Lewis Hamilton Loses Spanish Grand Prix To Nico Rosberg

Nico Rosberg capitalised on his pole position to beat team-mate Lewis Hamilton to the top of the podium at the Spanish Grand Prix.

 

Hamilton had started alongside Rosberg at the front of the grid, but failed to get away well and lost a place almost immediately to Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.

Rosberg, meanwhile, extended his lead throughout, and although Hamilton's team adjusted their strategy to incorporate three pit stops, attempting to capitalise via the undercut, their man only managed to get past Vettel.

"The car has been perfect!" enthused Rosberg on the podium. "Today has worked out really well.

"I had lots of wheelspin [at the start]," admitted Hamilton. "This is a difficult weekend for me. I'm looking forward to Monaco."

Vettel complained about traffic over the radio during the race, suggesting the blue flag should have been out for the back of the field, but confessed afterwards: "If you're a racing driver, you always need something to complain about - especially if you're German."

Williams's Valtteri Bottas finished in fourth, with Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari in fifth and Felipe Massa of Williams in sixth.

Both Red Bulls managed respectable finishes, with Daniel Ricciardo in seventh and Dany Kvyat in tenth. Their junior Toro Rosso colleagues also did well, with Max Verstappen in 11th and Carlos Sainz crossing the line in ninth, although he was later investigated by stewards for contact with Kvyat in the closing lap.