Charles Leclerc took second place, the Ferrari driver crossing the finish line six seconds behind Verstappen, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri completed the podium in third. Russell was Mercedes’ only point scorer in fourth, ahead of Pierre Gasly, who left Carlos Sainz behind and took a solid fifth place for Alpine.

Sainz had to settle for sixth place in the Ferrari – he had recovered well from an earlier puncture – while his compatriot Fernando Alonso took home points in seventh place for Aston Martin. Zhou Guanyu, meanwhile, took Kick Sauber’s long-awaited debut points this season with a popular eighth-place finish, which also earned him the Driver of the Day award.

Kevin Magnussen took ninth place for Haas, while Norris clinched the final point in tenth place after the aforementioned penalty with his comeback. Valtteri Bottas narrowly missed Kick Sauber’s celebration in 11th place, while his former teammate Lewis Hamilton cut a dejected figure in 12th after picking up two penalties during the event.

The RB pair of Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson finished 13th and 14th, with Alex Albon the last ranked runner for Williams in 15th. Nico Hülkenberg from Haas was one of five eliminations. The Haas spun and ended up stranded in the gravel, while Sergio Perez was also out of the race after spinning himself in the Red Bull.

Lance Stroll suffered an early retirement as his Aston Martin was damaged after contact with Albon on the first lap. After the first corner incident with Hülkenberg, Colapinto and Ocon’s races also ended before they began.

More to follow