Sainz led from the start, with team-mate Charles Leclerc passing George Russell ’s Mercedes for an early Ferrari 1-2.

A safety car for Logan Sargeant nudging his Williams into the barrier sent most of the field into the pits, with Leclerc suffering a delay that dropped him behind Russell and Lando Norris ( McLaren ). He later lost a further spot to Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) when he ran wide after the restart.

A virtual safety car at two-thirds distance allowed the Mercedes drivers to use their fresh medium tyres and chase down the leaders. In a thrilling finale, the top four ran nose-to-tail to the finish, until Russell crashed out on the final lap. Norris held second, with Hamilton third.

Max Verstappen started his Red Bull from 11 th on hard tyres but, after makin

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