F1 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix Live Updates

Live: F1 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix

By Michael Doyle

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22

Key Events

12

Highlights

2

Press Conference

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Comments

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11/66: Russell extends lead, Piastri losing touch

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By Michael Doyle

George Russell has a lead of around 3.5 seconds.

Lewis Hamilton is holding second well, keeping clear of Kimi Antonelli in third.

Oscar Piastri is losing touch with the top 6.

WATCH: Race start in Barcelona

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By Michael Doyle

8/66: Leclerc passes Piastri for sixth

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By Michael Doyle

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has caught and now passed McLaren's Oscar Piastri.

The Australian does not have the pace at the moment, and Leclerc makes a nice move around the outside of turn 3.

Piastri is now seventh, where he started the race.

6/66: Leclerc nearly crashes into Piastri

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By Michael Doyle

Oscar Piastri is running in sixth, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is just behind,

But the pair were nearly involved in a crash.

Leclerc stepped on the brakes much later than Piastri into the first corner, and the Ferrari driver nearly clattered into the rear of the McLaren.

Lance Stroll retires his Aston Martin

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By Michael Doyle

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Aston Martin has already pulled one car into the garage.

Lance Stroll is out of the car, with a suspected power unit issue.

5/66: Antonelli catching Hamilton for second

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By Michael Doyle

George Russell has a nice 2.5-second lead.

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton is no longer attacking Russell, but he is now defending from Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli, the championship leader, is hunting Hamilton for second place.

Hamilton is holding position. This track is no easy to overtake on.

2/66: George Russell is 1.7 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton

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By Michael Doyle

Pole sitter George Russell already has a small gap to Lewis Hamilton.

Oscar Piastri is sixth, challenging Max Verstappen.

Isack Hadjar was the big loser from the start. The Red Bull driver dropped from sixth to 14th.

1/66: George Russell makes the perfect start

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By Michael Doyle

Pole sitter George Russell gets a terrific start.

He cuts across the track and keeps Lewis Hamilton and keeps the Ferrari driver in second.

Kimi Antonelli is being challenged for third by Lando Norris.

Max Verstappen is fifth, holding off a challenge from Oscar Piastri, who jumps up one spot.

Charles Leclerc is up to seventh from 10th.

RACE START: The lights go out

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By Michael Doyle

FORMATION LAP: Very different tyre options

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By Michael Doyle

G'day Michael. Another late night. I’ve just read an update from Pirelli that the tyre pressures for tonight have been lowered to help avoid the ‘balloon’ effect . Be interesting to see how that makes handling differences for the drivers ?

- Phillip

The drivers are off on the formation lap.

And we have a mix of all tyres on the grid.

In the top 10 we have:

Mediums: Russell, Antonelii, Norris, Hadjar, Piastri, Lawson, Leclerc

Softs: Hamilton, Verstappen, Hulkenberg.

At the very end of the grid, Perez, Stroll and Alonso are on the hards.

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya information

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By Michael Doyle

Alright, let's get to know the track: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

This track is tough.

It is a wonderful challenge for drivers.

There are 14 corners, and it is not easy to overtake.

Turn 1 is the best overtaking opportunity, at the end of the long straight.

Turns 4 and 5 are also good overtaking opportunities.

There are four zones on the track for the drivers to be in Straight Mode — opening the rear wing and flattening the front wings.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc starting 10th

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By Michael Doyle

Will LeClerc be starting from the grid or the pitlane given the damage caused by his crash in qually yesterday? Is his Ferrari repaired and any penalties for him or others?

- StevoR

G'day, Stevo.

I hope you are well, mate.

Ferrari repaired Charles Leclerc's car after his crash in Q3 yesterday.

Leclerc is, as far as I know, starting on the grid.

Will race strategy play more of a role tonight?

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By Michael Doyle

Evening Mick, As a F1 novice going from what I'm reading, tonight's race will rely on strategy/tactics even more than it usually does - lets hope Oscar and his McLaren team are switched on...

- Mike

G'day Mike.

Thanks for joining me tonight, mate.

Race and tyre strategy will play a big role tonight.

It is hot in Barcelona, and the track is harsh on tyres.

A two-stop strategy, at least, will be needed.

So, in a way, yes. Tonight's race will look a little different to what we have become accustomed to in F1.

Once upon a time, pit strategy played a much bigger role in F1.

Ferrari famously used FOUR pit stops to help Michael Schumacher beat Renault's Fernando Alonso to win the 2004 French Grand Prix.

Alonso only stopped three times in that race.

But Ferrari was smart and realised that stopping four times and always being in clean air, was quicker than stopping three times and being stuck behind backmarkers towards the end of each stint.

What are the pit stop options today?

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By Michael Doyle

It is hot in Barcelona.

The temperature is expected to be over 30 degrees Celcius, and the Circuit de Catalunya is known for being high on tyre degradation.

So, the simulations published on the Formula 1 website suggest we are certain for at least two pit stops today.

Starting on the medium compound, then changing to the hard, and hards again, seems to be the best option today.

But if a driver can look after their tyres, maybe the fast, but less durable, soft compound is an option.

One driver to watch out for is Max Verstappen, starting fifth.

He almost certainly will not do a Med-Hard-Hard strategy, because he only has one set of new hard tyres.

Lewis Hamilton on his chances of victory tonight

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By Michael Doyle

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton starts on the front row of tonight's grand prix.

Mercedes has won every grand prix this year, but the gap between them and their rivals appears to be narrowing.

Ferrari has been excellent at race starts this year, and with a long run from the grid to the first corner, it is an opportunity for Hamilton.

Here are his thoughts on the run to turn one, and his chances tonight.

It is a long run to turn one, and that's definitely an opportunity.

We'll try and maximise there, and after that it's who can look after their tyres better.

I hope we can have similar pace to the guys (Mercedes) ahead. If we do, hopefully we can have a good race.

Can anyone catch Kimi Antonelli in the drivers' championship?

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By Michael Doyle

Is the WDC already decided, or can someone else still won over Antonelli?

- Melbie

G'day Melbie.

I can answer this question with one word: YES.

This is round 7 of 22. We have so much racing left in 2026.

I know the gap Kimi Antonelli has is significant — 66 points to Lewis Hamilton and 68 points to George Russell — but it is way too early to think about crowning a champion.

Here is something to consider.

We all remember that Oscar Piastri was ahead of Lando Norris by 34 points with nine races to go.

What we forget is that Piastri was ahead of Max Verstappen by 104 points.

Piastri finished behind Verstappen by the end of the season.

George Russell upbeat ahead of pole position start

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By Michael Doyle

The drivers have been out on their parade lap, and we have been able to hear from a few of them.

Mercedes driver George Russell starts tonight on pole position.

The Brit needs a good result, after failing to score in the previous two grands prix.

He starts from the number one grid slot tonight, and it is clear he is feeling more upbeat.

It feels great to get pole position here in Barcelona.

Spain holds a special place in my heart and I'm hoping to have a great race today.

It is hot in Barcelona, and this track is known for high tyre degradation.

The tyres are likely to play a big role today, with two pit stops expected today.

It's going to be very hot. Last year, there were lots of different strategies

I think you could see all three tyres being used today.

Oscar Piastri starting seventh today

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By Michael Doyle

Still on a high from the Socceroos win. Maybe Oscar was watching and is fired up for a win too.

- Bel

G'day Bel.

How good were the Socceroos? A 2-0 win to start the FIFA World Cup was outstanding.

I am sure Oscar Piastri would love to replicate some of their heroics today.

He starts seventh on the grid after a disappointing end to qualifying yesterday.

Here is what Piastri said yesterday, ahead of tonight's race.

Mercedes looks strong, and Ferrari have taken a step with their upgrades — their corner speeds have been impressive all season, even if they’re still paying a price on the straights.

"[Today] will likely be a long, hot two-stop race, maybe more, and the key will be managing degradation and maintaining pace across the stints. While Mercedes and Ferrari were quicker [yesterday] than [Friday], strategy and tyre offsets could open up opportunities, and we feel more in the fight than last week. If the race plays out like we’ve seen here in recent years, with multiple stops and differing tyre life, there’s definitely a chance to gain a few positions."