The incident that’s more likely to result in an inquest at Ferrari got here on the primary lap.
Hamilton began on pole, with Leclerc third behind Russell, however because the Mercedes dropped again Leclerc challenged Hamilton by Turns One, Two and Three.
Hamilton held him off, however on the Flip 4/5 chicane Leclerc dived across the outdoors earlier than taking to the grass, reduce the nook and emerged within the lead.
Hamilton had additionally gone off defending, though by nowhere close to as a lot as Leclerc, and that gave Verstappen the possibility to nip by Hamilton into Flip Six and into second place.
Verstappen and Hamilton each acquired on the radio to say Leclerc needed to give the place again, however he stayed within the lead and was given a five-second penalty.
The usual punishment is 10 seconds, however the stewards took under consideration as mitigation that Hamilton had additionally gone off so neither automobile was ready to make the nook.
Hamilton’s argument will probably be that Leclerc value him and the group a victory – had they labored collectively on the primary lap, they might have ended it one-two and would most likely have run that strategy to the top given the issue of overtaking.
Later within the race, Leclerc’s lock-up after the purple flag left him battling a flat spot on his tyre, and he was pressured closely by McLaren’s Lando Norris.
However regardless of expressing issues about his tyre making it, he managed to carry on forward of the 2025 world champion.
Russell took a low-key sixth, together with a 10-second penalty for tipping Pink Bull’s Isack Hadjar right into a spin on the primary lap, forward of Piastri, his automobile broken within the incident with Lindblad.
