Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton won the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona to extend his drivers’ championship lead by 37 points on Sunday. The Mercedes driver is just three wins away from equalling Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 wins.
Hamilton registered his 88th career win after starting the race in pole position in Catalunya. He has 132 points.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who is behind Hamilton in the championship points, finished second with Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas finishing third. Verstappen has 95 points and Bottas 89.
Bottas also registered the fastest lap after a late stop for fresh tyres.
“I was in a different zone—I didn’t even realise it was the last lap,” said Hamilton, who finished 24.177 seconds clear of Verstappen. “I was just in a daze out there...I was ready to keep going.”
The British driver has now won four of six races since the late beginning to the season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Canadian driver for Racing Point team Lance Stroll took the fourth place. Sergio Perez, who had earlier contracted COVID-19, returned to the circuit and finished ahead of his teammate, but received a five-second penalty for ignoring blue warning flags, settling for the fifth place.
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel finished at seventh behind McLaren’s Spanish driver Carlos Sainz. Red Bull’s Alexander Albon was eighth for Red Bull, with AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly ninth and Lando Norris taking the final point for McLaren.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was the only retirement of the race.
(With inputs from agencies)
