British F1 press reacts to the Spanish GP: 'Verstappen was helped by luck'

The 2022 Spanish GP saw a chaotic and frantic race where Max Verstappen won after spinning into the gravel early on, and a DNF from the lead for Charles Leclerc. But what does the British Media have to say about the race? Here we take a look.

BBC Sport

The BBC made a point to speak on the troubled Grand Prix for Ferrari after Leclerc's first DNF of the season and Carlos Sainz's early trip to the gravel traps. "Leclerc will be a strong favourite for victory in Monaco given the Ferrari's pace in the slow- and medium-speed corners in Spain, but the team are facing a difficult moment and must bounce back quickly. Leclerc's team-mate Sainz was unable to salvage their day," BBC states.

Daily Mirror

The Daily Mirror spoke on Max Verstappen's victory in Spain, and his firey temper throughout the race. "Verstappen was helped by a dollop of luck —the retirement of the front-running Leclerc on lap 27 of 66 — to secure his third victory in as many races. He did so despite problems with an occasionally non-functioning DRS that tried his patience to the limit. Fired up, he garbled irate messages over the radio and used the disruption as further fuel on his fiery temperament."

The Telegraph

While other publications may focus on Verstappen's win or Ferrari's disasterous day, The Telegraph focus on the promising pace of the Mercedes cars in the Grand Prix, and what it implies for the rest of the season. "After an extraordinary Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, a race in which Hamilton recovered from a first-lap puncture to finish fifth thanks to what team principal Toto Wolff described as “the fastest car in the race”, the Brackley team had ruled themselves right back in. What a day. And what a season we may now have in prospect." 

The Guardian

Just as the Telegraph were hopeful about the pace of the Mercedes, the Guardian was just as impressed with the performance from George Russell. "Equally Russell’s third-place finish was superb and thoroughly deserved – earned on pace and merit, it too represented the potential in both car and driver." It was a great drive from the Brit where he was battling for the lead of the race on merit.