"Proud" Piastri extends F1 championship lead with Spanish Grand Prix victory

Oscar Piastri drove with exemplary calm and control in a torrid race on Sunday, beating title rival and McLaren teammate Lando Norris to claim the constructor's first Spanish Grand Prix victory since 2005, the triumph further underscored by a resounding 1-2 finish.

The 24-year-old Australian crossed the line 2.4 seconds clear of British partner Norris to extend his lead in the Formula One drivers' championship standings to 10 points, while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished third after a dramatic closing stretch.

Reigning four-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull went for a three-stop strategy that resulted in him surrendering third place in the final laps, before being handed a 10-second penalty for crashing into Mercedes man George Russell, who finished fourth.

The win was Piastri's fifth of the season and seventh of his career, while also marking his eighth consecutive podium finish for McLaren, a feat that had only been achieved before by three-time world champion Ayrton Senna and record-sharing seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Nico Hülkenberg of Sauber finished fifth, after starting 15th on the grid, ahead of Ferrari's Hamilton, rookie Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls, and Alpine's Pierre Gasly.

Two-time champion and local favorite Fernando Alonso came in ninth for Aston Martin, while Verstappen was dropped to 10th after bruising late incidents that prompted 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg to suggest he deserved to be black-flagged and disqualified.

"It was a bit of a surprise to see Max try a three-stop, and it nearly worked for him," said Piastri. "But it's been a great weekend overall. The overall pace was really good, and we could turn it on when we needed to, and I am just very proud of the work we've done this weekend. It's a nice way to bounce back from Monaco (where he finished third). It's been a superb weekend."