Verstappen and Russell spark controversy in 2025 Spanish GP thriller

At the start of the Spanish Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri held on to the lead from pole position, while Max Verstappen immediately moved past Lando Norris, dropping the McLaren driver to third. Lewis Hamilton settled into fourth place, with Charles Leclerc also gaining a position after overtaking George Russell to complete the top five in the early stages of the race.

By lap 13, with Piastri beginning to pull clear at the front, Norris made his move on Verstappen to reclaim second place and set off in pursuit of his team-mate, who had already built a five-second advantage. Further back, Alex Albon's race came to an early end on lap 29 as the Williams driver retired from the Grand Prix. Two laps later, Oliver Bearman and Liam Lawson made contact in a minor incident, although both drivers were able to continue without significant damage.

On lap 55, Kimi Antonelli's race came to a premature end due to a technical issue, triggering a Safety Car and setting up a dramatic finish. The leading McLarens both pitted for fresh tyres, as did Verstappen, although the Dutchman was forced onto the hard compound, leaving him vulnerable at the restart. That weakness was immediately exposed as Leclerc swept past him to snatch third place.

The biggest controversy of the afternoon unfolded just moments later. Russell launched an attack around the outside of Turn 1, with the two drivers making contact as Verstappen ran wide and rejoined still ahead. The incident quickly became a talking point, with questions raised over whether the Red Bull driver had gained an advantage by leaving the track.

The drama escalated a few laps later when Verstappen was instructed to hand the position back. As Russell moved to overtake, the pair made contact once again in an incident that many observers viewed as deliberate. The stewards subsequently handed Verstappen a 10-second time penalty, dropping him from fifth to 10th in the final classification and dealing a significant blow to his championship hopes. At the front, Piastri remained untroubled throughout the chaos to secure victory ahead of Norris, completing a dominant McLaren one-two in Barcelona.

Barcelona will host the seventh round of the F1 season this year, with teams facing a busy three-day schedule at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Running begins on Friday with the opening two practice sessions, before drivers return on Saturday for one final hour of preparation ahead of qualifying. The weekend then reaches its climax on Sunday afternoon when the lights go out for the Spanish Grand Prix. The full session times in both BST and CET can be found below.