Lewis took his 64th career victory today - his third at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and second of the 2018 season. Valtteri finished today's Spanish Grand Prix in P2 - completing a 1-2 for the team with his 25th career podium.
Today's result marks the 36th 1-2 victory for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport since Mercedes re-entered Formula One as a works team in 2010.
Lewis (95 points) extends his lead in the Drivers' Championship from Sebastian Vettel (78 points) with Valtteri (58 points) in P3. Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport (153 points) lead Ferrari (126 points) by 27 points in the Constructors' Championship.
Peter Bonnington, Senior Race Engineer on car #44, accepted the Constructors' trophy on behalf of the team.
{b}Toto Wolff:{/b} That was a great result but there was no point this afternoon where it felt as comfortable as it might have looked from outside. Lewis did a fantastic job this afternoon: a great start, impressive pace in the opening stint and perfect management of the medium tyre. For Valtteri, we tried to overcut in the first stint and just missed out on passing Vettel. Then when Sebastian took the chance to pit again under the VSC, we decided to do the opposite and take the medium tyre to the finish. That involved running the tyre a long way, a little bit into the unknown with over 45 laps to do on it, and we had our hearts in our mouths in the final laps as there were some vibrations on the front axle as well. Valtteri did the perfect job to manage the load on the left front and the falling tyre temperatures on old tyres, and sealed a really special one-two finish. It feels like a long time since we had a 1-2 finish, so there's definitely a measure of relief in how we asserted ourselves today. But we know as well that this was a good circuit for us and the temperatures fell in our favour as well. So we need to stay calm and humble, because it can be a different ball game again next time round. We will savour the result this evening - but our thoughts are already turning to Monaco, to the struggles we had there last year and to how we can make sure not to suffer a repeat.
{b}Andrew Shovlin:{/b} We're absolutely delighted with the way the weekend has gone here in Barcelona. Both Valtteri and Lewis have been on top form and the car has been reliable and very fast. We've not had an easy start to this season but everyone has stayed focused and worked incredibly hard to take the fight to Ferrari and Red Bull. Today was a great reward for everyone's effort. The day didn't quite go according to our plan, Valtteri lost a place to Vettel off the line and whilst he had good pace, it's very difficult to overtake here and on tyres of the same age we couldn't get close to a passing position.
We were expecting a two stop race today and when Vettel stopped on lap 17 we hoped to be able to overcut taking advantage of poor warm-up on the medium. We lost a bit of time at the stop and that was enough to put us back out behind Vettel and also Magnussen. We were assessing our options against Vettel once we saw that we didn't have the pace to pass but when he stopped on the VSC, the best strategy was to run the to end and Valtteri did an amazing job of managing the tyres over 47 laps, the longest stint anyone made during the race. Lewis was able to control the race and whilst we could have gone longer on that first stint, the front tyre was quite worn and we decided to stop as a precaution as there was no real threat from behind. This put Lewis behind Verstappen but we knew he had to stop so there was no urgency to pass.
As with Valtteri, a one stop became the best strategy to defend the lead from there and managing the tyres and the pace was the goal from there to the finish. This was a track that suited us very well in the winter tests and it may be that today we were flattered by the circuit and the conditions. However, the continued efforts of everyone in Brackley and Brixworth have played no small part in today's success. The next races are very different tracks, Monaco in particular, and to win there is difficult even when you have a great car. However, we are really enjoying being part of this championship, it is driving everyone to deliver their very best and we go to the next races planning to do just that.
{b}Maurizio Arrivabene:{/b} In many ways, this is a weekend in which nothing went right. Now, calmly and with accuracy, we need to analyse the reasons, and they are various, which prevented us from exploiting the potential we demonstrated in the previous races. Then we will prepare for the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix, in a professional, determined and confident manner.
{b}Christian Horner:{/b} "A solid performance today, picking up a podium, and our 150th podium which is notable and deserved achievement for the team. It is also Max's first podium of the season which will be a good confidence boost for him after enduring a tricky first four races. We had strong pace in the race today and managed to make the soft tyre go pretty much to half distance. The pit stops got us onto the medium tyre which was always going to put us in better shape for the last 25 per cent of the race. Unfortunately Max sustained some damage in contact with the Williams of Lance Stroll under the Virtual Safety Car but even with that damage he had enough pace in hand to maintain track position ahead of Sebastian and make the podium. Daniel had some consolation in his race with the fastest lap proving the strength of the upgrades brought to Spain this weekend. Unfortunately he lost a bit of ground with a spin during the VSC period but once again we've seen that we have a competitive race car."
Sahara Force India scored two points in today's Spanish Grand Prix as Sergio Perez raced to ninth place. Esteban Ocon's day ended early with an oil pressure problem forcing his retirement.
{b}Otmar Szafnauer:{/b} "To come away with two points from such a challenging weekend is a pretty good outcome all things considered. Esteban's issues today certainly robbed him of the chance to score points, but Sergio drove a strong race making the most of an excellent two-stop strategy. The wheel issue during Esteban's stop needs to be fully investigated, but we believe some debris from his brake duct caused the problem. The subsequent oil leak ended his race, but we are hoping that there is no damage to the engine."
Lance Stroll finished 11th and Sergey Sirotkin 14th in the Spanish Grand Prix. Both cars started on the soft Pirelli tyre, with Lance starting 18th and Sergey 19th.
Lance had an excellent start to climb to P12 on the opening lap meanwhile a crash between Grosjean, Hulkenberg and Gasly brought out the Safety Car.
Sergey had to take evasive action to avoid the crash and then pitted under the Safety Car, swapping to the medium tyre. Lance stayed on the soft tyre until lap 20 when he pitted for the medium, with Sergey pitting for a second set of mediums five laps later.
The Virtual Safety Car was deployed late in the race when Ocon stopped at the side of the track, with Sergey spinning at the restart. Sergey made his third and final pitstop immediately after, changing to the supersoft tyres.
{b}Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer:{/b} It's been a very difficult weekend performance-wise but certainly to get two cars home is a credit to the team. For the guys in the garage, it's the same amount of work despite our pace, so I'm pleased for them that we got both cars to the finish ahead of the test this week. With Lance, we narrowly missed the points after a fantastic first lap got him up to 12th, a position he consolidated to finish 11th with really good, consistent pace and tyre management. Sergey had a more difficult afternoon suffering with the balance of the car. It got more difficult as he had a lot of lapped cars to manage, which lost him tyre temperatures as a consequence. As a team we haven't done a good enough job with the development of this FW41 and we will keep working hard back at base and at the test this week to come back in a stronger position.
Renault Sport Formula One Team's Carlos Sainz drove a strong home race to finish in seventh place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for today's Formula 1 Gran Premio de Espaņa Emirates, with the points gained taking the team to fourth place in the Constructors' Championship.
Nico Hulkenberg had a very short race after the rear of his R.S.18 was collected by a spinning Romain Grosjean, pitching both into retirement on the first lap.
Nico started from P16 on new Medium tyres, however his race was end early due to an accident damaging the rear left suspension of his car.
Carlos started the race from P9 on Soft tyres, stopping on lap 25 for a new set of Medium tyres which he used till the chequered flag.
{b}Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal:{/b} "We'e leaving Barcelona in positive spirits. Our target is to be in the points at every race and we achieved that with Carlos through another strong performance from him. He also qualified in the top ten, reinforcing the pace of the Renault R.S.18. We'e happy that this result takes us one point ahead of McLaren in the Constructors' Championship, meaning for the first time we'e in fourth. The battle is very tight so we need to keep developing and performing at our best. We need to eradicate the gremlins, such as those which affected Nico's qualifying. Nico was blameless in an unexpected accident on the first lap, but starting in a lower grid position makes you vulnerable to these sorts of incidents. Overall it has been a weekend with many positives which we will build on as we head to Monaco."
{b}Franz Tost (Team Principal):{/b} "Unfortunately, this was not our weekend. Yesterday we faced a heavy crash with Brendon in qualifying. In the race today, it was difficult to make up places because, as we know, in Barcelona it's not easy to overtake. Pierre was unlucky at the start of the race, he couldn't do anything to avoid the crash with Grosjean. It was unfortunate for him and the team because I think he could have scored some points today. The fact is that we were off the pace here, and now we need to concentrate on Monaco, targeting to get back into the points."
{b}Toyoharu Tanabe (Honda F1 Technical Director):{/b} "Before the race, we had hoped for a points finish with Pierre starting from twelfth on the grid. Unfortunately, through no fault of his own, he was caught up in Grosjean's accident and had to retire on the opening lap. The whole team did a good job last night to fix Brendon's car after his crash, allowing him to finish the race. After the chequered flag, Brendon pulled over immediately as we spotted an anomaly on the telemetry, but it's nothing serious. Now we have a busy week ahead, with two days of testing here in Barcelona, while also preparing for the next race in Monaco."
Kevin Magnussen delivered another points-paying performance for Haas F1 Team by finishing a strong sixth in the Spanish Grand Prix Sunday at Circuit de Barcelona - Catalunya. It was a best-of-the-rest result, with only the heavy-hitters of Formula One ahead of him, as Mercedes, Red Bull and Scuderia Ferrari comprised the top-five.
At the other end of the racing spectrum was Magnussen's teammate, Romain Grosjean. An opening-lap spin in turn three of the 4.655-kilometer (2.892-mile), 16-turn track sent Grosjean across the racing line and into the paths of Nico Hulkenberg's Renault and Pierre Gasly's Toro Rosso. All walked away from the accident unharmed, but each saw their race end before it ever really began, as Grosjean was credited with an 18th-place finish.
Magnussen's drive to his third top-10 of the year began from seventh on the grid. It was a relatively straightforward affair, with Magnussen picking up sixth place when Kimi Raikkonen retired his Ferrari after 25 laps.
A scheduled pit stop on lap 32 where Magnussen swapped the Pirelli P Zero Yellow soft tires he started the race with for a new set of White mediums was seamless. Combined with Magnussen's massive advantage over his nearest pursuer, his sixth-place position was secure along with eight valuable championship points.
Despite a Virtual Safety Car period on lap 42 which slowed down the field, Magnussen's gap over seventh place remained stout. He cruised home in sixth place, securing his second-best finish since joining Haas F1 Team in 2017.
Five rounds into the 21-race Formula One schedule, Haas F1 Team is sixth in the constructors' standings with 19 points, 21 points behind fifth-place McLaren and one point ahead of seventh-place Force India.
{b}Guenther Steiner:{/b} "A good day, but it could've been better. Romain made up positions at the start, but the car spun around and his race ended early. Kevin did a solid job. There was never a threat for his position. All in all, a good day, and again we showed that we're in the top of the midfield at the moment. We're really looking forward to going to Monte Carlo to get some more points."
Fernando and Stoffel both fought hard races after a chaotic first lap, on a track where overtaking opportunities are at a premium. Both drivers dropped three places apiece in the incident at Turn Two, and battled to regain them through the mixed-up pack.
Stoffel made a late one-and-only stop in an effort to take advantage of fresher tyres in the closing stages, but his race was brought to a halt on lap 38 when he reported a loss of drive, with a suspected gearbox issue.
After a number of strong on-track battles that enabled him to regain the three places he lost at the start, Fernando finished eighth to bring home four points for the passionate home crowd - a fifth consecutive points-scoring finish in as many races.
{b}Eric Boullier, Racing Director:{/b} "Today's race wasn't quite the result we'd hoped for, but, given how the race unfolded at the start, and on a track where passing opportunities are notoriously limited, we should be satisfied with the outcome. Both drivers did extremely well to negotiate their cars through the melee on the first lap, but were unfortunate to lose three places each.
"Although he put in a committed drive, our 100 per cent reliability streak took a dent with Stoffel's retirement, the cause of which we are continuing to investigate. Fernando drove a strong race in front of his home fans, and fought hard to make up the three places he lost at the start to bring the car home inside the top 10 once again.
"The competition was tough out there today, but even after a challenging race where luck didn't swing our way, we still managed to come home with four valuable points. We start afresh in Monaco, encouraged by the performance gains we've made this weekend, and our aim is to keep building on this as the season progresses."
It was a positive Grand Prix for the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team, finishing in the points for the third time this season with Charles Leclerc in P10, and Marcus Ericsson in P13. Both drivers gave a strong performance, fighting for positions in the midfield. Monegasque rookie Charles Leclerc has brought home another point for the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team just a few days after scoring his first Formula 1 points in Baku.
Marcus Ericsson performed well, especially in the first stint, with good attacks and defence on medium tyres. The team now holds a total of 11 points this season (P9 in the Constructors' Championship). Charles Leclerc is currently in P13, and Marcus Ericsson in P16 in the Drivers' Championship.
In addition to the outcome of the race, the team celebrates the anniversary of Alfa Romeo's first victory in Formula 1 - a result achieved by Nino Farina on the 13th of May 1950 in the Alfa Romeo GP Tipo 158 "Alfetta" at Silverstone.
{b}Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal:{/b} "We leave Barcelona feeling positive. We had a very strong rhythm at a certain stage of the race and scored one point, which we did not anticipate before arriving here as it is quite a demanding track. Both drivers put in a good performance, and we scored points for the third time this season. The team is motivated to keep pushing and we have to stay focussed now to make the next step."
Most drivers went for a one-stop soft-medium strategy in Spain, including the top three, but two and even three stops were also seen during the 66-lap race.
Conditions were variable, with sunshine, a few drops of rain and wind making the track hard to predict, with changeable grip levels. The race ended with temperatures that were 17 degrees ambient and 26 degrees on track.
The new surface has made the track considerably quicker, with the frontrunners lapping up to four seconds faster than they did last year. The race lap record was also broken by a similar margin; making this the fastest-ever race on the current Barcelona circuit.
Nearly all the drivers started on the soft tyre, with an early safety car from lap one helping to reduce wear and degradation rates.
Lewis Hamilton won the race using a one-stopper, going from soft to medium on lap 26. His team mate Valtteri Bottas followed an identical strategy but pitted six laps earlier.
{b}Mario Isola:{/b} "We saw different thinking from the top teams about whether or not this was a one or a two stop race, with the track conditions having been extremely hard to predict from the beginning of the weekend, not helped by the overnight rain. The laps under the safety car also affected race strategy, reducing wear and degradation at a crucial point in the race. Tyre-wise, we encountered no issues at all and no signs of blistering, with lap records and fastest laps set even when drivers were running on older medium compound tyres. This applied to the whole field, which was very evenly matched in terms of pace. Now we remain in Barcelona for the first in-season test of the year, which will include development testing of the 2019 tyres, with McLaren and Force India."
