Lando Norris returns to win a GP nine races after the success in Miami, his first in his career. He starts from pole position, but suffers the faster start of Max Verstappen who temporarily takes the lead. The Englishman has not overcome the start syndrome, but Lando has maintained his lucidity by staying at a safe distance from the Dutchman so as not to ruin his tires in dirty air. Then on lap 18 he decides to break the ice and at Tarzan takes the lead of the race and never gives it up again.
McLaren proves to be the reference car, confirming the technical overtaking of Red Bull, which is clinging to the talent of the three-time world champion. The MCL38 immediately digested the aerodynamic update, showing a happy leap in quality: Lando does not need to break Verstappen’s reins when the lights go out because the supremacy is clear, very clear. The gap of over 22 seconds on Red Bull proves that the papaya car can raid the tracks of the next events.
Verstappen’s illusion didn’t last long: not even the three-time world champion is enough to contain McLaren, Max has a 70-point advantage in the drivers’ championship, but on his home track, where he had always dominated in the last three years, it seemed clear that Andrea Stella’s team had overtaken him. The gap in the constructors’ championship has dropped to 30 points and the hope of fighting for at least one title is becoming very concrete. Norris can also dream of a big shot in his heart, because he also wanted to take the fastest lap on the last lap (in 1’13″817, doing 66 thousandths better than Lewis Hamilton who had a new soft tyre against a hard that had 44 laps!).
To fuel its hopes for the championship, McLaren should have brought Oscar Piastri closer to Lando, but the young Australian remained off the podium, paying the price not only from Max Verstaeppen but also from Charles Leclerc, with a surprising Ferrari.
Red Bull comes out of the championship resumption with broken bones: the technical staff directed by Pierre Waché has lost its compass. The car that seems to be unbeatable has become vulnerable and, in fact, we have seen the team from Milton Keynes fail the last fund, returning to that of the beginning of the season. A bad sign that, however, has allowed Sergio Perez to conquer a sixth place, giving up only one position compared to the starting grid.
Ferrari in the race finds a day of light after a disappointing qualifying: Leclerc was fantastic in keeping Piastri behind with an MCL38 that theoretically should go like Lando’s. The Monegasque conquers an extraordinary podium (it was absolutely not in the Prancing Horse’s plans) which is worth a lot because the Ferrari driver closed the 72 laps 2″5 from Max’s RB20 on perhaps the most difficult track of the world championship for the red team. Positive indications also come from Carlos Sainz: starting 11th he climbed up to a positive fifth place. The Prancing Horse team finds itself third force, taking advantage of a bad Sunday for Mercedes that seems to have lost the chase.
George Russell, seventh, and Lewis Hamilton, eighth, who climbed from 14th place, did not impress. The two drivers made a second pit stop, switching to the soft tyres: George hoped to go and catch Perez, while Lewis was counting on grabbing the point for the fastest lap. None of this. In Brackley they turn the page…
Pierre Gasly also had a very consistent race, giving important points to Alpine, which is going through a difficult restructuring phase. The top 10 is closed by Fernando Alonso with Aston Martin: the Spaniard finds his pride again and takes a point away from Nico Hulkenberg, who is in great shape with Haas. Lance Stroll was close to his teammate, but paid for his naivety at the pit stop, where he earned a 5-second penalty for excessive speed when entering the lane.
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