The champ is back! Verstappen takes the title lead with Spanish GP win

World champion Max Verstappen overcame a sequence of problems on Sunday to lead his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez home and claim the lead in this year's title race on an afternoon of anguish for Charles Leclerc and Ferrari at a scorching Spanish Grand Prix.

His victory in a crushing Red Bull one-two was the 24th of his career and third in succession this season as he came home 13 seconds ahead of his Mexican partner with George Russell confirming Mercedes' revival by finishing third.

Leclerc, who had led the championship and dominated practice, set off convincingly from pole position until he was forced to retire his Ferrari with an engine failure.

He fell to second in the title race with 104 points to the Dutchman's 110.

First time @Max33Verstappen has led this season ??#SpanishGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/vWG1GZduJt

Beaten at the start, Verstappen was blown off the circuit and had technical problems, but he overcame them to produce a furious drive aided by his team-mate's generosity for his second win at the Circuit de Catalunya, where he claimed his maiden victory as a teenager in 2016.

"I went off, when I had a lot of tailwind, and lost the rear," said the 24-year-old Dutchman. "My DRS (drag reduction system) was not always working and that made it very tough, but we managed to use strategy to get ahead.

"It was a difficult beginning, but a good end! I tried to stay focussed. It is not nice when stuff like that happens. I am very happy to win and happy for 'Checo' (Perez). It is a great result for the team."

A not so happy Perez was nonetheless satisfied for the team.

"I'm happy for my first podium in Spain," he said. "It was close and I'm happy for the team, but we need to speak later."

"It was a race of two halves," said Red