2018 Spanish Grand Prix

Lore & Background

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton entered the round with a 4-point lead over Sebastian Vettel in the World Drivers' Championship. In the World Constructors' Championship, Ferrari led Mercedes by 4 points. The race saw several teams introduce major chassis updates, and Ferrari trialled halo-mounted rear view mirrors with winglets, which were banned from the next race. Lewis Hamilton took pole position with a new track record. The race was won by Hamilton, leading a Mercedes 1-2, extending his championship lead to 17 points and giving Mercedes the lead in the constructors' championship by 26 points.

Reader's Guide

The race began with an 80% chance of rain that never materialized. At Turn 3, Romain Grosjean spun, eliminating Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly, causing a safety car until Lap 6. On Lap 25, Kimi Raikkonen retired with an engine issue. On Lap 40, Esteban Ocon retired with an engine problem, bringing out the Virtual Safety Car. Under the VSC, Sebastian Vettel pitted and rejoined in P4 behind Max Verstappen. As the VSC ended, Max Verstappen collided with the rear of Lance Stroll's Williams, causing endplate damage to Verstappen's front wing. The front wing was structurally intact, so Verstappen did not need to pit. On Lap 47, Stoffel Vandoorne retired at the pit exit with mechanical issues. Hamilton won the race.

Did You Know?

• Robert Kubica replaced Sergey Sirotkin at Williams during first practice, his first Grand Prix appearance since 2010.
• Brendon Hartley crashed heavily in third practice, snapping his car's rear end in two, but was cleared to race.
• Romain Grosjean received a 3-place grid penalty for the next race in Monaco for causing the first-lap collision.