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Max Verstappen probably shouldn’t have won the Spanish Grand Prix given McLaren’s pace. Mark Hughes looks at how closely matched the two cars were at Barcelona and the biggest reasons McLaren still lost
Lando Norris expressed disappointment after finishing a few seconds behind Max Verstappen at the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix, acknowledging they “should have won” based on McLaren’s strong performance and blames it on a poor start that allowed Verstappen to overtake. Despite Norris’ defense, George Russell took the lead in his Mercedes, but Verstappen’s decisive moves secured his victory. Red Bull’s victory showcased Verstappen’s exceptional driving skills in a car that may not have been the fastest that day. The McLaren proved to be a flexible and competitive machine on different types of tracks, challenging Red Bull’s dominance. Norris and Verstappen commented on their cars’ performance differences, with McLaren showing better pace towards the end of their stints. Ultimately, the strategic factors and setup traits played a significant role in determining the race’s outcome.
