Max Verstappen wins the French Grand Prix: Records broken
Red Bull's Max Verstappen has won the French Grand Prix on Sunday, getting past Lewis Hamilton in the penultimate lap. The race saw both drivers overtake each other in different moments as Verstappen sealed the deal in a dramatic fashion. Fellow Red Bull driver Sergio Perez got to the podium as well, keeping his form intact. Here are the records that were broken.
Red Bull seal three F1 wins in a row
Red Bull have now won three races in a row and to win on a track where Mercedes have fared well speaks volumes. Red Bull are a real force this season and have taken the impetus in providing a severe challenge to Mercedes. This was also Red Bull's fourth race win of the season. Notably, Verstappen has won his third race as well.
Here's a look at the top 10 drivers
Healthy lead for Red Bull and Verstappen
After seeing both the drivers take podium finishes, Red Bull have raced to 215 points, leading the 2021 Constructor Standings. Meanwhile, Mercedes saw Valtteri Bottas finish fourth as the side has 178 points. Red Bull have a 37-point lead at the top. Meanwhile, Verstappen has taken a 12-point advantage in the Driver Standings. He has 131 points and is ahead of Hamilton (119).
Verstappen wins 13th race, Perez gets his 12th podium finish
After winning the Emilia Romagna GP and the Monaco GP, Verstappen sealed another superb victory. This was Verstappen's sixth podium finish as well this season out of seven races. He has now claimed his 48th podium finish in F1 history. This was also his 13th race win. Meanwhile, Perez clinched a second successive podium finish this season and a 12th overall.
A look at the drivers finishing within the points
McLaren's Lando Norris clinched fifth place and is keeping the pressure on Perez (84) in terms of points (76). Fellow McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo finished sixth ahead of Alpha Tauri's Pierre Gasly. Veteran Fernando Alonso, racing for Alpine, claimed eighth place, after finishing sixth at Azerbaijan GP. Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel followed suit ahead of Lance Stroll.
Red Bull's strategy on point as Mercedes stutter
Verstappen drove excellently after a slip-up on the first lap which saw Hamilton take the lead. Mercedes, who implied a strategy of a one-pit stoppage for both Hamilton and Bottas, saw the decision come back to haunt them. Red Bull allowed Verstappen to switch tyres twice during the race as the risk paid off. On fresher tyres, Verstappen came back at Hamilton, gaining momentum.
Hamilton clinches 170th podium finish, woes for Ferrari
Hamilton clinched his fifth podium finish this season and a 170th career one. Meanwhile, Bottas has slipped to fifth this season in the standings and has 59 points. Ferrari struggled, finishing outside the points. Carlos Sainz ended 11th as Charles Leclerc finished 16th.
