Lewis Hamilton celebrates winning the 2017 Spanish Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton has won the 2017 Spanish Grand Prix, with some great racing and clever tactics conspiring to leave Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel as the runner-up.
Lewis Hamilton started the 2017 Spanish Grand Prix on pole, and ended it the winner. But in between came a properly enjoyable race which highlighted how much better F1 is with a resurgent Ferrari.
Hamilton made a poor start and Vettel sewpt past him, building a significant lead in just the first lap, and after an earlier stop for the Ferrari than the Mercedes it looked to be Vettel’s race.
But Mercedes had their proper thinking caps on, left Hamilton on a long middle stint, delayed Bottas’s pit stop to hold up Vettel, putting Hamilton with a few seconds of Vettel’s Ferrari.
After a mishap for Vandoorne’s McLaren, a virtual safety car let Hamilton choose the opportune moment to pit to take on softs, with Ferrari responding by pitting Vettel a lap later.
Vettel emerged side by side with Hamilton, forcing the Brit off track and taking the lead again, but seven laps alter Hamilton swept past Vettel to regain the lead and maintaining it to the chequered flag.
Unfortunately, Bottass’s contribution to Hamilton’s eventual win didn’t produce a good result when his engine blew on lap 39, handing third place to Red Bull’s Ricciardo (a long way back from the two leaders).
Earlier in the race Raikkonen and Verstappen retired after a coming together on the first lap, and it was Force India filling the gap with fourth and fifth for Perez and Ocon respectively.
Sixth place went to Hulkenburg in the Renault, the Toro Rossos of Sainz and Kvyat were split by Wehrelein in the Sauber in eight, and the last points place went to Grosjean in the Haas.
It was a poor day for Williams, with Massa finishing in 13th and Stroll in 16th, and for McLaren it was worse still, with Alonso failing to shine in front of his home crowd and finishing 12th, and Vandoorne out on lap 34.
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