MONDAY MORNING DEBRIEF: Verstappen made contact with Russell and Leclerc – but why were they racing each other in the first place?

The Spanish Grand Prix reached a thrilling climax with six laps remaining as the Safety Car returned to the pits, setting the stage for a dramatic restart. McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris led the charge, but the focus was on Max Verstappen's Red Bull, who had employed an audacious three-stop strategy to challenge the McLaren duo. However, Verstappen's race was about to take a turn for the worse. His aggressive strategy meant he had exhausted his supply of medium C2 and soft C3 tyres. While all the other frontrunners capitalized on the Safety Car period to pit for fresh rubber, Verstappen was forced to switch to a set of hard C1 tyres. This strategic disadvantage put him in a precarious position for the final sprint to the checkered flag, highlighting the high-stakes gamble of his earlier tyre choices.