The Montmelò circuit in Barcelona hosts the Spanish GP, the 10th round of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship. The Catalan track sees the in pole position Lando Norris on McLaren, who managed to beat Max Verstappen in qualifying by just 20 thousandths. Second row for the two Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, while the Ferraris start fifth and sixth with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz respectively.
Who will win the Spanish GP? Follow the race with our live timing and direct text updated minute by minute.
F1 GP Spain, live timing
Location: Barcelona
3.53pm
Russell and Sainz back in the pits
Identical strategy for Ferrari with Carlos Sainz and Mercedes with George Russell: the two return to the pits on lap 37 and both have Hard tyres
3.51pm
Norris also surpasses Russell, but what a fight!
On lap 36 Lando Norris also managed to overtake the other Mercedes, but Russell he makes him sweat with a thrilling counter-overtaking! In the end, however, Norris comes out on top. Now Lando pays for a gap of 9 seconds to Verstappen.
3.46pm
Norris overtakes Hamilton
After being stuck to his exhaust for a lap, Lando Norris manages to overtake Hamilton’s Mercedes and now he chases Russell for 2nd place
3.37pm
Leclerc in the pits
Charles Leclerc on lap 25 is the last of the leading riders to return for the first stop. The Monegasque he returns seventh behind Pierre Gasly.
He had stopped just before also Lando Norris who is 5th.
3.29pm
Leclerc and the McLarens are the only ones without pit stops
The classification on lap 19 sees Norris leading ahead of Leclerc and Piastri. The 3 of them are the only ones among the leading riders who they haven’t made their stop yet.
Meanwhile Hamilton overtook Sainz
3.27pm
Sainz gains position over Hamilton
Effective undercut for Ferrari: Hamilton stops a lap later than Russell and Sainz, and thus returns behind the Spaniard
3.25pm
Pit stop for Russell and Sainz
Simultaneous stop for George Russell and Carlos Sainz: Mercedes makes a slow pit stop (5.3 seconds) but Sainz is unable to get out in front of him.
The drivers’ times were very fast with new tyres
3.24pm
5 seconds to Magnussen for false start
On lap 15 the message arrives that Kevin Magnussen’s Haas will be penalized by 5 seconds. The reason? False start at the start
3.23pm
Perez in the pits
Sergio Perez takes a gamble and goes to the pits already on lap 14 of the scheduled 66th. The Mexican was on the edge of the points zone, he fitted a second set of Soft tyres
3.20pm
Race to forget for Alonso
The Spanish GP is proving to be an ordeal for the other Spanish driver, Fernando Alonso. The Aston Martin driver was overtaken by Bottas’ Sauber a few laps ago, and now finds himself in thirteenth position, hounded by Magnussen’s Haas.
Alonso also became the protagonist of a little off-piste that took him with two wheels on gravel
3.17pm
Sainz attacking Hamilton
After the brawl, the Ferraris now go on the attack: Sainz and Leclerc are now attached to Hamilton’s Mercedes
3.12pm
No penalty for Sainz
After colliding with Leclerc, Sainz went off the track when cutting turn 2. However, the commissioners felt it was not necessary to ask him to return the position nor to suffer penalties
3.08pm
Contact between the two Ferraris
“Hot” moment between the two Ferraris: Sainz overtakes Leclerc but the two touch slightly: no damage to the two SF-24s of Monegasque and Spanish
3.06pm
Verstappen overtakes Russell
George Russell’s leadership did not last long: the Mercedes driver is overtaken by Max Verstappen with a courageous overtaking on the outside in Turn 1
3.04pm
Russell takes the lead!
Super start from George Russell who manages to pass first with the Mercedes! Take advantage of the duel between Verstappen and Norris and the one between Leclerc and Hamilton.
After the first lap the ranking is: Russell, Verstappen, Norris, Gamilton, Leclerc, Sainz
3.01pm
The training tour begins
All ready for the Spanish GP, the drivers begin the formation lap
2.53pm
Fear in Barcelona for McLaren
Moments of fear at McLaren on Saturday, when a fire broke out in the English team’s hospitality. Luckily the flames were quickly put out, but some people present in the structure were rescued because of the smoking.
2.44pm
GP Spain, the starting grid
Norris on pole, Verstappen 2nd, Mercedes on the second row and Ferrari on the third: here it is starting grid of the Spanish Grand Prix:
2.20pm
Norris: “Very difficult to win against Max”
Despite the pole position achieved, Lando Norris he thinks it will be very difficult to win the Spanish GP.
“The goal is to win, but we know it will be difficult against MaxLewis and all those who start behind” said the English pilot.
2.03pm
Briatore returns to F1 with Alpine
On the eve of the weekend in Barcelona the official announcement of the return of Flavio Briatore to Formula 1. The manager was hired as a consultant for the Alpine team.
1.49pm
Sainz on the attack
Barcelona is the home match of Carlos Sainzwho is intent on doing his best in front of the Spanish public, while recognizing the limitations of the single-seater.
“Podium? If we start well and get into the Top 5, it’s possible – said the home idol after yesterday’s qualifying – If we are sixth after the first lap it will become more and more complicated, but I think that if we are a little further ahead we can fight, also considering how much strategy matters.
Mercedes beat us both by 30 thousandths, and it is sure that we can find these 30 thousandths on this car or on our lap: the reality, however, is that they have improved a lot in the last few races and we are slower. Now we have to start pushing because on these circuits they are stronger.”.
1.12pm
Ferrari, podium goal in Barcelona
Qualifying in Barcelona was anything but exciting for Ferrariwhich not only did not fight for pole position but also found itself behind the two Mercedes.
For the race the objective is precisely to overtake Hamilton and Russell and get on the podium: “The goal is always to do better than the starting positionbut there are still 15-16 races to go and it is important to score more points while also trying to overtake the Mercedes for the podium“ he said Frédéric VasseurFerrari team principal, after qualifying.
1.03pm
F1, the ranking after 9 GPs
Let’s take a look at the F1 Driver rankings after the first 9 grands prix of this season. In the head it always resists Max Verstappen with 169 points, but his margin is decidedly smaller than last year.
Leclerc, despite Canada’s setback, remains 2nd with 138 points while today’s poleman Norris is 3rd at 113. Will it be a world championship fight between these three riders?
