Spanish Grand Prix (2014) RESULT

It’s another Mercedes front row for the 2014 Spanish Grand Prix, but can Lewis Hamilton hold off the challenge from Nico Rosberg to lead the drivers championship?

Every Grand Prix this season has seen Mercedes stand head and shoulders above the rest, and apart from the opening Grand Prix of the season it’s been Lewis Hamilton who’s taken the win – four in a row, so far.

And despite a big challenge to Hamilton’s lead in the closing stages of the 2014 Spanish Grand Prix, that’s exactly what happened in Barcelona, with Hamilton taking the win from Rosberg and finally taking the lead in the drivers championship race.

The Mercedes cars had an enormous advantage throughout the race, but Red Bull new boy Daniel Ricciardo held on to his pole position to end the race in third, and Sebastian Vettel fought his way from the middle of the also-rans after a five place penalty for a gearbox change to take fourth place, although it was a third and fourth place for Red Bull a long way behind the Mercedes duo.

Behind Vettel came Bottas for Williams, and Fernando Alonso managed to pass team mate Raikkonen in the closing stages for a sixth and seventh for Ferrari. Not a great showing for the Spaniard’s home race, but probably the best he could expect in this Mercedes dominated season.

Behind the Ferraris, Romain Grosjean finally managed to give Lotus some 2014 points with eighth place and the Force India duo of Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg took the last two points places in ninth and tenth.

Beyond the top ten points places lurked McLaren, with Jenson Button managing only 11th place – despite an eighth place start – followed by his new team mate, Magnussen, in twelfth.

We may only be five races in to the 2014 F1 season, but Mercedes already has more than twice the manufacturers points of Red Bull in second place and three times ferraris 66 points in third spot.

Similarly, Lewis Hamilton now leads the drivers race with 100 points, Nico Rosberg is on 97 and the closest anyone else gets is Fernando Alonso on 49 points.

Off to Monaco in two weeks time – a ‘home’ race for Nico Rosberg – where pole position will be probably more important than at any other race of the season.

If Rosberg can pip Hamilton he’ll have a fighting chance of his first win since the opening race. But it’s almost a certainty it will be a Mercedes on pole in Monaco, just as it has been throughout the season.