Spanish Grand Prix 2022 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Max Verstappen cruised to victory at the Spanish Grand Prix after Charles Leclerc's heartbreaking retirement handed Red Bull another crucial win in the championship battle. The Dutchman inherited the lead when Leclerc's engine failed while comfortably ahead, marking the first of several devastating power unit failures that would derail Ferrari's title challenge. Sergio Perez secured second place for a Red Bull one-two, with George Russell claiming his second podium of the season for Mercedes in third.

Leclerc had dominated the weekend, taking pole position and controlling the race from the start at Barcelona-Catalunya. The Ferrari driver built a comfortable lead and appeared destined for victory until lap 27, when his F1-75 suddenly lost power and ground to a halt with a turbo and MGU-H failure. Smoke poured from the stricken Ferrari as Leclerc pulled off track, his anguished radio message reflecting the crushing disappointment. The retirement was particularly costly as it came while he was leading the championship, allowing Verstappen to take the lead in the standings for the first time in 2022.

The Safety Car triggered by Leclerc's retirement bunched up the field and led to drama for Lewis Hamilton, whose Mercedes suffered a dramatic loss of downforce and pace after encountering debris. The seven-time champion dropped from third to fifth, highlighting Mercedes' continuing struggles with porpoising and general performance. Verstappen's fourth consecutive victory extended his championship lead to six points, while Ferrari faced mounting concern about reliability issues that threatened to undermine their strong underlying pace.