Max Verstappen took the race victory at the French Grand Prix after overtaking title rival Lewis Hamilton on the penultimate lap of the race.
Verstappen completed the race on a two-stop strategy compared to Hamilton’s one-stop, as Red Bull opted to give up the lead midway through the race.
The Dutchman originally lost track position at the head of the field on the opening lap, after making a mistake at Turn 1 from pole position, allowing Hamilton to pass.
However, a successful undercut strategy saw Verstappen retake the position in the first rounds of stops, with Hamilton being forced into second ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
On lap 33, Verstappen pitted again for a set of Mediums as the leaders complained about their degrading tyres, emerging from the pit lane behind team-mate Sergio Perez, who extended his opening stint.
In the second half of the race, Verstappen hunted down the Mercedes duo, passing both before the chequered flag to take the race win.
Red Bull also managed to secure a double podium finish as Perez’s fresher tyres in the second stint saw him pass Bottas with a handful of laps remaining.
McLaren heads midfield, Ferrari falters
McLaren retook control of third place in the Constructors’ Championship, after Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo finished fifth and sixth respectively.
The midfield fight throughout the race saw a number of overtakes, and dramatically saw Ferrari score zero points.
The Scuderia outfit had both of its cars drop like stones throughout the race, as it found itself being passed by rivals as the laps ticked by.
Pierre Gasly was seventh on the road for AlphaTauri, heading Fernando Alonso, who recovered after struggling early in the race.
The Aston Martin duo of Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll were rewarded for extending their first stints deep into the race, with both drivers picking up ninth and tenth respectively.
All 20 cars see the chequered flag
In a rather unusual situation, all 20 drivers reached the chequered flag, with no notable incidents occurring throughout the 53 laps.
Sainz was 11th for Ferrari, ahead of George Russell, who took his best result of the season to date in 12th.
Yuki Tsunoda powered to 13th after commencing the grand prix from the pit lane. The second Alpine car driven by Esteban Ocon crossed the line just seven-tenths behind.
The final six positions included the Alfa Romeos of Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen in 15th and 17th respectively, with Charles Leclerc sandwiched between them.
Nicholas Latifi was 18th on the road, while Mick Schumacher and Haas team-mate Nikita Mazepin rounded out the field.
[motorsport_result id=’66457′]
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