Max Verstappen led for much of the race before seeing his lead over second-placed Norris reduced after a slow pit stop by Red Bull on lap 52. An exciting chase ensued in the ensuing laps, with The Englishman from McLaren attempted several overtakings in a battle for the top position.
Everything came to a head on lap 64, when there was contact between the two which led to both getting a puncture and having to slowly return to the pits. While Norris suffered too much damage to continue, Verstappen rejoined and finished the event in fifth place.
The Dutchman received a 10-second penalty after being found at fault for the accident, but in the end he had enough of a gap on Nico Hulkenberg (sixth) to maintain his position and gain eleven valuable points which allowed him to pull ahead of his rival English.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race, Christian Horner complained about the stewards' decisions: “There seemed to be enough room for Lando. There are tough runners and Lando got his elbows out. There has already been contact and it ultimately cost them both. Max punctured and received the penalty“.
“I think the penalty was tough, but sometimes it happens. It's frustrating because in the Sprint we won and we were controlling the race well. But this is Formula 1. However, I think we can take a lot of positives from this weekend. We had a very strong car, two poles, a Sprint win and I think Max also extended his lead in the championship“, closed Horner.
In fact the Dutchman remains at the top of the drivers' standings with 237 points which give him an advantage of 81 points over Norris. With this business card the three-time world champion presents himself at Silverstone (here the complete programme) in front of an audience that might not be too friendly after yesterday's events. But Max has broad shoulders and can count on a team that always supports him, even when he is clearly at fault in an accident.
Crediti foto: Oracle Red Bull Racing