Verstappen marching toward second F1 crown
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the French Grand Prix on Sunday and took a huge stride toward his second Formula One title after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc made a costly mistake and crashed out while leading.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton finished second for Mercedes in his 300th Grand Prix, with teammate George Russell placing third to secure their first podium double of the campaign.
The victory on a hot afternoon at Le Castellet was Verstappen’s seventh of the season and 27th of his career.
It also left him a hefty 63 points — more than two race wins — clear of closest rival Leclerc at the top with 10 rounds remaining.
“I think we had really good pace from the start, I was putting pressure on Charles,” said the 24-year-old Dutchman, who also won at the southern Circuit Paul Ricard last year.
“Following around here, with this heat, the tires are overheating a lot, so I could never really go for a move — only once.”
Montreal’s Lance Stroll of Aston Martin was 10th, while Toronto’s Nicholas Latifi of Williams didn’t finish.
Leclerc had led away cleanly from pole position, with Verstappen close behind but needing six laps before he could get close enough to attempt a move.
While he pulled closer on the straights, Leclerc had an advantage through the corners and managed to remain just out of reach.
It all changed on lap 18. The Ferrari driver screamed in frustration over the radio after his car spun and plunged into the tire barrier at the 11th corner.
Hurting inside but otherwise intact, Leclerc blamed only himself.
“I think I’m performing at my highest level in my career, but if I keep doing those mistakes, then it’s pointless to perform at a very high level,” he told Sky Sports. “I’m losing too many points.”