win today – unthinkable after his first three races of the season. He comes back behind Perez but, crucially, ahead of Russell who can’t take advantage and remains stuck in P3. Red Bull have this race locked off.

Max Verstappen in the pits. Photograph: Manu Fernández/Reuters

Updated at 10.15 EDT

41/66: Norris passes Vettel for P8. Verstappen – who’ll need a final pit stop – is coasting in the lead, 17s ahead of his teammate Perez, who in turn is another 6sec ahead of Russell. Some way behind him are Bottas and Sainz, separated by a couple of seconds, and a way back again is Hamilton. Twenty-five laps to go.

Updated at 10.06 EDT

Lap 38/66: Perez pits from the lead, the one-stop tactic out the window, and gets some new mediums as Russell did minutes before. Verstappen assumes the lead. Leclerc’s retirement is confirmed to be an engine failure.

36/66: Russell is called into the pits, so the two Red Bulls lead the way for now. It’s not been a bad race at all for Mercedes so far, with Hamilton also up to seventh – though he will need to pit again.

How they stand at halfway

1 Sergio Perez2 George Russell3 Max Verstappen4 Valtteri Bottas5 Esteban Ocon6 Lando Norris7 Carlos Sainz8 Lewis Hamilton9 Sebastian Vettel10 Yuki Tsunoda11 Fernando Alonso12 Mick Schumacher13 Daniel Ricciardo14 Pierre Gasly15 Lance Stroll16 Nicholas Latifi17 Alexander Albon18 Kevin MagnussenRET Charles LeclercRET Zhoiu Guanyu

Lap 32/66: Zhou Guanyu has also retired – for the second straight race – a technical issue with his Alfa Romeo. Verstappen picks off Vettel for P3. Hamilton meanwhile is back in P8, 5secs behind Sainz.

Lap 31/66: Perez goes past Russell! The Mexican takes the lead on the straight, needing to do very little to nip ahead of Russell, who veered to far right and let him through. Verstappen clocks up fastest lap.

Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in action. Photograph: Albert Gea/Reuters

Updated at 09.58 EDT

Lap 30/66: Well well well. Verstappen senses blood and pits for a fresh set of soft tyres. Sergio Perez is now closest to Russell, half a second away. Russell is being hunted down by two Red Bulls.

Leclerc retires!

Charles Leclerc, cruising in first place, loses power in his car and trundles sorrowfully off the track, wailing down the radio in despair. It looked like he had that race in the bag! And the battle between Russell and Verstappen, intriguing enough already, becomes a battle for first!

The championship leader retires! Photograph: Hasan Bratic/DeFodi Images/REX/Shutterstock

Updated at 09.51 EDT

Thomas Stratford writes in with a fine point: “Hey Alex, if the new Aston Martin proves to have the aerodynamics of the original Red Bull but without the electric and other technical problems, then is the clone in theory actually superior to the original like the plot of so many a sci-fi film?”

Attack of the clones! Photograph: Warner Bros/Sportsphoto/Allstar

Lap 25/66: But maybe all that swearing did the trick, as he closes in on Russell and this time his DRS works like a charm. He nips past Russell going into turn one but the Mercedes man reclaims his spot at the next turn and defends brilliantly to hold his place. Great driving!

Lap 24/66: Verstappen’s DRS is still playing up and he continues to turn the airwaves blue. Pity the poor Red Bull mechanics.

Updated at 09.38 EDT

Lap 22/66: Leclerc pits in a handy 2.2secs, and emerges from the pit lane to see Russell, then Verstappen emerge round the final corner. His lead is still 6secs. Russell, meanwhile, is told that Perez will be trying a one-stop strategy. “Blimey,” responds the Englishman. Quite right sir.

Lap 20/66: How they stand:

1 Charles Leclerc

2 Sergio Perez3 George Russell4 Max Verstappen5 Valtteri Bottas6 Esteban Ocon7 Sebastian Vettel8 Carlos Sainz Jnr9 Lando Norris10 Yuki Tsunoda11 Fernando Alonso12 Daniel Ricciardo13 Mick Schumacher14 Pierre Gasly15 Guanyu Zhou16 Lewis Hamilton17 Lance Stroll18 Alexander Albon19 Nicholas Latifi20 Kevin Magnusse

Lap 18/66: “Box! Box!” bellows Perez, who pits and comes out with fresh mediums, but back in fourth.

Sergio Perez in the pits. Photograph: Manu Fernández/Reuters

Updated at 09.41 EDT

Lap 16/66: “Where is the effing DRS?” yelps Verstappen as he attempts in vain to overtake Russell. It’s only working sporadically, by the sounds of it. Russell fights another day – but he has a battle on his hands now, DRS or not.

Lap 14/66: Alonso, having started furthest back, is one place off the points. Russell and Verstappen both pit, which puts Perez second – a full 15secs off Leclerc.

Lap 12/66: Verstappen overtakes Perez for P3, but is told on the radio his DRS flap didn’t open. Another technical problem for Red Bull…?

Max Verstappen is having a bit or a ‘mare. Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Updated at 09.35 EDT

Lap 11/66: So Verstappen is fourth, behind Perez, Russell and Leclerc, who has avoided any drama thus far and has a tidy 10sec lead. Sainz pits after his spin. Norris goes past Schumacher for P7.

Lap 9/66: Verstappen hits the gravel! He was all on his own going into turn four – just like Sainz minutes before – and Russell and Perez scoot past him while he navigates a way back to the track like a disorientated holidaymaker.

Lap 8/66: Ocon has clambered up to seventh, both Alpines enjoying themselves so far with Alonso picking off Vettel for P13. Perez is hunting down Russell for P3

Lap 6/66: Carlos Sainz spins out, no one near him, and hits the gravel! A nightmare start for him as he plummets down the order into P11.

Lap 4/66: “Lewis knew what he was doing. He rammed me,” rasps Magnussen over the radio. The stewards’ verdict: racing incident. Further back, Alonso marches past Stroll for P14.

Lap 3/66: Hamilton and Magnussen touched wheels when the Dane tried to nip around the outside of his rival but didn’t do enough – the stewards will take a look but it amounts to a terrible start for Hamilton, though a better one for his teammate: Russell is up to third, past Perez. Sainz’s poor start was down to him going into anti-stall almost immediately. Leclerc is sitting pretty up top, 1.3secs clear.

Updated at 09.11 EDT

Lap 2/66: Perez and Russel both crept past Sainz in a frantic first lap, leaving the Spaniard back in fifth. Hamilton pits with a puncture and switches to softs. So much for the mediums.

Lap 1/66: And we’re off! It’s a long old way to turn one – Leclerc cuts off Verstappen en route and when he gets there holds his lead around the corner. Hamilton and Magnussen collide on turn five and Magnussen veers into the gravel. Hamilton survives but has his car been damaged?

Lewis Hamilton has a puncture on the opening lap. Photograph: Joe Portlock/Formula 1/Getty Images

Updated at 09.22 EDT

The cars head off on the formation lap, almost every driver starting on the soft compound tyre as you’d expect. Every driver bar one: Hamilton is on mediums.

Updated at 09.02 EDT

The starting grid:

1) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari2) Max Verstappen, Red Bull3) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari4) George Russell, Mercedes5) Sergio Perez, Red Bull6) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes7) Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo8) Kevin Magnussen, Haas9) Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren10) Mick Schumacher, Haas11) Lando Norris, McLaren12) Esteban Ocon, Alpine13) Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri14) Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri15) Guanyu Zhou, AlphaRomeo16) Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin17) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin18) Alexander Albon, Williams19) Nicholas Latifi, Williams20) Fernando Alonso, Alpine

Toto Wolff is not underestimating the effects of the heat: “I think whoever is going to melt the tyres the least is going to win the race – every plan we have will go in the bin anyway because whether it is a two-stop, three-stop or four-stop, we’re going to find out.” As if to prove his point, Sergio Perez is given an impromptu shower-by-hosepipe trackside.

… and the week’s semi-hilarious drama:

Not long now. Here’s some pre-race reading, on yesterday’s qualifying…

Newcastle United legend Patrick Kluivert is among the celebs watching on today. “I love Lewis, he stands for good things,” he says having been collared by Sky. He’s tipping City for the league, and Sergio Aguero is also among today’s spectators. Coincidence? Surely not.

The greatest striker in the history of Newcastle United. Photograph: Owen Humpyreys/PA

Updated at 08.53 EDT

Here’s Fernando Alonso, who has triumphed on this circuit – albeit nine years ago: “I have nothing to lose, and it can only get better starting last so we will be aggressive and see the outcome. Hopefully Carlos can give something extra starting from the front, and from my side, I’ll try and give a good show today.”

Sainz says tyre management will be key and he’s not wrong: the track is a blazing 48 degrees today and we’re expecting a two-stop race. Here’s what’s on offer:

What about the home drivers? Carlos Sainz starts in a great spot, third in the grid, and he has never failed to finish in the points here. “It’s a decent position,” he says. “I think the key will be the start, the tyre management.”

As for Fernando Alonso, he starts from the very back after an engine penalty and 17th-placed qualifying finish. It hardly augurs well, nor does the fact his five races this season have yielded two retirements and just one points finish: he may well be content with the latter here.

It’s a scorcher in Catalonia – well over 30 degrees – so all eyes will be on the drivers’ tyre strategy this afternoon. All the top three teams have equipped both their drivers with two new sets of mediums and one hard.

Meanwhile, here’s what Verstappen had to say about his loss of power in yesterday’s last qualifying lap: “It’s always difficult to tell but I couldn’t do my final run, either the DRS didn’t open or I just lost power. It’s a bit of a shame but I think overall, to be on the front row for us here, looking at the whole weekend so far, I think it was a good achievement.”

Preamble

After the pomp and showbiz of Miami, it’s game-face time at the Circuit de Catalunya, where Max Verstappen is looking to hunt down Charles Leclerc in the standings and on the asphalt with a third successive GP win. The Dutchman, coolly triumphant in Miami and Emilia-Romagna, looks to have found his feet following a disastrous start to the season but his task today is a formidable one.

His Monégasque rival, 19 points ahead in the standings, blitzed round the circuit with an almighty lap yesterday to beat Verstappen to pole. The way he spun out on his first run – and the fact he has never done better than fourth at this circuit – will give his competitors cause for hope, though the fact Verstappen’s car lost power in the final lap will bring unwelcome flashbacks of the early-season breakdowns that left him playing catch-up.

Both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships are beginning to take the shape of a two-horse race, with Ferrari and Red Bull accelerating away from the chasing pack in the latter. Desperate to quash any league-of-their-own vibes are the Mercedes team, who have floundered thus far this season, finding no answer to the problem of porpoising caused by the new regulatory constraints.

Yesterday, though, offered hints that they may be readying themselves to show up to the party, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton putting in their best combined qualifying of the season. “We’ve definitely moved forward, which is great,” ventured Hamilton after qualifying two places behind his teammate in sixth.

The week’s other fun has come thanks to Aston Martin, whose upgraded car bears a design strikingly similar to Red Bull. The fact that two senior aerodynamicists left Red Bull for Aston Martin last year led Christian Horner to bemoan the suspicious emergence of “a very close-looking clone”, which has since been dubbed the “green Red Bull” and Horner’s pit-wall team spent Friday’s practice pointedly sipping on green cans of Red Bull in gloriously petty protest. Watch this space.

Updated at 08.16 EDT