Russell wins from Hamilton as Verstappen delivers irreversible title blow

Verstappen started the 50-lap race needing to stay ahead of Lando Norris to seal the his fourth consecutive title. Having held position at the start he gradually edged clear of the McLaren driver. After the second round of pit stops Verstappen's focus on the title became clear.

Running in third, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc closed in during the final stint. When the Ferrari's mounted their attack, the Red Bull Racing driver let them through unopposed, and crossed the line in a title-sealing fifth place.

At the front, Russell controlled the race having fended off Leclerc's pressure in the opening laps, which led to the Monégasque's tyres dropping off, leaving the British Mercedes driver to drive unchallenged for the remainder of the Grand Prix.

After squandering a chance for pole on Saturday evening, Hamilton was forced to start the race from 10th on the grid. However, a series of overtakes, including moves on Oscar Piastri and Yuki Tsunoda, and a long opening stint enabled him to undercut the Ferraris during the second round of stops.

He then took over P2 from Verstappen on lap 31, and set about hunting down his then teammate Russell. Having managed to cut the gap down late in the race, he was unable to attempt a pass, but did successfully lock in the 1-2 for Mercedes.

Norris set the fastest lap and finished sixth, handing the title mathematically to Verstappen. Piastri was seventh after receiving a penalty for a jumped start. Nico Hülkenberg passed Tsunoda late on, while Pierre Gasly retired with a technical issue, while Sergio Pérez claimed the final point in 10th.

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