Formula One: Russell leads Mercedes one-two ahead of Hamilton in ...

Here’s Giles Richards’ report on a grand day for Mercedes.

Constructors’ championship

• 1. Red Bull 404pts

• 2. McLaren 361pts

• 3. Ferrari 340pts

• 4. Mercedes 284pts

• 5. Aston Martin 71pts

• 6. Red Bull 33pts

• 7. Haas 27pts

• 8. Alpine 10pts

• 9. Williams 4pts

• 10. Sauber 0pts

Drivers’ championship standings

• 1. Verstappen 275pts

• 2. Norris 197pts

• 3. Leclerc 174pts

• 4. Piastri 164pts

• 5. Sainz 160pts

• 6. Hamilton 143pts

• 7. Russell 141pts

• 8. Perez 129pts

Toto Wolff: “Today we were clearly ahead of everyone. We didn’t think it was possible so we thought he should stay out and he made it last!”

Lee Carney makes a good point: “So did Oscars 4.4 second pit stop cost Lewis the win there? If he’d been closer they probably would have let Lewis through but not sure if it would have been enough for Piastri to win”

• 1. George Russell

• 2. Lewis Hamilton

• 3. Oscar Piastri

• 4. Charles Leclerc

• 5. Max Verstappen

• 6. Lando Norris

• 7. Carlos Sainz

• 8. Sergio Perez (+fastest lap)

• 9. Fernando Alonso

• 10. Esteban Ocon

George Russell speaks: “Amazing. The car feels really awesome. Well done to Lewis, he really controlled that race. It was a team effort, the strategy guys did a great job. we rolled the dice. I want anther race next weekend. The team has been working so hard.”

Lewis Hamilton speaks: “We had such a disaster with the car on Friday, we were nowhere. I was trying to get closer but George did a great job in going long on the tyres. We just gotta keep pushing.”

Piastri speaks: “I thought I could get them, once I got clean air. You needed to keep going as George showed. Happy with the race. Not sure we could have done more. We just didn’t have enough pace to mow them down.”

“Amazing strategy, you guys are the best..tyre whisperer,” says Russell who sounds joyous.

Russell stage dives into his mechanics. Great race. That’s three races from four for Mercedes. Perez got the fastest lap. Hamilton might have had it. But Russell drove so well.

44/44 Final lap. Hamilton locks up and that seems to have let in Russell. Piastri keeps on their tail, ready for any mistakes. But Russell speeds away, with Hamilton settling for second, Piastri third, Leclerc fourth, Verstappen fifth. The one-stop plan paid off.

View image in fullscreen

43/44 Great drive by Russell. Is this letting in Piastri? Good stuff by Team Merc, letting them do battle. Norris sets a fastest lap. Who will chase the point on offer for that?

42/44 Russell’s hard tyres doing their job. Hamilton, down the main straight, can’t get close enough. Piastri is within touching distance.

41/44 Piastri is flying, so what do Mercedes do? Hamilton is close to his teammate now. “Give each other plenty of space,” says their race radio.

40/44 Sainz overtakes Perez. Too easy. Norris has a fastest lap as he chases Verstappen hard. Verstappen is chasing Leclerc himself. Five laps to go…

39/44 Carlos Sainz chases Perez for sixth. There’s a constructors’ championship between McLaren and Red Bull to worry about.

38/44 Norris and Verstappen is under a second, and McLaren are the speedier option again. Mind, Piastri has a rather slow lap after getting past Leclerc.

37/44 What do Mercedes do here? Launch Hamilton ahead and use Russell as a buffer, a defensive role?

36/44 Piastri has another go, and blasts past Leclerc. Now for the Mercedes? Hamilton may have a battle on his hands to keep hold of this win. The McLaren is flying, The gap to the leader is nine seconds and five to Hamilton.

35/44 Piastri is chasing down Leclerc, and sees daylight, only to get that closed down, The Aussie, such a talent, fancies a podium place.

34/44 Hamiltom is lapping far quicker than Russell.

33/44 The battle is between Verstappen and Norris, who is trying to show the Red Bull who has the better car. Verstappne has been told he can let it all out and go for it.

32/44 Russell is on a one-stop strategy. Can he hang on to the lead?

31/44 Piastri pits, and it takes a while. Only for him to emerge past Verstappen and blaze past Perez. Russell and Hamiltom are 1/2 now.

30/44 Norris comes out, and behind Verstappen, who is following Perez in sixth.

29/44 Lando Norris is going to pit, to hold off Verstappen.

28/44 Sainz tries his best to hold up Hamilton. But then pits, as does Verstappen. Hamilton has Norris, Russell and Piastri up ahead.

27/44 Oscar Piastri leads, Russell is second, and Piastri gets a faster lap/

26/44 “Think about the one stop,” says Russell’s garage. Hamilton makes a quicker stop, and Hamilton is in front of Leclerc. The other ahead, five of them, including Verstappen, will still need to change their tyres.

25/44 Hamilton is sitting well in front, as Leclerc pits. It’s a two-stop strategy for everyone. And Ferrari, making a slow stop, go on the hards.

24/44 Hamilton leads, Leclerc in second, Piastr in third. Norris attempts to chase Verstappen but makes a mess of a chicane. Russell in fourth is holding off Verstappen.

23/44 Russell has the DRS to overtake Verstappen.

22/44 Perez pits, letting Verstappen come through, and then puts on hard tyres. Problem solved, though Norris on on Verstappen’s tail