The era of Red Bull dominance is over; that much is clear. However, Max Verstappen didn’t get the memo, as he clinched yet another victory at the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix. Verstappen had to work for his victory; his only real contender was Lando Norris, who started the race on pole ahead of Verstappen. But at the start, it was George Russell who swept into the lead in the run-up to turn one, as Norris was distracted by Verstappen.

Verstappen made a marginally better start, but in his attempt to retain the lead, Norris lost sight of George Russell, and the Mercedes driver swept around the outside amid the battle between Verstappen and Norris. Verstappen managed to snatch second away from Norris. However, the race wasn’t over just yet.

By lap three, the race was effectively decided as Verstappen battled past George Russell to take the lead. The Red Bull driver built an initial four-second safety buffer, which would serve him well in the race’s closing stages.

Norris made one more pitstop than Verstappen, and in the end, it came down to Norris running out of laps as Verstappen crossed the finish line with just two seconds separating himself from second-placed Norris. Norris opted for the strategic approach of going for the undercut.

However, for any undercut to work, it’s better to mirror what your rival is doing rather than opting for an extra pitstop and hoping the extra pace will deliver the win. Norris got bogged down making his way through the field, especially between the two Mercedes, which ultimately cost him the win.

Today, Max Verstappen was a significant factor in securing the race win for Red Bull. Team bosses often say that the car accounts for 90 percent of the performance. However, it’s clear that Verstappen currently embodies 90 percent of Red Bull’s success, and that is a formidable combination to beat.

2024 Spanish Grand Prix: Race results

1 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull 1:28:20.227 66 laps
2 Lando NORRIS McLaren +2.219
3 Lewis HAMILTON Mercedes +17.790
4 George RUSSELL Mercedes +22.320
5 Charles LECLERC Ferrari +22.709
6 Carlos SAINZ Ferrari +31.028
7 Oscar PIASTRI McLaren +33.760
8 Pierre GASLY Alpine +59.575
9 Sergio PEREZ Red Bull +61.959
10 Esteban OCON Alpine +71.720
11 Nico HULKENBERG Haas +73.994
12 Fernando ALONSO Aston Martin +1 lap
13 Guanyu ZHOU Kick Sauber +1 lap
14 Lance STROLL Aston Martin +1 lap
15 Daniel RICCIARDO RB +1 lap
16 Valtteri BOTTAS Kick Sauber +1 lap
17 Kevin MAGNUSSEN Haas +1 lap
18 Alexander ALBON Williams +1 lap
19 Yuki TSUNODA RB +1 lap
20 Logan SARGEANT Williams +2 laps