Red Bull’s Max Verstappen overcame a first lap mistake to win the 2021 French Grand Prix over Mercedes’ seven-time defending Formula One world champion, Lewis Hamilton, in a mistake-laden race for the top two teams. Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate took home the third and final podium place just ahead of Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, Valtteri Bottas.
Verstappen began the race as the pole-sitter alongside Hamilton in the first row but immediately gave Hamilton the lead when he made a mistake in the second corner that allowed Hamilton to take the lead of the race. That is the way it stood until Lap 20 of the 53-lap race when Verstappen reclaimed the lead during pit crossovers when the Mercedes pit underestimated the pace of Verstappen – who had pitted before Hamilton – and allowed Verstappen to re-take the lead.
Mercedes decided to keep Hamilton on a one-stop pit race plan but that strategy backfired when Verstappen pitted again on Lap 32 and then – on fresher tires – spent the next 19 laps reeling in first, Bottas, and then, Hamilton, on the penultimate lap of the race.
With the victory – and bonus point for recording the fastest lap of the race – Verstappen extends his driver’s standings lead to 12 points over Hamilton [131-119].
2021 French Grand Prix Top 10 Finishers
1] Max Verstappen Red Bull
2] Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
3] Sergio Pérez Red Bull
4] Valtteri Bottas Mercedes
5] Lando Norris McLaren
6] Daniel Ricciardo McLaren
7] Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri
8] Fernando Alonso Alpine
9] Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin
10] Lance Stroll Aston Martin