Red Bull Motorsports
F1
Max Verstappen Becomes the Youngest F1 Winner Ever
Eighteen-year-old Max Verstappen rewrote history as he became the youngest F1 winner ever.
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Max Verstappen with the winner’s trophy
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Dutch teenager Max Verstappen, 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, taking the win. The victory makes the 18-year-old the youngest Formula 1 winner in the sport's history.
Having battled to the lead, 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 checkers as the first Dutch driver to win a grand prix, the youngest F1 driver to lead a grand prix and all this on his debut for Red Bull Racing.
Max Verstappen becomes F1’s youngest winner
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Max Verstappen is F1’s youngest winner
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Vetttel sprays champagne at Max Verstappen
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Daniel Ricciardo took the lead following the opening lap crash between Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg (more of that below).
The wreckage of Hamilton and Rosberg’s cars
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The start of the Spanish Grand Prix
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Rosberg and Hamilton battle for the lead
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Daniel Ricciardo leads Max Verstappen
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Mercedes feels the heat
The Spanish Grand Prix began with drama as Lewis Hamilton led away from pole but championship-leader Nico Rosberg was quicker off the mark, taking the lead in the race to the first corner.
Hamilton fought back, but Rosberg blocked him. Rather than back off, Hamilton ran onto the grass only to spin out of control, collecting Rosberg.
The whole thing 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.”
While everyone was watching Hamilton and Rosberg, Carlos Sainz made a superb start to his home race, rising from P8 to third by the opening lap crash. He held the faster Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raïkkönen at bay with some determined driving, making his Toro as wide as possible, before having to bow to the inevitable.
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.
Welcome to the Verstappen show
Fans’ flags supporting Max Verstappen
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Centre stage: the press quiz Max Verstappen
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Max Verstappen in his Red Bull Racing colours
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Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo
© Mark Thompson/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Pre-race, there was only one story on everyone's agenda: Nico Rosberg’s soccer skills. Oh, and Max Verstappen’s debut for Red Bull Racing. He lined up with Toro Rosso drivers Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat for a slightly awkward pre-race press conference.
But a dramatic qualifying session saw sanity restored as Ricciardo put his RB12 on P3 behind pole-man Hamilton, and Verstappen —underlining how he got the gig in the first place — out-qualified the vaunted Ferraris to make it an all Red Bull Racing second row.
“Firstly, I’m really happy to be back in the top three on Saturday and will try and be back here tomorrow!” said Ricciardo. “I’m happy for both Max and I to be in front of the Ferraris, we are both on the second row, which is pretty awesome." Of course, the win was probably even more awesome ...
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