Verstappen takes French GP after classic duel with Hamilton
June 20, 2021
"If we can beat them here, then really we can beat them anywhere," Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said of Mercedes after qualifying for the French Grand Prix.
Indeed, the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, France had been a stronghold for the Silver Arrows since Formula One returned to the track in 2018. In fact, Lewis Hamilton had led all but one of the laps during his victories in 2018 and 2019 combined.
But that dominance came to an end on Sunday as Red Bull's Max Verstappen finally chased down Hamilton on the penultimate lap to take the French Grand Prix. Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez also pipped Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas to make the podium.
The race put Verstappen a firm 12 points ahead seven-time champion Hamilton in the drivers' championship and Red Bull 26 points ahead of Mercedes in the constructor standings. With two races in Austria upcoming, Verstappen and Red Bull could put themselves in strong position to unseat the perennial F1 champions.
What happened in the French GP?
Verstappen's strong weekend seemed to nearly unravel when he made a mistake on Turn 1 after starting in pole position. Hamilton capitalized on the Red Bull driver's blunder to take the early lead.
With the 23-year-old Dutchman sandwiched between the two Mercedes in the early going, the race seemed to be following a familiar script. But Verstappen overcame Hamilton as the Mercedes driver was leaving the pits on Lap 20, taking a surprising lead.
Most teams in the race had intended to use a one-stop strategy. But with track temperatures at 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), Red Bull had to chance course. Verstappen was therefore forced to surrender his lead and pit on Lap 30, switching back to medium tires while Mercedes remained on hard ones.
Verstappen faced more difficulty when his microphone stopped working, limiting his ability to communicate with his engineers. Despite the technical issue, the Dutch driver began closing the gap on the two Mercedes ahead of him, his pursuit boosted by a free pass of teammate Perez.
Both Mercedes drivers meanwhile began struggling with their tires in the second half of the race. Bottas did his best to shield the leader Hamilton, but he ran wide on the circuit's Mistral chicane, granting Verstappen another easy pass.
Bottas later lambasted his team for their one-stop strategy. "Why the f*** did no one listen to me when I sad this will be a two-stopper?" the Finnish driver asked his team over the radio shortly after Verstappen's pass. The Mercedes was soon behind Perez thereafter, assuring that Red Bull would receive two podium spots.
The chicane was also where Verstappen finally caught Hamilton on the second to last lap. With Hamilton's tires spent, the Dutchman coasted to victory, his third of the 2021 Formula One season.
"The two-stop pit stop paid off. The whole race we were fighting each other. I think it will be like this for the rest of the season," Verstappen said.