While Verstappen still had the pace to lead, his right-rear axle was heating up. “I just lost the car, really weird,” he radioed as his Red Bull ran wide of the racing line, giving Sainz a run past on lap 2. Verstappen later added that the car felt “really snappy”, and it took only moments before his plight became clear, when a trail of smoke began streaming from the affected wheel.
An alarmed Verstappen reported the smoke and flames, the Red Bull which had pulled away into the distance in the last two races now pulled off the racing line and slowed. UK viewers had to be up early to watch the drama, which all happened before 4.10am GMT.
Alpine‘s social media team captured the surreal vision of the ailing championship leader. “Double overtake on Verstappen” it posted.
Verstappen’s winning streak up in smoke
Scott Barbour/AFP via Getty Images
A cloud of carbon fibre exploded from behind the wheel as Verstappen limped into the pitlane to mechanics waiting with fire extinguishers, and hopped out of the car, tapping his head with a furious expression notwithstanding his countless victories since his last retirement — in Australia two years ago.
From then on, Sainz was in control, pulling out a 5.5sec lead over Lando Norris and then running longer on his first stint, giving him fresher tyres for the rest of the race. “I could manage my pace, my tyres,” he said. “Physically it wasn’t the easiest… [but] from lap 2 when I was leading, with the pace I had yesterday, I knew I could get it done: I could finish the race, win it, bring it home.”
It was another demonstration of how Ferrari looks to have made progress in reducing tyre wear, which was last year’s Achilles heel.
A late concern over Sainz’s tyre wear came to naught when George Russell crashed heavily when Fernando Alonso slowed suddenly ahead of him, meaning that the race finished at a controlled pace under the virtual safety car. Alonso went on to receive a 20 second penalty for erratic driving.
Russell crash brought race to a controlled finish
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Encouragingly for the rest of the season, Sainz felt that he could still have challenged Verstappen even if the Red Bull hadn’t had an issue. “We would have had I think a good fight for P1 today,” he added. “I’m happy to take the win, he has had plenty of them.”
Charles Leclerc, who finished second to complete a Ferrari 1-2, admitted that Sainz had the edge over the weekend, despite his recent surgery.
“Carlos has done a better job all weekend from the qualifying to the race, so he really deserves that victory,” said Leclerc.
Norris rounded out the podium, declaring himself pleased with McLaren‘s pace. A late pitstop dropped him behind Leclerc and team-mate Oscar Piastri, but the pitwall ordered Piastri to let Norris back through later in the race.
Perez failed to make headway in the race
Clive Mason/F1 via Getty Images
Russell’s crash ended a miserable weekend for Mercedes, which struggled in qualifying, then saw Hamilton pull to the side with apparent engine failure early in the race.
That led to a brief virtual safety car period, which offered Alonso an opportunity to pit with minimal time loss and get ahead of Russell. He crossed the line sixth but the penalty dropped him to eighth.
There was little progress from Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull, who was fifth behind the McLarens, having started sixth.
Williams’ gamble in handing Alex Albon his team-mate Logan Sargeant‘s car after crashing in practice, came tantalisingly close to paying off: he finished 11th, less than a second behind the final points finisher, Kevin Magnussen.