Spanish F1 Grand Prix 2016 Results: Winner, Standings, Highlights and Reaction | Bleacher Report Spanish F1 Grand Prix 2016 Results: Winner, Standings, Highlights and Reaction By Matt Jones , Featured Columnist May 15, 2016 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Mark Thompson/Getty Images 9 Comments Red Bull's Max Verstappen won a dramatic Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, becoming the youngest driver ever to win a Formula One race, as Mercedes duo Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton crashed out on the opening lap. The 18-year-old eventually came home ahead of Ferrari duo Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel in Barcelona. However, the main talking point from Catalonia came in the early stages, as Hamilton, overtaken by Rosberg on the opening lap, darted onto the grass, lost control of his car and collided with his team-mate.

Here are the results from the race and a closer look at how things panned out in a gripping grand prix: PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION — Formula 1 (@F1) May 15, 2016 Here's a run through the current constructors' standings: UPDATED CONSTRUCTORS' STANDINGS (AFTER FIVE ROUNDS) #SpanishGP 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/fNH6RSKcK1 — Formula 1 (@F1) May 15, 2016 Having taken pole position with a brilliant performance on Saturday, there was a superb chance for Hamilton to close the gap on the immaculate Rosberg, who had won all four races in 2016 coming into this one. But instead of a drawn-out battle between the two, they both went out in a blaze. Rosberg got the better start and did superbly to charge past his team-mate around the outside of the opening corner. Hamilton looked to have responded, though, picking up a brilliant tow into Turn 3.

However, as we can see courtesy of Gianlu D’Alessandro, it was a little too quick for Rosberg: — Gianlu D'Alessandro (@Gianludale27) May 15, 2016 While many sought to attribute blame to one of the drivers, F1 journalist Chris Medland was unsure whether either man was solely at fault in this instance: Tiny, tiny margins. Rosberg closed the door, Hamilton expected room. Hugely tough to say one wholly at fault. — Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) May 15, 2016 “They are both upset, upset for themselves and the team,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, per BBC Sport . "They were both apologetic towards the team. We have lost a potential one-two, a potential 43 points and a lot of effort has been thrown away.

It is a very difficult situation and it is not clear cut so I would not want to blame either of them at this point.” Clive Mason/Getty Images It was unfortunate for the Mercedes duo, but it was an incident that left the race wide open, with Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo leading from his Red Bull team-mate Verstappen, who, on a two-stop strategy, eventually moved to the front. As the Red Bull Twitter feed noted, it was shaping up to be a memorable afternoon for the youngster: As Daniel pits, Max completes lap 30 to become the youngest driver to lead an #F1 lap 👏🇪🇸 #SpanishGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/xMi2M4bNMY — Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) May 15, 2016 The Ferrari duo of Vettel and Raikkonen were in with a sniff too, and they quickly scythed through the field to get in touch with the leading duo. After some pit stops and strategy adaptation, Verstappen was still in front with 20 laps to go, and Raikkonen—18 years his senior—was keeping the Dutchman honest a second back.

Clive Mason/Getty Images The Mercedes crash left the Red Bull men in charge of the race. A little further back, a lot of the Spanish crowd were keeping tabs on their compatriot Fernando Alonso . However, his afternoon didn't pan out as he may have dreamt, per the F1 Twitter feed: LAP 47/66: 📻 "No power, no power" @alo_oficial grinds to a halt and is OUT! #SpanishGP 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/pn7wegJx15 — Formula 1 (@F1) May 15, 2016 Two separate battles were ongoing as the race wound into the final stages, with Raikkonen still trying to find a way past the obdurate youngster. Meanwhile, Ricciardo, on fresher tyres, was all over the back of Vettel. LLUIS GENE/Getty Images At the front, Verstappen was driving with the composure of a wily veteran, not giving Raikkonen a chance as the laps ticked down. And he was eventually able to fight off the Finn, pulling away in the latter stages and enjoying a historic moment as he took the chequered flag.

"It's amazing, I couldn't believe I was leading," said the winner, per Lawrence Barretto and Glenn Freeman of Autosport. Verstappen continued: It's a very big surprise, I didn't expect that. Unbelievable, I can't believe it. I was targeting a podium but to win straight away is an amazing feeling. In the last laps I got a bit of cramp—I was getting very excited, I couldn't believe it. I was looking at the pitboard, saw my name with 10 laps to go, then started to watch the board. I was thinking 'don't look at it, focus on the tyres and bring it home.' It's a great feeling. I absolutely didn't expect this.

Ricciardo, as we can see here, suffered a dramatic puncture on the penultimate lap to put him out of the running: LAP 65/66: Agony for Ricciardo - a puncture on penultimate lap #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/siPkT0dDcD — Formula 1 (@F1) May 15, 2016 It's a remarkable achievement for Verstappen, who has showcased immense promise ever since he made his debut in the sport. To keep things together so well in the final stages with someone like Raikkonen in close pursuit was stunning given his inexperience, and it capped off a performance that will be remembered for years to come. Mercedes will want to keep a lid on things in the wake of the Lap 1 incident, especially given the tense relationship between their two drivers as it is. Hamilton will ultimately be the man most disappointed, though. A strong start and a lead into the first corner would have made him very tough to beat, instead he gave his team-mate a chance.

Stat Wrap: 2016 Spanish Grand Prix - News - Formula 1 - Channel 4 Stat Wrap: 2016 Spanish Grand Prix 16 May 2016 Max Verstappen celebrates his maiden F1 win Spanish Grand Prix Stat Wrap - By Sean Kelly Are you sitting comfortably? You might be here a little while longer than usual this week…. You’ve heard the main stats by now. At 18 years 227 days old on Sunday, Max Verstappen smashed Sebastian Vettel’s records for youngest man to lead a race (Japan 2007, 20 years 89 days), then the youngest man to either finish on the podium or win a race (Italy 2008, 21 years 73 days). In doing so, he also matched Vettel’s distinction of taking his first podium on the same day as his first win. It’s highly significant that this was the first race win in Red Bull’s F1 history without Vettel as one half of their driver lineup.

If matching a four-time world champion weren’t enough, Verstappen is the first driver to switch teams in mid-season and then win for the new team first time out since Juan-Manuel Fangio jumped out of a Maserati and (ironically) into a Mercedes to win the 1954 French Grand Prix. Before Sunday, no Dutchman had ever led a Grand Prix, let alone won one. They are the 22nd nation to produce a Grand Prix winner, coincidentally scoring their first win on the same track that produced the 21st winning nation (Venezuela, when Pastor Maldonado won in 2012). The playing of the Dutch and Austrian anthems on the podium meant the end of 30 consecutive podium ceremonies featuring the German anthem. — Channel 4 F1® (@C4F1) May 16, 2016 Verstappen’s fourth on the grid tied Jan Lammers’ best-ever by a Dutch driver, which in itself had stood undisturbed for 36 years since the 1980 Long Beach Grand Prix.

He is creeping progressively closer to claiming 19-year-old Ricardo Rodriguez’ record as the youngest-ever front row qualifier, one of the oldest-standing F1 records, set at the 1961 Italian Grand Prix. His qualifying performance was also the best by a driver after a midseason change of teams since Heinz-Harald Frentzen was fourth on the grid at the 2001 Belgian Grand Prix for Prost, a few races after being sacked by Jordan. Verstappen being the 10th different winner in the last 10 races there. It’s only the second circuit in history to see such a streak, but the first one to take place in 10 continuous years. Mexico City saw 11 different winners but with a 16-year gap along the way, as the race was absent from the calendar between 1970 and 1986. Red Bull’s engine is badged by TAG-Heuer, and it’s the first time that TAG have had their name on a race-winning engine since Alain Prost won the 1987 Portuguese Grand Prix for McLaren-TAG.

That race was significant as the one in which Prost scored his 28th win, a record at the time and surpassing the mark held by Jackie Stewart since the 1973 German Grand Prix. Before Sunday, 92% of all F1 races in Catalunya had been won from the front row, and 13 of the last 15 Spanish GPs were won by pole position. Verstappen was the coincidentally first driver to win a Grand Prix from outside the top three on the grid since Daniel Ricciardo won the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix from fifth, which was Red Bull’s last win before Sunday. Verstappen won the race by beating a driver (Kimi Raikkonen) who was racing in F1 when the Dutchman was only three years old. In fact, he beat a driver who raced against his father in F1 from 2001-'03, and both Kimi Raikkonen and Jos Verstappen scored points in the 2001 Austrian Grand Prix. And those are just the stats on the driver who finished first….

Raikkonen, for his part, claimed a third podium finish in the past four races, but despite moving up to second in the championship he still doesn’t have a win since the 2013 Australian GP, and his last victory for Ferrari was way back at the 2009 Belgian GP. Sebastian Vettel made his 162nd start on Sunday (surpassing Ayrton Senna), but was unable to prevent the loss of his age records to Verstappen. Since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix it was only the second time that both Ferraris were on the podium in the same race, following on from the 2015 Singapore GP. Spare a thought for Daniel Ricciardo, who saw Daniil Kvyat finish on the podium in China, and has now seen Max Verstappen win in Spain, yet Ricciardo still doesn’t have a podium in 2016 despite finishing fourth on four occasions! Now, about THAT collision…. Mercedes had topped every session held in Catalunya in the last two years.

They have also locked out the front row for four straight years, and no non-Mercedes had been within 0.680s of pole in Spain since 2013. They claimed 1-2 finishes in the 2014 and 2015 races without any other driver getting within 45 seconds of them. In other words, this had 'easiest 1-2 of the season' written all over it. Instead, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg contrived to give Mercedes the ignominy of losing both cars on the first lap of a race for the first time in their entire history. Moreover, it was the first time that the front row starters had eliminated each other on the first lap of an F1 race since the most famous F1 crash of them all – Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at the first corner of the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix.

— Channel 4 F1® (@C4F1) May 15, 2016 This ended Mercedes AMG’s winning streak at 10 races in a row, one short of the all-time record of 11, ironically set by Prost and Senna as Mclaren teammates in 1988. Rosberg’s quest for an eighth consecutive victory also drew a blank less than 30 seconds into the race. Historically, this race will stand as one of the most statistically significant in world championship history. You may raise a glass to Max Verstappen, and should Max himself chose to do so he can be thankful that his maiden win came in Spain, where the legal drinking age is 18. Had this been the US Grand Prix, Verstappen would have had to wait until September 2018 before drinking the champagne… Youngest Winners in Formula 1 history Youngest Winners in Formula 1 history CarWale Team View photos The 2016 Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday provided us with the youngest ever Formula 1 race winner in Max Verstappen. Here’s a list of the youngest winners in the premier competition of car racing.

Max Verstappen Verstappen was just 18 years and 227 days old on Sunday when he won at the Circuit de Catalunya. Son of former F1 driver Jos Verstappen, Max managed to beat Sebastian Vettel’s record by a huge margin of 2 years and 210 days. Verstappen qualified in fourth and thanks to a two-stop strategy run to perfection, finished in front of the two Ferraris. Barcelona also marked the debut of Verstappen at Red Bull Racing after swapping seats with Daniil Kyvat who moved to Toro Rosso. Max became the first Dutch driver to win an F1 race, which was the icing on the cake. View photos Sebastian Vettel The youngest quadruple world champion really does not need an introduction. But back in 2008, not many had heard of the young German when he put his Toro Rosso on pole at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. Vettel won the race in dominant fashion, leading for almost the entire duration in wet conditions. That weekend would mark the first pole and victory for Toro Rosso as well as Vettel.

Seb was 21 years and 73 days old when he broke the record which was previously held by Fernando Alonso. View photos Fernando Alonso Spaniard Alonso became the youngest GP winner on 24th August, 2003 with victory at the Hungaroring circuit in Hungary. Piloting a Renault, Alonso put his car on pole position and was in complete control of the race from the start. Such was his domination on the day, he even managed to lap the then reigning champion Michael Schumacher who was running in eight. Aged 22 years and 26 days, Fernando beat the long-standing record held by the legendary Bruce McLaren set in 1959. View photos Bruce McLaren New Zealander Bruce McLaren is world renowned for starting the McLaren Racing Team. But it is a lesser known fact that he was the record holder for the youngest driver to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix for almost half a century. Bruce set the record at the 1959 US Grand Prix when he was 22 years and 104 days old.

Driving for the Cooper Works team, McLaren won the race in dramatic fashion as his teammate Jack Brabham’s car sputtered to a halt 400 yards from the finish line on the last lap. McLaren was running behind him in second and was urged on by Brabham frantically towards the line resulting in him winning the race. View photos Lewis Hamilton The current reigning Formula 1 World Champion won his first race at the age of 22 years and 154 days. Driving a McLaren, Hamilton won the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix from pole in his rookie season. The result would also give Hamilton the lead in the championship, the first rookie to do so. However, he lost the title to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen in the last round at Brazil. Dutch teenager becomes youngest F1 winner at Spanish Grand Prix | Toronto Star Dutch teenager becomes youngest F1 winner at Spanish Grand Prix Red Bull’s Max Verstappen a shocking winner after Mercedes teammates Rosberg, Hamilton collide Red Bull's Max Verstappen, 18, becme the youngest F1 winner, displacing Sebastian Vettel, who first won at 21.

(JOSEP LAGO / AFP/GETTY IMAGES) By Tales AzzoniThe Associated Press Sun., May 15, 2016 BARCELONA, SPAIN—Dutch teenager Max Verstappen stunned Formula One with victory at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, taking advantage of a crash by Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to become the sport’s youngest winner only a few days after being promoted by his team Red Bull. The 18-year-old Verstappen drove like a veteran to secure the victory after fending off a late challenge by Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, who not long ago was racing against Verstappen’s father, former F1 driver Jos Verstappen. “It feels amazing. I can’t believe it,” Verstappen said. “To win straight away in my first race with Red Bull is incredible.” The spectacular victory — the first ever by a Dutchman in F1 — comes with Verstappen nearly three years younger than the previous youngest winner, Sebastian Vettel, who was 21 when he won for the first time. Vettel, now 28, was third in Sunday’s race. Verstappen’s teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, was fourth.

Article Continued Below “It’s very special to win your first race and today is his day. It’s an incredible achievement,” said Vettel, a four-time world champion. “If you are quick enough you belong here. I don’t think it matters whether you are 18 (or older.)” Verstappen also became the youngest driver to make it to the podium. “It’s a very big surprise, of course I didn’t expect that,” Verstappen said. “I couldn’t believe that I was leading the race. Today everything went well. Unbelievable.” Verstappen was in second place behind Ricciardo after the Mercedes crash, but moved to the front after a round of pit stops with less than 25 laps to go and stayed there until the end despite the pressure from Raikkonen, who finished less than a second behind. “Max Verstappen, you are a race winner, fantastic,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said over team radio after his driver crossed the finish line. “What a great debut. Fantastic. Great, great job.” With his father watching closely, Verstappen got out of the car and pumped his fist into the air before running toward the team mechanics to celebrate.

Jos, who had not finished better than third in his career, was visibly moved as his son received the winner’s trophy on the podium. “He is doing an incredible job, especially with his age,” he said. “I’m so happy that he is with Red Bull because they can develop him even more and for sure he has all the potential in him.” The younger Verstappen had been attracting all the attention in the run-up to the Spanish GP after Red Bull made the surprise announcement that the youngster was moving up from Toro Rosso to replace Daniil Kvyat. He answered the challenge with victory in only his 24th career race in F1. It was a wild start at the Barcelona track. Hamilton was in pole position but was overtaken by Rosberg at the start, and when the British driver tried to regain the lead, he appeared to be blocked by his teammate and both cars touched going into Turn 4, spinning across the track and into the gravel at the runoff area. The crash prompted deployment of the safety car and both drivers retired. “Completely unnecessary,” former driver Niki Lauda, Mercedes’ non-executive chairman, said from the pit lane. “That both Mercedes are out after two corners is for me unacceptable.

Lewis was too aggressive, why should Nico give him room? He’s in the lead. I blame Lewis more than I blame Nico.” Rosberg didn’t directly blame Hamilton but said he didn’t do anything wrong, adding that the crash ruined what seemed a certain victory after he jumped to the front at the start. Hamilton said it was “unfortunate” and a “big loss for the team.” Toto Wolff, head of Mercedes motorsport, didn’t want to blame either of the drivers, noting that similar incidents must be avoided in the future. It was the latest setback for Hamilton, who is yet to win a race in a season in which he has been plagued by mechanical issues and unfortunate incidents. He hasn’t won since the United States GP in October. The crash also ended Rosberg’s chance of winning his eighth straight race. He had already won the first four this year and could have become the first driver to win five in a row to start the season since Michael Schumacher with Ferrari in 2004. Nigel Mansell also won the first five races with Williams in 1992. Williams’ Valtteri Bottas finished fifth, followed by Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz and Force India’s Sergio Perez.

Bottas teammate Felipe Massa was eighth after starting 18th, while McLaren’s Jenson Button and Kvyat completed the top 10. Home crowd-favourite Fernando Alonso retired with a power unit failure. Read more about: Max Verstappen becomes the youngest ever winner at Spanish Grand Prix after Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton crash out Max Verstappen becomes the youngest ever winner at Spanish Grand Prix after Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton crash out Max Verstappen celebrates on the podium after winning his maiden grand prix on Sunday 3:14PM Grand Prix debuatant Verstappen off to flying start Max Verstappen took advantage of a jaw-dropping first-lap collision between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to become Formula One's youngest-ever winner of an incredible Spanish Grand Prix. Eighteen-year-old Verstappen showed maturity beyond his tender years on his Red Bull debut to fend off the challenge from Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who at 36 is twice as old as the Dutchman.

The tone was set for a race that will live long in the memory after pole-sitter Hamilton lost control of his car and crashed into Rosberg at turn three, taking both Mercedes drivers out of the grand prix in one swoop. Niki Lauda, Mercedes' non-executive chairman, instantly apportioned blame to Hamilton describing the world champion's actions as "too aggressive". Hamilton and Rosberg, yet to comment on the incident, will now report to the stewards with the opening-lap incident under investigation. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel crossed the line in third to complete the podium. Daniel Ricciardo, who led the opening phase of the race, was forced to pit on the penultimate lap with a puncture. 2:27PM Lap 54 of 66 Jenson Button is in 10th after Kvyat's pit stop but he is not happy with Rio Haryanto who he feels is holding him up. Upfront, nothing has changed. Some finish is on the cards here... 2:27PM Lap 53 of 66 Unless Verstappen makes a mistake he could very possibly become the youngest ever winner of a Grand Prix.

The 18-year-old remains nearly a second ahead of Kimi Raikkonen Lap 52 of 66 Kvyat pits in 10th but there's not much action ahead of him. Raikkonen has DRS but the number of laps he has to close the gap is falling... 2:20PM Lap 49 of 66 Unless disaster strikes Verstappen is surely guaranteed a top four finish which would be a remarkable achievement. Bottas in 5th is over half a minute behind Ricciardo. But he doesn't look like settling. He still leads by nearly a second Lap 48 of 66 Raikkonen is within a second of Verstappen and can therefore use DRS. Can he close the gap? The two leaders have only had two stops. Could that prove a good decision? Ricciardo is closing in on Vettel in third! The gap is down to around 3 seconds...

2:18PM Lap 47 of 66 The engineers are rolling Alonso's car off the track and everything is continuing without too much disruption...Verstappen still leads 2:15PM Lap 45 of 66 Verstappen is around two thirds of the way there...He has some of the most experienced drivers on his tail but so far the Red Bull debutant is holding on... Lap 44 of 66 Ricciardo comes into the pits! He is out and now sits in fourth, 7.3 seconds off his team-mate Verstappen. Is that too big a gap to close? The 18-year-old has been on his medium tyres for around 10 laps... 2:10PM Lap 42 of 66 David Coulthard predicts that if Ricciardo carries on at this rate, he will miss out on the podium. Massa is in to pit so is now out of the points.

He started in 18th and rejoins the race in 11th but will be a lot quicker than the two Mclaren drivers Button and Alonso ahead of him 2:09PM Lap 41 of 66 Ricciardo's lead is being chipped away at as he tries to make his tyres last as long as possible. He is lapping nearly 2 seconds slower than Verstappen and Raikkonen behind him... Surely he will have to pit soon? 2:05PM Lap 39 of 66 With a track temperature of 41 degrees, how much longer can Ricciardo cope before coming in to pit? Vettel has just recorded another very, very quick circuit. This is going to be very close... 2:04PM Lap 38 of 66 Ricciardo leads and has a bit of clear track behind him. He is 11.5 seconds ahead of his team-mate Verstappen in second. But the Ferrari cars are lapping quicker!

Vettel is only 19 seconds behind Ricciardo meaning he will likely be ahead of the leader when he does pit again 2:03PM Lap 37 of 66 Vettel is in this time! He has a medium set of tyres and will go to the end on these! How will Ricciardo respond? 2:00PM Lap 36 of 66 The Ferrari pit team are out again but Vettel drives past! False alarm or a cheeky little ploy to put off Red Bull? Who knows... 1:59PM Lap 35 of 66 Raikonnen immediately responds and comes in to pit. He can't get out before Verstappen and Ricciardo is back in the lead with Vettel bearing down on him... 1:57PM Lap 34 of 66 We are beyond halfway and Verstappen comes into the pit! He remains on the medium tyres so he should be able to last until the end of the race...

He comes out 11.7 seconds behind new leader Kimi Raikkonen 1:56PM Lap 32 of 66 Mercedes director Toto Wolff has had his say on the Hamilton and Rosberg crash. It was the first time ever Mercedes has lost two drivers on first lap and he told Channel 4: Wolff (left) was not happy after his two drivers collided Credit: Shutterstock "It's not clear cut. Nico had a really good turn one and turn two...Lewis tried to dive in, Nico shut the door. It's not a situation you can attribute 100% of the blame to one driver...Both of them were upset about the situation. There wasn't any finger pointing." 1:53PM Lap 31 of 66 21.6 seconds separate the leader Verstappen and fourth-placed Vettel. But the German is closing in on Ricciardo. How long can Verstappen and Raikkonen last before their next pit? 1:52PM Lap 30 of 66 Verstappen leads by nearly 4 seconds from Kimi Raikkonen. It's then around another 10 seconds back to Daniel Ricciardo..

And the 18-year-old Red Bull debutant has just registered his fastest lap of the day... Lap 29 of 66 Verstappen leads the Spanish GP at 18-years-old. Do you feel like a failure too? Sebastian Vettel is into the pits for some soft tyres, can he get out ahead of Ricciardo? No! Ricciardo has got ahead and that could be key... Lap 28 of 66 Daniel Ricciardo has come into the pits earlier than expected! Soft tyres look like they are coming on which means he will have to stop again! Over to you again, Max. 1:47PM Lap 27 of 66 Daniel Ricciardo was the last Red Bull driver to win a race, in Belgium in 2014. As the race nears the halfway point, can he hold on?

Raikonnen is still around three seconds back but there are suggestions it is a ploy to keep his tyres in good position to maintain a two-stop strategy 1:46PM Lap 26 of 66 Ricciardo comes into the final straight and although his team-mate Verstappen can use the DRS to close the gap, Ricciardo remains in the lead. Raikkonnen is slipping back from the front 4, he is now 3.3 seconds back but only his team-mate Vettel has lapped quicker so far today... 1:41PM Lap 23 of 66 Hulkenberg is the third casualty of the race but has not had an impact at the top of the standings. Verstappen, Vettel and Raikkonen are closing in on the race leader Ricciardo...can he hold on? Lap 22 of 66 Nico Hulkenberg is out of the race! The Force India driver has a fire at the back of his car and has to find a safe place to stop... We have a yellow flag.

Hulkenberg looks at his damaged car Credit: Channel 4 1:38PM Lap 21 of 66 With Verstappen closing in on Ricciardo and Raikonnen coming up behind Vettel, we have a top 4 who are pulling away 1:37PM Lap 20 of 66 Vettel was 4.5 seconds the two leaders before the pit stops. Now he's within a couple of seconds...this could get tasty Lap 19 of 66 Here comes Vettel... He is closing in on the two Red Bulls and finds himself only around two seconds of the leader. He went into the pits three laps later so has fresher tyres. Could that be key? 1:34PM Lap 18 of 66 Ricciardo has a lead of around a second from his team-mate Max Verstappen. It's a front three with Vettel hot on their heels with a gap to the rest of the pack... 1:33PM Lap 17 of 66 Formula One great Nikki Lauda has reportedly blamed Lewis Hamilton for that crash. As Daniel Johnson says: 'the debate begins'.

On the track Valtteri Bottas has overtaken Sainz in part thanks to two second pit stop...not bad that. Lap 16 of 66 The two Mercedes cars are being lifted by cranes as the race continues without Hamilton and Rosberg... It's a shame we haven't seen the battle we hoped for between those two. But it has opened up the race...Ricciardo still leads. Lap 15 of 66 Sebastien Vettel eventually pits at the end of the 15th lap. It's a quick turnaround and he's out in third, just behind the two Red Bull drivers. Back to square one after a round of pit stops... 1:27PM Lap 14 of 66 Raikonnen gets past Gutierez after recording the quickest lap of his race so far. Vettel has a healthy lead and we all know how hard it is to overtake in Barcelona... Lap 9 of 66 Home driver Fernando Alonso is into the pits already. Looks like he's going for three-stop strategy. Raikkonen was just squeezed off the track while trying to get past Sainz and has to give back the position off..

1:18PM Lap 8 of 66 Vettel has done it! He's passed Sainz on the first corner as he tries to close the gap on the top two. Raikkonen is still stuck behind... Kvyat is told he has to give two positions back after taking over while the safety car is on. "You must be joking?" he responds. 1:16PM Lap 7 of 66 Both Vettel and Raikkonen of Ferrari are bearing down on Sainz as the two Red Bull drivers battle it out at the front! 1:02PM Here we go... Everyone appears to have come through unscathed and the cars are lining up on the grid for the real thing! 1:01PM Formation lap At 2pm local time on the dot, the cars set up for their final lap before race time. Everyone is believed to be on a soft tyre, with many on a new set... Nothing rogue to report so far...

12:56PM Some last minute reminders With around five minutes until the race gets under way, here is a little reminder of what to expect: Lewis Hamilton starts on poll ahead of his team-mate Nico Rosberg, with the two Red Bull drivers on the second grid ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton starts on pole in Barcelona Credit: AP This circuit, which is just over 4.5km long, is notoriously difficult for overtaking so a good start is crucial. Can Hamilton hold on to secure his first victory of the season? Stay with us to find out! 12:50PM 15 minutes to go! The drivers and officials line up as the Spanish national anthem blasts out around the track. Not long left until lights out! Fernando Alonso at his home Grand Prix Credit: Channel 4 12:48PM Verstappen: 'Pressure keeps you motivated' Coulthard has now tracked down the man of the moment Max Verstappen, the 18-year-old Belgian who starts in fourth.

He is positive ahead of the race, saying "I think it's very positive for us...hopefully we can have a good start and from then on we have a good race" Max Verstappen of Red Bull starts in fourth Credit: EPA And he seems unfazed by the growing hype surrounding him: "It's good pressure. You always get pressure. It keeps you motivated." Nice. Coulthard just made a joke which went straight over Verstappen's head and was met with an awkward "yep". Move on quickly, Dave. Mercedes 'like it when it gets tight' Channel 4's man on the ground David Coulthard is making his way round the grid. He caught up with Mercedes' president Dieter Zetsche who has welcomed the improvement of the Red Bull team: "I like it when it is getting tight...I would like to win the championship in the final race by one point." Zetsche with his two drivers, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton Credit: Getty Images 12:37PM Here they go... With less than 25 minutes to go until race time, the cars are making their way out onto the track... A penny for Lewis Hamilton's thoughts...

The cars make their way out onto the track in Barcelona Credit: Channel 4 Hamilton: criticism 'spurs me on' Lewis Hamilton has said that when people question his attitude it only serves to 'spur him on'. He also rebuffed criticism of his lavish private life and claimed that the mechanical problems he has endured this season hurt less than any individual mistakes he has made: Hamilton starts the Spanish Grand Prix on pole Credit: Reuters "When you make a mistake it's probably more painful. There is no one else to blame, he told Channel 4. He starts today on pole and says victory today would be very sweet: 'It would be number 44 . Whether it's tomorrow or whenever, for sure it's going to be very, very special," he said. 12:26PM Horner hails 'staggering' Red Bull qualifying Red Bull principal Christian Horner has praised the qualifying performance of his two drivers ahead of today's race in Barcelona. Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen will start in third and fourth position, respectively, ahead of the two Ferraris.

Horner (centre) with his two Red Bull drivers Credit: Getty Images And Horner told Channel 4 the result was unexpected and a result of "a staggering perfomance by both of our guys." Horner reserved special praise for Ricciardo, calling his qualifying lap "one of those great sporting moments." Daniel Ricciardo will start today's race in third Credit: Getty Images For his part, the Australian called his third place finish the "icing on the cake." Speaking ahead of the race he told Channel 4: "I'd be happy with third. Sitting here now it's probably the best we can achieve. I want that podium." 12:14PM Crunch time for Lewis Hamilton! Could this be the turning point in a so-far-one-sided Formula One season? After a stuttering start to the year, Lewis Hamilton roared into a crucial pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix. He trails his team-mate by 43 points but could today be the day he turns his season around? Hamilton celebrates his pole position in Barcelona Credit: Reuters Daniel Johnson gives us his prediction ahead of today's race: "Finally Lewis Hamilton was in good mood on a Saturday night after his stunning pole yesterday.

But today is what counts. He needs a win big time. If he leads after the first lap I can't see him being beaten." All change at Ferrari? Hello and welcome to our live coverage of today's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona! We are one hour away from the start of the race. Lewis Hamilton starts on pole ahead of team-mate Nico Rosberg, with Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel consigned to the third row of the grid after a disappointing qualifying session for Ferrari. Here is the Telegraph's Formula One Correspondent Daniel Johnson with the latest goings-on at Ferrari: Sergio Marchionne, the president of Ferrari Credit: Getty Images "Sergio Marchionne, the ruthless, old-man-jumper wearing president of Ferrari, was greeted by a gaggle of reporters in the paddock this morning. It did not help Ferrari were so dismal in qualifying yesterday. But he firmly rebuffed rumours than Maurizio Arrivabene, the team principal, is set for the chop. We'll see." 11:52AM Hamilton's six-point plan for success After watching his team-mate Nico Rosberg win the first four races of the season, Lewis Hamilton secured a priceless pole position ahead of today's Grand Prix.

Hamilton currently sits 43 points behind the German in the Drivers' World Championship and our man in Barcelona, Daniel Johnson, has laid out the six areas the Englishman needs to improve if he is to get his season back on track: Improve reliability: "In four races he has had as many mechanical problems as he did in the entire 2015 season." Hamilton must rewrite history to win this year's Drivers' World Championship Credit: Getty Images Stay out of stewards' office: "Hamilton cannot afford another reprimand or visit to the stewards' office. One more and he will be facing a 10-place grid penalty." Fix his stuttering starts: "If you get away from pole in first then no one can disturb your progress.

Hamilton could do without falling into the midfield on the first lap again." Put Rosberg off his game: "Hamilton must find a way of getting under Rosberg's skin, beyond pointing out his team-mate has had all the luck these past few months." Rosberg (right) has won the first four races of the season Credit: Getty Images Keep his mind on track: "Hamilton has seemed bruised by his troubles but never beaten...[but] there are the persistent questions surrounding his lifestyle." Confound history: "Hamilton has made history before...[but] no driver has ever won the first four races of the season and not been crowned champion at the end of the year." 11:37AM Prost has his say... Ahead of his punditry debut on Channel 4, Formula One legend Alain Prost has given his thoughts on the enduring rivalry between Mercedes team-mates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. The pair, who enjoy a frosty relationship at times, shall we say, start today's race alongside each other on the front row. Prost knows all about battling a teammate at the top following his long rivalry with Aryton Senna at Ferrari.

He told our Formula One correspondent Daniel Johnson that a Hamilton victory today will put the pressure back on the German Rosberg: Rosberg has had the upper hand in the early part of the season Credit: Getty Images "If Lewis wins on Sunday we have to see how Nico reacts, but I think he is stronger than ever. I really don't know how it is going to end up." 11:14AM What time does the race start? The fifth race of the season takes place at the Circuit de Catalunya on Sunday afternoon with racing due to start at 1pm (BST). Where can I watch it? You can catch build-up and then lap-by-lap action on Sky Sports F1 from 12pm. Alternatively, you can also follow the action right here in our lap-by-lap live blog. What does starting grid look like? 1st row 2016 Formula One Spanish Grand Prix race report Max Verstappen comes of age with his first F1 win 18-year-old Max Verstappen rewrote the record books as he became the youngest winner in F1 history.

By Paul Keith on 15 May 2016 The Dutch teenager, promoted to Red Bull Racing in time for the Spanish Grand Prix , produced an astonishing performance in the sweltering heat of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Having battled to the lead, Max Verstappen held Kimi Raïkkönen at bay for lap after lap as the Ferrari driver probed for a way past. But even with the aid of DRS, the 2007 world champion was unable to close a gap of less than half a second on the race leader. Verstappen took the chequered flag to become the youngest F1 winner in history, the first Dutch driver to win a grand prix and the youngest F1 driver to lead a grand prix – all this on his debut for Red Bull Racing .

Max Verstappen becomes F1’s youngest winner © Dan Istitene/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool Max Verstappen is F1’s youngest winner © Mark Thompson/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool Max Verstappen with the winner’s trophy © Mark Thompson/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool Vetttel sprays champagne at Max Verstappen © Mark Thompson/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool But as undoubtedly talented as Verstappen is, no one expected this when the cars lined up for the start: Mercedes were again the class of the field and held a comfortable margin during qualifying. The only way they might lose was if they tripped over each other. Nico Rosberg got another rocket start from P2 and took the lead, Lewis Hamilton fought back but Rosberg shut the door firmly, Hamilton got on the grass, spun and collected his braking team-mate on the way into the gravel. It meant Mercedes's Spanish GP was over in less than one minute. The inquest will certainly last longer. "That both Mercedes are out after two corners is unacceptable," said Niki Lauda. "Lewis was too aggressive – why should Nico give him room? He's in the lead.

I blame Lewis more than I blame Nico." The wreckage of Hamilton and Rosberg's cars © Mark Thompson/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool The start of the Spanish Grand Prix © Dan Istitene/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool Rosberg and Hamilton battle for the lead © Mark Thompson/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool Daniel Ricciardo leads Max Verstappen © Mark Thompson/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool Daniel Ricciardo inherited the lead with Verstappen behind him, followed by Carlos Sainz for Toro Rosso, with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Räikkönen behind. It was, frankly, the most exciting grand prix for a long time. In the searing heat on track, tyre strategy was always going to be crucial, with Pirelli suggesting a two-stop strategy would be the best approach. Red Bull Racing and Ferrari both split their strategies: Ricciardo and Vettel three-stopped, Verstappen and Räikkönen did two. Vettel successfully undercut Ricciardo in their final pitstops to set up a fascinating finale: Verstappen held the lead, with Räikkönen within DRS range behind, and down the road Vettel held off Ricciardo.

With 20 laps to go any one of the four could have won. In the end, a puncture forced Ricciardo to retire and Verstappen, with Räikkönen in his slipstream, slithered and slid to the line, writing history as he took the chequered flag. Tweet of the Day: Misfiring Fire marshal misses fire When Nico Hulkenberg's Force India went up in flames, this unfortunate marshal got on the wrong end of a fire extinguisher. Related Stories Spanish Grand Prix 2016: Winners and Losers from Barcelona Race | Bleacher Report Spanish Grand Prix 2016: Winners and Losers from Barcelona Race By Oliver Harden , Featured Columnist May 15, 2016 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow David Ramos/Getty Images 3 Comments Max Verstappen claimed the first victory of his Formula One career in Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. After starting fourth on the grid, the 18-year-old drove with exceptional maturity on his Red Bull debut to withstand late pressure from Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and become the youngest winner in the history of the sport.

Verstappen's route to success was helped by the trials and tribulations of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, who both retired on the first lap after making contact at Turn 4. The incident left both championship protagonists red-faced, but the collision's fallout only enhanced the reputation of the Mercedes hierarchy—and team boss Toto Wolff in particular. With a look at Daniel Ricciardo's frustrating race, Carlos Sainz Jr.'s statement of intent and more, here are the main winners and losers from Spain. Winner: Max Verstappen Peter J Fox/Getty Images Dabbing his eyes with a tissue as he headed for the crowd gathering beneath the podium, Jos Verstappen's voice trembled as he told Sky Sports' television coverage of his son's "unbelievable" accomplishment. Helmut Marko, the head of Red Bull's young-driver program, was among the first to offer his congratulations, and he was soon joined by the great and good of modern-day Formula One. Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen almost seemed honoured to join him for his very first podium appearance, and even Fernando Alonso paid a visit to parc ferme despite the disappointment of retiring from his home race.

In fact, almost every member of the paddock felt compelled to pay tribute to him, with everyone fully aware they had just witnessed one of the most remarkable moments in their sport's history. Everyone except the boy wonder himself, who somehow made his achievement feel like the most natural thing in the world. From the moment he arrived in Formula One little more than a year ago, the most impressive aspect about Max Verstappen was not so much his inherent pace and overtaking prowess, but his sheer self-confidence. He was unconcerned about his lack of experience compared to his rivals, thought little of passing a competitor around the outside of Spa's fearsome Blanchimont corner and didn't hesitate when it came to refusing the instructions of his own team whenever he saw fit. So, in the closing stages of the Spanish GP when he was being pursued by the Ferrari of Raikkonen—a man double his age—it was inevitable that Verstappen would absorb any pressure exerted on him. He kept perfecting every braking point. He kept kissing every apex. He kept it neat and tidy on the exit of corners—particularly the final turn ahead of the long main straight—nursing his ageing Pirellis all the while.

And he became the youngest driver to win a race in the pinnacle of motorsport at the age of 18 years and 228 days, per the official F1 website . It is, without doubt, the first of many, the start of something special. Loser: The Mercedes Drivers LLUIS GENE/Getty Images Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton had barely come to a halt in the Turn 4 gravel trap when the high courts of cyberspace delivered their wide-ranging verdicts. Had Lewis been too opportunistic for his own good on the approach to the long, winding right-hander? Was Nico— not for the first time in his career—guilty of fighting a battle he was already in the process of losing? In the modern era, there is often a stampede to deem someone—anyone—responsible for every single on-track collision, to the point where the innocence and the meaning of a traditional "racing incident" is in danger of being lost in the blame game.

Although Hamilton and Rosberg were both criticised by different sections of social media, their collision (and the events leading up to it) was little more than a case of two drivers—one attacking too aggressively, the other defending too aggressively—conspiring to let their team down. On Saturday evening, Hamilton told Mercedes' official website how pleased he was with himself to have claimed pole position in the three races his car had functioned properly in qualifying. But he has now failed to convert pole position into a first-corner lead in each of those grands prix, having been outthought and outmuscled by his team-mate at Turn 1 in Spain after making slow starts in Australia and Bahrain. Rosberg, meanwhile, deserved credit for his brave, well-executed pass around the outside of the driver widely regarded as the best on the grid in terms of wheel-to-wheel combat. Yet the most intelligent driver in F1 was not quite so smart when he began the race with the "wrong" engine setting—as team boss Toto Wolff later explained to Motorsport.com's Valentin Khorounzhiy —leaving Rosberg down on power on the exit of Turn 3.

That gifted Hamilton the momentum he needed to try a move at Turn 4 before the two drivers—desperate to make up for their respective errors—met in the middle. Case closed. Winner: The Mercedes Management Clive Mason/Getty Images When the Mercedes drivers last collided on-track with disastrous consequences, in the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix, the team's hierarchy only added fuel to the fire. "It was an unacceptable risk," an outraged Toto Wolff told Sky Sports ' Pete Gill and James Galloway, adding the result was "absolutely unacceptable" and the sight of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton making contact on Lap 2 of 44 was nothing short of "unbelievable." The Silver Arrows' reaction to the incident at Les Combes seemed to illustrate the naivety of Wolff and Mercedes as they attempted to secure their first world championship. But almost two years on, with two consecutive drivers' and constructors' titles to their name, they now handle such controversies with relative ease. Now they know Hamilton and Rosberg, while their relationship will never be perfect, are both strong enough to recover from such disappointments, and now they know they have a car capable of winning every race—even if the occasional one slips through their fingers.

Although Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda clearly didn't receive the memo—the three-time world champion told Sky Sports' television coverage the incident was "unacceptable," blaming Hamilton for being "too aggressive"—Wolff's handling of the situation was a far cry from his emotional reaction at Spa 2014. Per Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble , he explained: I think it is a very difficult situation, a difficult situation to analyse. There is definitely not a clear cut [verdict]—so I wouldn't want to blame any of them at this stage. Niki has, from his driver’s perspective, an opinion. This is his instincts, and it’s fair enough that he has this. But when you look at all the data, and have the discussions with the drivers, maybe it’s different. As I said, it’s a very difficult situation. They are both pretty upset because they know about the effort. Of course, they have their perspective and we need to then talk with them again, look at the pictures, look at the data, and under any circumstances avoid this to happen in the future.

Mercedes' mature response even saw Hamilton and Rosberg prevented from speaking to the assembled media until the post-race stewards' investigation had concluded, as noted during Sky Sports' TV coverage of the race, by which point the emotion of the incident had cooled. As Wolff, constantly growing in stature as one of the shrewdest leaders in the paddock, told Noble : "This is Spa all over again from the result, but as a team we have matured and grown together. We knew at a certain stage this could happen, and there we are." Loser: Daniel Ricciardo Clive Mason/Getty Images How will Verstappen's stunning start to his Red Bull career affect Daniel Ricciardo's standing within the team? It is, of course, far too early to suggest Ricciardo may soon find himself becoming the Mark Webber to Verstappen's Sebastian Vettel—the popular Aussie being marginalised by a team smitten with his younger, more fashionable team-mate.

Yet the way his race evaporated before his very eyes was eerily Webber-esque with Ricciardo, arguably the standout performer of the opening five grands prix, the only one of Red Bull's three drivers yet to stand on a podium in 2016. Ricciardo looked so tranquil as he led the race's opening phase, capitalising on Mercedes' mishaps just as he did throughout his breakthrough year in 2014, only for the Red Bull pit wall to spoil his afternoon by suddenly switching to a three-stop strategy. Per Motorsport.com's Darshan Chokhani , Ricciardo later suggested Red Bull "threw away the win" with a decision that "didn't make sense" before questioning why Verstappen was given "the better strategy" despite running behind the No. 3 car on track. If those comments were slightly reminiscent of life at Red Bull between 2009 and '13, the sight of the luckless Australian driver limping back to the pits with a second puncture in three races—having fought so heroically in his efforts to overtake Vettel for third in the closing laps—certainly was.

Such was his advantage over the cars behind that Ricciardo still managed to claim a fourth fourth-place finish in five races, albeit 43.9 seconds adrift of the race winner. But after triumphing in a thrilling head-to-head fight in qualifying, the race offered an early hint that Ricciardo might be forced to battle Verstappen for supremacy both on and off the track for the remainder of 2016. Winner: Carlos Sainz Jr. Mark Thompson/Getty Images Might Carlos Sainz Jr. feel that could have been him on the top step of the podium? Since the pair made their F1 debuts in 2015, the widespread belief was that Sainz had been more than a match for Max Verstappen at Toro Rosso and could consider himself unfortunate to be denied a promotion when Red Bull came calling. Watching his team-mate leave him behind had the potential to define his F1 career, yet he has shown no signs of heading in the same direction as Jean-Eric Vergne, who proved unable to recover from Daniel Ricciardo's ascent to Red Bull at the end of 2013.

Per Motorsport.com's Pablo Elizalde , Sainz insisted he saw "it more and more in a positive way" and remained convinced he would earn himself an opportunity as long as he continued to "do well" and convert his raw speed into consistent results. And he made a flawless start to life after Max at his home race, producing a strong drive to sixth place. Outqualifying new team-mate Daniil Kvyat—a prime example of what can happen when youngsters are given too much too soon—by 0.368 seconds was crucial in terms of proving he is the best of Red Bull's nearly men, with a strong start from eighth seeing him vault up to third when the safety car appeared. With the Ferraris lurking behind, Sainz was never going to keep that position but refused to surrender to the red cars, defending robustly from Vettel and Raikkonen while allowing Ricciardo and Verstappen to build an early lead. He was unfortunate to have Valtteri Bottas leapfrog him during the first round of pit stops, but his best-ever F1 result should provide Sainz with a welcome boost of confidence.

Loser: Ferrari Clive Mason/Getty Images On the few occasions Mercedes ran into trouble in 2015, Ferrari were always there to take advantage. From Sebastian Vettel's surprise victory in Malaysia to his fast start in Hungary, the Prancing Horse was always lurking dangerously in the background, waiting for—and occasionally forcing—a mistake. With better decision-making and sharper reactions both in and out of the cockpit, Ferrari might have won on merit in Australia and Bahrain. But it wasn't until the Spanish GP, as Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg walked back to the paddock, that the team were offered an open goal to register a win in 2016. Even on a day victory was there for the taking, however, Ferrari were still second-best. As chairman Sergio Marchionne told Sky Sports' James Galloway , the tyre-temperature window was responsible for the team's lack of performance in qualifying, when Kimi Raikkonen's fastest lap was more than a second slower than Hamilton's pole time.

But there was no excuse for their decision to switch Vettel to a three-stop strategy during the race in an attempt to cover Daniel Ricciardo, especially when you consider the German had spent only eight laps on the soft-compound tyres in his third stint. That arguably cost Vettel a first win since September 2015 and offered yet more evidence that Ferrari rely more on their bravado than their brains under the stewardship of team principal Maurizio Arrivabene, who received the dreaded "vote of confidence" from Marchionne prior to the race, per Galloway . On a more favourable two-stop strategy, Raikkonen emerged as the only threat to Max Verstappen in the latter stages, but—unlike Ricciardo, who tried everything to get past Vettel—it never felt as though the 2007 world champion put himself in a position to overtake the teenager. If Ferrari do still plan to fight Mercedes for the 2016 title, this was an opportunity they couldn't afford to miss.

Winner: Williams Dan Istitene/Getty Images With Williams not fast enough to challenge the leaders, yet too strong to feel threatened by those behind, the Spanish GP played nicely into Valtteri Bottas' hands. Favouring the solid over the spectacular and the boring over the bold, Bottas—having come around 0.2 seconds short of outqualifying Sebastian Vettel on Saturday—enjoyed a lonely race to fifth, with his hard work effectively completed after the very first stint. As head of vehicle performance, Rob Smedley told the team's official website Williams delayed Bottas' first pit stop in an effort to overhaul the Toro Rosso of Carlos Sainz Jr., who stopped for medium-compound tyres on Lap 10. Extending his own stint until Lap 12, Bottas benefited from an extra two laps on softs to re-emerge ahead of Sainz, setting himself up for a second consecutive top-five finish. Strategy also played an integral role in Felipe Massa's recovery through the field, having suffered the embarrassment of qualifying a lowly 18th.

As reported by Autosport's Lawrence Barretto , Massa's elimination from the first segment of qualifying led to a disagreement between the Brazilian and chief technical officer Pat Symonds on Saturday. Yet his recovery to eighth allowed the team to maintain their record of scoring points with both cars in every race thus far. Having been widely criticised for a number of questionable strategic calls in recent years, the Spanish GP offered more evidence that Williams—who won the DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award for the fifth consecutive race, per the team's official Twitter account —is finally learning from those harsh lessons. Max Verstappen becomes youngest F1 winner in history at Spanish Grand Prix | Sport | The Guardian Max Verstappen becomes youngest F1 winner in history at Spanish Grand Prix • Red Bull driver victorious on debut aged 18 years and 228 days Max Verstappen celebrates on the podium after victory at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Photograph: Albert Gea/Reuters Paul Weaver at the Circuit de Catalunya Sunday 15 May 2016 10.47 EDT Last modified on Sunday 15 May 2016 20.05 EDT Close This article is 8 months old The delivery of the prodigy Max Verstappen, who became the youngest winner of a Formula One race when he triumphed in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix, brought an iridescence to a sport that for too long has laboured in the single colour of the silver Mercedes. Everyone apart from the stricken people at Mercedes appeared to be joyous. And it felt as though it was the shortest race in history. The early crash between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg , which removed both men from the contest, had so dominated the first hour of proceedings, with constant replays, quick-fire post-mortems and the assessment of consequences, that the race itself felt like a backdrop to weightier issues. Mercedes inquest as Hamilton and Rosberg crash out and Verstappen wins Spanish GP Read more Verstappen’s victory represented a great day for him and his team, Red Bull , who had not won a race since Spa in 2014.

But it was a wonderful occasion for Formula One too. When Verstappen made his F1 debut for Toro Rosso as a 17-year-old last year he was so young that the concerned people at the FIA changed the rules; now you have to be 18. Verstappen was actually only 16 in 2014, when it was first announced that he would be driving in F1. Many sagacious voices said he was too young but there can be no doubts now. He crossed the winning line aged 18 years and 228 days, beating Sebastian Vettel’s previous record by two and a half years – Vettel was 21 and 73 days when he won in Italy in 2008. Verstappen led from lap 44, which was roughly the time everyone started concentrating on the race. He was the beneficiary of a split strategy from Red Bull. The team decided to give their other driver, Daniel Ricciardo, a three-stopper (Verstappen had two) to cover the threat from Vettel, who they thought would be the fastest driver in the race after the removal of the Mercedes.

But this is to take nothing away from Verstappen, who resisted a long and persistent challenge from Kimi Raikkonen to win the race on his debut for Red Bull. He joined Red Bull this month because the team were unhappy with the start to the season made by Daniil Kvyat . Verstappen, who also became the first Dutch winner of an F1 race, also had a spot of luck, of course, when Hamilton and Rosberg collided. Hamilton took the lead from pole but Rosberg went past him on the outside on the first corner. But coming out of the third bend, Hamilton saw a gap in Rosberg’s defence and attempted to overtake him on the inside. Rosberg moved over and squeezed Hamilton on to the grass. The world champion went into a spin and clipped Rosberg’s car as he did so, putting both cars out of the race, leaving the field clear for Red Bull and Ferrari to battle it out for glory. Rosberg appeared to be over-aggressive but you are allowed to make one block to defend your lead. Hamilton, possibly piqued after making yet another indifferent start, may have had a rush of blood and was determined to get straight back at his team-mate.

But there was a gap, and he was travelling much faster than Rosberg, whose engine was in the wrong mode. It was a terrible day for both drivers but Rosberg, with a 43-point lead from the first four races, clearly came out of the situation the better. The day, however, belonged to Verstappen. Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, said: “It’s been an unbelievable performance, from the moment Max stepped into the car until the chequered flag he’s been exemplary. He’s not put a wheel wrong. He’s been quick, measured, mature. He’s defended incredibly well against a seasoned pro like Kimi. To score his first grand prix victory, becoming the youngest victor, on his debut for the team is fairytale stuff.” Horner, enthusing in the unexpected spotlight, added: “The biggest aspect of his performance has been in calmness. He’s obviously got a lot of capacity when he’s driving the car. We were all getting tense with five laps to go because the tyres were at the end of their life and he had Kimi breathing down his neck.

“But he calmly came on the radio and said please could we ask Charlie [Whiting] to deal with the blue flags swiftly. There was no agitation in his voice, no panic, no tension. He was a young man completely in control of what he was doing. And that’s what he’s done from the moment he stepped in the car.” Horner thought it was “uncanny” how Verstappen reminded him of Vettel. “There are an awful lot of similarities. The mechanics were telling me that even the way he gets in the car is similar, the same side, the way he pulls his knee up to get in the chassis. But he’s his own man as well. He’s a very together young guy. You’d never think he was 18. He’s the first driver I’ve had that legally I could be his father.” The man of the moment said: “It’s amazing, I couldn’t believe I was leading. I was looking at the pitboard, saw my name with 10 laps to go, then started to watch the board. “I was thinking: ‘Don’t look at it, focus on the tyres and bring it home.’ It’s a great feeling.

I absolutely didn’t expect this.” In the general excitement it was scarcely noticed that Carlos Sainz, the man Verstappen left behind at Toro Rosso, finished sixth, his best result. He must have had mixed feelings.

Question: Which driver won the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, the youngest ever winner of a Grand Prix?
Answer: Max Verstappen