The Belgium lad led until the end of lap 66 of 70, but Hamilton took the lead thereafter, thanks to a brilliant pit strategy by his Mercedes team. Verstappen, who started from pole position for the first time, finished runner-up. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was third but more than a minute behind, with the top two in a battle of their own. The win was Hamilton’s eighth in 12 races this season and the 81st of his career. Closest rival and teammate Valtteri Bottas finished eighth after the two Mercedes drivers made contact on the opening lap. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc came fourth.
