F1 | GP Spain 2016, Max Verstappen's first victory in Formula 1

The Spanish Grand Prix is ​​one of those races that always offers some surprises. The 2016 edition, the fifth outing of that World Championship won by Nico Rosberg's Mercedes, was surprising both for the driver who climbed to the top step of the podium and for the way in which he did it.

That driver goes by the name of Max Verstappen, the newly 18-year-old son of an artist who had been around ten days earlier found himself changing teams, moving from Toro Rosso to the parent company Red Bull. Daniil Kvjat completed the reverse journey, which in the first four races of 2016 had not convinced the top management of the Austrian team, caused two accidents with Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel in China and Russia which overshadowed the third place achieved in Shanghai.

So here in Spain, alongside Daniel Ricciardo, a very young Max Verstappen sets off. Verstappen who until then, in 23 GPs contested with Toro Rosso between 2015 and the beginning of 2016, had achieved the best result of fourth place in the United States GP, which was then repeated in the Hungarian GP.

In Barcelona the Dutchman already made himself noticed in qualifying, taking fourth place on the starting grid behind his teammate Ricciardo and the two Mercedes of Hamilton and Rosberg. And it is thanks to the two Mercedes drivers, fighting for the title, that the Grand Prix takes an unexpected turn. The race of 15 May 2016 is in fact also remembered for the sensational accident between the two Silver Arrows: at the start Rosberg overtakes Hamilton, who tries to get back into the lead of the Repsol. However, he is closed by his teammate, who pushes him off the track onto the grass: Hamilton loses control of his car and hits Rosberg's rear. Both end up in the escape route and are forced to retreat.

The race becomes a battle of strategy between the Red Bulls and the Ferraris, which he sees the pit stop lottery giving first place to Verstappen, followed by the Reds of Kimi Raikkonen and Vettel, in turn followed by Ricciardo. An order that will not change upon arrival and which will allow Verstappen to become the youngest driver to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix at the age of 18 years, 7 months and 15 days, beating Sebastian Vettel's previous record, also achieved with Red Bull.

Verstappen also becomes the first Dutchman to cross the finish line first in Formula 1, something that his father Jos had not achieved in his career, inevitably euphoric at the end of the race: “Max is cool, he has been racing since he was a child and always knows what to do. For him everything is normal because his whole life has always been about competition. Coming to a new team and winning straight away is incredible. I would never have thought it, even if obviously arriving at Red Bull means having a better chance of winning."