BARCELONA: Dutch teenager Max Verstappen made Formula One history as the youngest race winner on Sunday in a sensational Spanish Grand Prix that saw dominant Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg collide and crash out on the opening lap.

Verstappen, only 18 and making his debut for the former world champions only a few days after moving up from feeder team Toro Rosso in a controversial driver switch with Daniil Kvyat, beat Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen — at 36 twice his age — by 0.616 seconds.

Verstappen was also the youngest driver to stand on the podium and the first Dutch race winner since the championship started in 1950 after he showed supreme composure under pressure, resisting all attacks to claim a stunning victory in only his 24th F1 race.

“This is a very big surprise, didn’t expect that,” Verstappen said. “I couldn’t believe I was leading the race. Today everything went well. Unbelievable.”

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, the previous youngest race winner thanks to his astonishing 2008 Italian Grand Prix victory for Toro Rosso at the age of 21, was third for Ferrari. Verstappen’s team-mate, Daniel Ricciardo, finished fourth.

Valtteri Bottas came home fifth for Williams ahead of Carlos Sainz in a Toro Rosso, Sergio Perez of Force India, Felipe Massa in the second Williams, Jenson Button of McLaren Honda and Kvyat on his return to Toro Rosso.

Rosberg had his lead trimmed to 39 points, with Raikkonen moving up to second ahead of Hamilton.

The German’s dream of an eighth successive win, and fifth of the season, had disappeared in the gravel on the opening lap as he and reigning champion Hamilton crashed out while battling for the lead.

That looked like being the talking point of the day at a circuit that has seen processional races in the past, until Verstappen, who had qualified fourth with Ricciardo third, rewrote the script.

Ricciardo might have join­ed him on the podium but a late puncture left him fourth.

“Max Verstappen, you are a race winner, fantastic,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said over team radio after his driver crossed the finish line. “What a great debut. Fantastic. Great, great job.”

Verstappen soaked up the moment, lingering on the podium after the Ferrari drivers had gone and holding the winner’s trophy aloft.

While Red Bull celebrated, and Ferrari rescued a race that had looked like being one to forget after Raikkonen and Vettel qualified fifth and sixth, dominant champions Mercedes were licking their self-inflicted wounds.

Triple world champion Hamilton had started on pole position, with Rosberg alongside, but their race imploded after three corners.

The German passed Hamilton around the outside of turn one and the Briton was then squeezed on to the grass as he tried to regain the lead.

His car skewed sideways and smashed into Rosberg’s, with both drivers ending up in the gravel and the safety car deployed.

“Completely unnecessary,” former driver Niki Lauda, Mercedes’ non-executive chairman, said from the pit lane. “That both Mercedes are out after two corners is for me unacceptable. Lewis was too aggressive, why should Nico give him room? He’s in the lead. I blame Lewis more than I blame Nico.”

It was the latest setback for Hamilton, who is yet to win a race in a season in which he has been plagued by mechanical issues and unfortunate incidents. He hasn’t won since the United States GP in October.

Rosberg could have become the first driver to win five race in a row to start the season since Michael Schumacher with Ferrari in 2004. Nigel Mansell also won the first five races with Williams in 1992.

“We have spoken to both drivers and it is not a clear cut decision — we have lost 43 points after lots of effort by the team in the last few difficult weeks,” said a strained Toto Wolff, the team chief. “Let’s see what the stewards decide.”

Another reprimand for Hamilton, if it was to come, would be his third of the season and signal an automatic 10-place grid penalty for the Monaco Grand Prix, diminishing his ability to revive a serious title defence.

On the day of Verstappen’s emphatic arrival, it seemed also to be a signal that times are changing and a new era may be about to unfold.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2016