Chennai
Leclerc dedicated the win to Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert, who was killed in a crash on Saturday. “This one is for Anthoine,” he said over team radio after crossing the line. “Feels good, but difficult to enjoy on a weekend like this.”
After pulling up in the pits at the end, Leclerc celebrated in fittingly subdued style, pointing at the sticker on his Ferrari dedicated to the memory of Hubert, against whom he had raced on his way through the ranks to F1.
The 21-year-old has come close to wins twice before in his first season with Ferrari, his second in F1, but delivered under pressure at the classic Spa track.
But he had to fight for it as Hamilton closed in to cross the line less than a second behind in a nail-biting finish.
Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas was third, ahead of the second Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel, who had a disappointing day, outclassed and out-paced by his team-mate. And McLaren’s Lando Norris suffered a bitter blow at the end. After a strong race in fifth place after starting 11th, he suffered a suspected engine failure on the final lap and dropped out of the points. That elevated Alexander Albon to fifth after a strong drive from 17th on the grid on his first outing forRed Bull.
Ferrari had locked out the front row in qualifying with Leclerc ahead of Vettel, but they always suspected the race would be a more difficult task, and they were right.
Leclerc led away from pole and Vettel managed to re-pass Hamilton up the long straight to Les Combes after losing second at the first corner. After a safety car following a collision between Kimi Raikkonen’s Alfa Romeo and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull led to the Dutchman crashing out at Eau Rouge, Leclerc led the first stage of the race, inching away from Vettel as Hamilton began to pressure the German.
Hamilton’s pace forced Ferrari to pit Vettel early on lap 15, to prevent Mercedes getting ahead by doing the same, and his pace on fresh tyres meant that he was leading by the time Leclerc and Hamilton rejoined from their pit stops six and sevenlaps later.
But Leclerc closed rapidly on Vettel, who was told to let him by so as not to hold his team-mate up, and after Hamilton also passed Vettel easily with 22 laps to go, the race became a fight between Leclerc and the five-time champion.
Leclerc looked to be in control, but Ferrari were wearing their tyres quicker than Mercedes.
Hamilton was seven seconds behind with 10 laps to go, but then began to carve chunks out of Leclerc’s lead and was 1.5secs behind going into the final lap.
There were back markers to negotiate but Leclerc held on, to take a first win he has deserved for some time.
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