2021 Spanish Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

The 2021 Spanish Grand Prix brought Formula 1 to familiar territory at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, but the fight at the front was anything but routine. Lewis Hamilton reached a landmark in qualifying before Mercedes turned an aggressive two-stop strategy into a race-winning chase, delivering another dramatic chapter in his growing duel with Max Verstappen.

Race Guide

Season: 2021 F1 World Championship
Race date: 9 May 2021
Race start time: 15:00 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Laps: 66 laps
Circuit length: 4.675 km
2020 winner: Lewis Hamilton

Pole position
Driver	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Time	1:16.741
Fastest lap
Driver	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing
Time	1:18.149 on lap 62
Podium
First	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Second	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing
Third	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
7 May 2021	Practice 1	11:30 – 12:30
7 May 2021	Practice 2	15:00 – 16:00
8 May 2021	Practice 3	12:00 – 13:00
8 May 2021	Qualifying	15:00 – 16:00
9 May 2021	Race	15:00

All times are local (UTC+02:00). The race time is the scheduled start.

Championship background

Hamilton arrived with an eight-point advantage after winning in Portugal, while Mercedes also held the lead in the Constructors’ Championship. Barcelona offered a different test, with the remodelled Turn 10 replacing the previous tight hairpin. The teams knew the venue well, but managing pace across a full stint would prove more important than simply producing one quick lap.

Race entries

The race line-up was unchanged. Robert Kubica took Kimi Räikkönen‘s Alfa Romeo Racing car for FP1, while Roy Nissany drove for Williams in place of George Russell. Both regular drivers returned for the remaining sessions.

Free Practice

Valtteri Bottas topped FP1 with a 1:18.504, ahead of Max Verstappen (+0.033s) and Lewis Hamilton. Bottas led a closely matched opening session, while Kubica’s excursion into the gravel interrupted his practice appearance.

Lewis Hamilton topped FP2 with a 1:18.170, ahead of Valtteri Bottas (+0.139s) and Charles Leclerc. Mercedes completed Friday with the two quickest times, although Leclerc kept Ferrari close enough to add interest behind the leading pair.

Max Verstappen topped FP3 with a 1:17.835, ahead of Lewis Hamilton (+0.235s) and Charles Leclerc. Verstappen put Red Bull Racing on top in the final session, ensuring Mercedes would head into qualifying with a clear challenger.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2021 Spanish Grand Prix FP1, 7 May 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:18.504	25
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.033s	19
3	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.123s	22
4	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.440s	24
5	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.492s	25
6	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+0.516s	22
7	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+0.558s	26
8	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+0.730s	24
9	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+0.845s	17
10	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+0.925s	25
11	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+1.165s	22
12	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+1.177s	25
13	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.190s	23
14	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+1.228s	24
15	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+1.446s	25
16	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+1.766s	25
17	45	Roy Nissany	Williams	+2.196s	23
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+2.262s	23
19	88	Robert Kubica	Alfa Romeo Racing	+3.383s	13
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+3.472s	22

Free Practice 2 Classification

2021 Spanish Grand Prix FP2, 7 May 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:18.170	32
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.139s	31
3	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.165s	28
4	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+0.296s	29
5	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+0.348s	30
6	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+0.423s	32
7	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+0.449s	30
8	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+0.504s	30
9	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.615s	26
10	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+0.748s	23
11	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+0.777s	30
12	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.922s	28
13	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+0.952s	29
14	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+0.964s	29
15	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+1.025s	28
16	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.043s	30
17	63	George Russell	Williams	+1.787s	29
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+1.876s	26
19	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+2.156s	30
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+2.583s	27

Free Practice 3 Classification

2021 Spanish Grand Prix FP3, 8 May 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:17.835	11
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.235s	14
3	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.473s	17
4	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+0.575s	18
5	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.588s	15
6	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.659s	14
7	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+0.700s	17
8	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+0.747s	21
9	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+0.762s	18
10	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+0.771s	16
11	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+0.827s	18
12	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+0.838s	21
13	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+0.865s	15
14	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+1.042s	18
15	63	George Russell	Williams	+1.170s	17
16	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.379s	19
17	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+1.528s	18
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+1.557s	16
19	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+2.164s	17
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+2.402s	15

Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton made Formula 1 history by claiming the 100th pole position of his career. His 1:16.741 was just 0.036s quicker than Max Verstappen, with Valtteri Bottas also close behind in third. None of the leading three improved on their final runs, leaving Hamilton’s first Q3 effort as the decisive lap.

Charles Leclerc qualified fourth for Ferrari, ahead of Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz. Daniel Ricciardo secured seventh, while Sergio Perez had to settle for eighth. The front row promised an immediate confrontation between Hamilton and Verstappen, and the long run to the opening corner gave both drivers an obvious opportunity to shape the race.

Qualifying Classification

2021 Spanish Grand Prix Qualifying, 8 May 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:18.245	1:17.166	1:16.741	19
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:18.090	1:16.922	1:16.777	14
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:18.005	1:17.142	1:16.873	16
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:18.041	1:17.717	1:17.510	18
5	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	1:18.281	1:17.743	1:17.580	15
6	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	1:18.205	1:17.656	1:17.620	15
7	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	1:18.264	1:17.719	1:17.622	14
8	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	1:18.203	1:17.669	1:17.701	17
9	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:17.821	1:17.696	1:18.010	17
10	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	1:18.281	1:17.966	1:18.147	17
11	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:18.241	1:17.974	—	12
12	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	1:18.190	1:17.982	—	9
13	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	1:18.289	1:18.079	—	12
14	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:18.549	1:18.356	—	12
15	63	George Russell	Williams	1:18.445	1:19.154	—	11
16	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	1:18.556	—	—	6
17	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:18.917	—	—	6
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	1:19.117	—	—	9
19	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	1:19.219	—	—	9
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	1:19.807	—	—	9

Nikita Mazepin received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Lando Norris in Q1. The penalty was not in force as he started the race from the last position.

What happened in the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix?

Lewis Hamilton turned a strategic gamble into another Spanish Grand Prix victory, hunting down Max Verstappen on fresher tyres and making the decisive pass late in the race. Mercedes committed to an extra stop, then trusted Hamilton to erase the deficit before the chequered flag.

Verstappen had made the stronger start, attacking on the inside at Turn 1 and taking the lead from the polesitter. Charles Leclerc also gained a place, passing Valtteri Bottas, while the field settled into a contest in which overtaking was possible but rarely straightforward.

An early stoppage for Yuki Tsunoda brought out the safety car, briefly compressing the order. Antonio Giovinazzi endured a particularly costly pit stop when Alfa Romeo Racing discovered a problem with one of the replacement tyres, while Pierre Gasly received a penalty for lining up incorrectly on the grid.

Verstappen stopped before Hamilton in the first round of tyre changes, but the Mercedes remained close enough to apply pressure. Rather than spend the rest of the afternoon trying to pass on a similar strategy, Mercedes brought Hamilton in again and accepted the substantial gap that followed.

Hamilton’s fresh tyres transformed his pace. He cleared Bottas and steadily reeled in Verstappen, whose older rubber left him increasingly vulnerable. With the Red Bull Racing driver unable to defend indefinitely, Hamilton completed the pass for the lead on lap 60.

Verstappen then made a late stop of his own and secured the fastest-lap bonus point, limiting the damage to his championship challenge. Bottas completed the podium, with Leclerc fourth after another competitive showing for Ferrari and Sergio Perez fifth following his recovery from the fourth row.

Daniel Ricciardo led Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris home in sixth, with Esteban Ocon and Gasly completing the points. Hamilton had converted his milestone qualifying weekend into a third victory in four races, leaving Verstappen with the task of responding as the championship headed for Monaco.

2021 Spanish Grand Prix race results

The 2021 Spanish Grand Prix was held on 9 May 2021, with a scheduled start of 15:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	66	1:33:07.680	25
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	66	+15.841s	19
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	66	+26.610s	15
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	66	+54.616s	12
5	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	66	+63.671s	10
6	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	66	+73.768s	8
7	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	66	+74.670s	6
8	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	65	+1 lap	4
9	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	65	+1 lap	2
10	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	65	+1 lap	1
11	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	65	+1 lap	0
12	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	65	+1 lap	0
13	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	65	+1 lap	0
14	63	George Russell	Williams	65	+1 lap	0
15	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	65	+1 lap	0
16	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	65	+1 lap	0
17	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	65	+1 lap	0
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	64	+2 laps	0
19	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	64	+2 laps	0
Ret	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	6	Electrics	0

Max Verstappen earned the additional point for fastest lap.

2021 Spanish Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time of Day	Time	Avg. Speed
1	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	62	16:31:20	1:18.149	215.357
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	65	16:35:31	1:19.430	211.884
3	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	60	16:29:21	1:19.483	211.743
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	64	16:34:34	1:20.459	209.174
5	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	54	16:20:08	1:20.665	208.640
6	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	63	16:34:51	1:21.182	207.311
7	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	56	16:24:24	1:21.279	207.064
8	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	64	16:35:40	1:21.375	206.820
9	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	53	16:19:52	1:21.568	206.330
10	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	60	16:29:25	1:21.853	205.612
11	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	47	16:11:57	1:22.607	203.735
12	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	54	16:22:27	1:22.637	203.661
13	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	42	16:05:25	1:22.802	203.255
14	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	56	16:24:35	1:22.820	203.211
15	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	54	16:21:46	1:22.868	203.094
16	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	57	16:26:23	1:22.905	203.003
17	63	George Russell	Williams	30	15:47:59	1:23.208	202.264
18	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	46	16:10:05	1:23.311	202.014
19	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	45	16:10:14	1:24.040	200.261
20	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	5	15:10:42	1:24.825	198.408

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear in this table. Time of Day is local time; average speeds are in km/h.

2021 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for drivers and teams after the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix.

2021 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Mercedes	94
2	Max Verstappen	NED	Red Bull Racing	80
3	Valtteri Bottas	FIN	Mercedes	47
4	Lando Norris	GBR	McLaren	41
5	Charles Leclerc	MON	Ferrari	40
6	Sergio Perez	MEX	Red Bull Racing	32
7	Daniel Ricciardo	AUS	McLaren	24
8	Carlos Sainz	ESP	Ferrari	20
9	Esteban Ocon	FRA	Alpine	10
10	Pierre Gasly	FRA	AlphaTauri	8
11	Lance Stroll	CAN	Aston Martin	5
12	Fernando Alonso	ESP	Alpine	5
13	Yuki Tsunoda	JPN	AlphaTauri	2
14	Kimi Räikkönen	FIN	Alfa Romeo Racing	0
15	Antonio Giovinazzi	ITA	Alfa Romeo Racing	0
16	Sebastian Vettel	GER	Aston Martin	0
17	George Russell	GBR	Williams	0
18	Mick Schumacher	GER	Haas	0
19	Nicholas Latifi	CAN	Williams	0
20	Nikita Mazepin	RAF	Haas	0

RAF denotes the neutral Russian Automobile Federation designation used by Nikita Mazepin in 2021.

2021 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Mercedes	141
2	Red Bull Racing	112
3	McLaren	65
4	Ferrari	60
5	Alpine	15
6	AlphaTauri	10
7	Aston Martin	5
8	Alfa Romeo Racing	0
9	Williams	0
10	Haas	0