This Saturday, the Dutchman Max Verstappen won Formula 1’s new trial sprint race which will allow him to start the British Grand Prix from pole position.
The Red Bull driver pulled ahead of Lewis Hamilton at the start and once he took over the top spot, he never let it go. Verstappen led the race smoothly to the end and not only gained a favourable position ahead of Sunday’s main event, but also extended his championship lead to 33 points.
Throughout the race, Hamilton chased Vestappen, but was unable to catch him and crossed the finish line 1.4 seconds behind his arch-rival.
Beyond the Verstappen vs Hamilton duel, veteran Fernando Alonso was the race’s biggest mover. With a sensational first lap that allowed the Alpine driver to jump from eleventh to fifth place.
Alonso opted to start on soft tyres and, despite losing places to McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo on lap 17, the strategy proved effective, as he will start seventh on the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas also pinned his hopes on the soft tyres, but was unable to trouble Verstappen and had to settle for a decent third place.
Monegasque Charles Leclerc also had an interesting performance and represented his Ferrari team well with a remarkable fourth place.
