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sports Dialuna 10 Mei 2021

Hamilton wins Spanish GP ahead of Verstappen

(AP) — At least Max Ver- to make only one pit stop.
stappen made Mercedes
work for the win. "Of course we wanted to
win but I cannot feel too
Verstappen got a great jump disappointed as I did every-
on Lewis Hamilton at the thing I could out there and
start of the Spanish Grand maximized the opportuni-
Prix to take an early lead over ties," Verstappen said. "Even
the seven-time world cham- if we had looked at another
pion. But Mercedes stopped strategy and done a two stop
a Red Bull runaway by us- and pitted before them, we
ing strategy and fresh tires to wouldn't have made the time
push Hamilton to his 98th up as they were just faster
career victory Sunday. than us.

It was the third win in four "It was just a day where we
races to start the season for lacked a bit of pace and sec-
Hamilton, who extended his ond was the best result pos-
lead to 14 points over Ver- sible."
stappen in a championship
fight already off to an intense Hamilton started from the
start. Verstappen won the pole for the 100th time in
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix his career but Verstappen
last month. pounced headed into the
very first corner. He threw slow Hamilton as his team-
"I am beginning to love this his Red Bull inside of the Verstappen made the swap mate was racing for the lead. Health restrictions limited
battle we are having," Hamil- Mercedes and Hamilton had from softer tires for the more spectators for Sunday's race
ton said. "Red Bull has started to back out to avoid contact durable mediums while Bottas said after he didn't im- to 1,000 local members of the
incredibly strong. With Max, and yield the lead to his rival. Hamilton waited several laps mediately slow for Hamilton. circuit. There were 90,000 in
they have a championship- before he made his stop. attendance in 2019.
winning car. We have to bring "As I went into turn one, I "I was doing my own race as
our A-game every week." just gave Max as much space When Hamilton got back on well," Bottas said. "They told "There are a thousand here,
as I could. This is a race, not track he radioed: "How far me not to hold him up too but we know there are hun-
Mercedes outwitted Red Bull a sprint. I always have my have I got to catch up?" much, but like I say, I was do- dreds of thousands watching
by using a two-stop strategy mind on the long game," ing my own race and I'm not from home and we hope we
that helped Hamilton make it Hamilton said. "As soon as I "Twenty-two seconds. We've here to let people by, I'm here can have them back soon,"
look easy: Verstappen led 54 got past turn one, I switched done it before," was the reply. to race, so that's how it goes." said Fernando Alonso, who
of 66 laps and Hamilton still into a different mode." saluted those in attendance
beat him by 15.8 seconds. Mercedes was right. Verstap- Charles Leclerc finished after the Spanish driver was
Verstappen was in control of pen was unable to put up a fourth for Ferrari while Ser- honored.
Hamilton used a fresh set of the race, but Hamilton never fight when Hamilton caught gio Pérez came from eighth Alonso finished a disappoint-
tires to overcome a 22-second stopped stalking the Dutch- and passed him on the out- to finish fifth in the second ing 17th in his Alpine.
gap and pass Verstappen with man. Red Bull was commit- side of a turn. Red Bull.
six laps remaining. He tied ted to its strategy and so Mer- The safety car went out once
Michael Schumacher's mark cedes did the opposite. "I was hunting," Hamilton Daniel Ricciardo was sixth on lap seven when Yuki Tsu-
of six victories at the Circuit said. "It was a long way to for McLaren in his stron- noda's Alpha Tauri came to a
de Barcelona-Catalunya, in- When Verstappen pitted, come back from, 20-odd sec- gest race of the season. Car- stop on the edge of the track
cluding five straight. Hamilton stayed on track. onds back. But it was a good los Sainz was seventh in the and had to be lifted off by a
gamble," Hamilton said. other Ferrari, followed by crane. Tsunoda was critical of
Verstappen was disheartened Mercedes team principal McLaren's Lando Norris – his car on Saturday and later
after leading 54 laps. But he Toto Wolff had said before Valtteri Bottas finished third the first time Norris has fin- apologized for his remarks.
said he didn't have the pace the race he expected to make to give Mercedes two drivers ished outside the top five this
that Hamilton had in the just one pit stop, but as Ver- on the podium. But the Finn season. Esteban Ocon in an Next up: The Monaco GP on
Mercedes once Mercedes de- stappen led Hamilton around was again disappointed and Alpine and Pierre Gasly for May 23.
cided it would go with a two- the circuit, Wolff must have at one point in the race was Alpha Tauri took the final
stop strategy. Red Bull chose changed his mind. ordered by Mercedes not to two points-paying positions.

Mets' deGrom exits early in return from right lat issue

(AP) — Mets ace Jacob from a game Sunday with after throwing two warm- prior to the sixth. He left with the injured list.
deGrom pulled himself tightness on his right side up pitches before the sixth Chicklo and went straight to
inning. the clubhouse. New York led 2-1 when he
exited Sunday, with deGrom
DeGrom was pitching for DeGrom struck out six and scoring the second run after
the first time since skipping a allowed one hit. He was per- reaching on a perfectly placed
start due to discomfort in his fect through four innings be- bunt single in the third in-
right lat. New York said Sun- fore struggling in the fifth, ning.
day's early departure was for when he allowed a run.
precautionary reasons. He was replaced by right-
The right-hander walked hander Miguel Castro, who
The two-time NL Cy Young three in the inning, just the hit a batter and walked an-
Award winner threw 68 second time in his career other during a scoreless in-
pitches over five innings he's done that. His previous ning.
against Arizona, allowing one three-walk inning was May
run, but he called for trainer 13, 2018, at Philadelphia. He DeGrom began the day with
Brian Chicklo when he felt was pulled after one inning in a 2-2 record despite an 0.51
tightness trying to get loose that game, his first back from ERA.