British media: 'could hear groans echoing' in Barcelona as Verstappen wins

At the Spanish Grand Prix, Max Verstappen triumphed, securing his 61st victory at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya. The three-time world champion passed polesitter Lando Norris on lap one and then race leader George Russell soon after. These crucial moves, alongside a great team strategy, made the difference as the Dutchman won his seventh Grad Prix in 10 races. Lewis Hamilton also returned to the podium for the first time this season. This is how the British media reacted to the exciting affair.

The British broadcaster said: "Norris defended robustly, even forcing Verstappen onto the grass, but he wasn't able to fend off the Red Bull. It forced Norris and McLaren into an off-set strategy, trying to run longer and then come back at Verstappen on fresher tyres. But it left him too much to do and he had to settle for second behind the Red Bull driver, who yet again proved himself the class of the field." Said the British news outlet. "Hamilton’s third place - thanks to some decisive overtaking moves, including a very aggressive one on Sainz - confirmed Mercedes’ emergence as contenders after a series of upgrades."

The tabloid newspaper said, in, of course, a rather biased manner: "You could practically hear the groans echoing around the Barcelona circuit as any sign of a change from Verstappen’s dominance had been so short-lived," said The Sun. "Norris was chipping away at Verstappen but a sluggish pit stop left him a whopping eight seconds behind Verstappen with 20 laps to go. Hamilton cut family ties by dancing around the outside of his Mercedes teammate Russell to take third place on lap 52."

Britain's F1 rights holder Sky Sports said: "Norris left to regret a poor start which dropped him from pole position to third place - in significant opening exchanges which saw Mercedes' George Russell stunningly surge into the lead from fourth - Norris attempted to get back ahead through strategy as McLaren delayed the timing of both his pit stops compared with Red Bull's Verstappen. But, despite relentlessly catching Verstappen in the closing stages of the race, Norris ultimately ran out of laps and finished 2.2s behind at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as the Red Bull driver hung on for his seventh win of an increasingly competitive season."

The Daily Mail considered Hamilton's supposed Mercedes sabotage in their particular post-race analysis. "Two ironies to consider. First, Mercedes was accused in an anonymous email of 'sabotaging' Hamilton, yet not so here. He was handed the better strategy – as if to prove a point? Secondly, Mercedes is coming into form, at last, and a win is within reach, just as the Ferrari team Hamilton is joining next year is faltering. Charles Leclerc finished fifth and Carlos Sainz sixth," said the newspaper. "On Sunday the car you'd want was a McLaren. And Lando knew it." They concluded.