Verstappen announced his front left tire was “not good” on lap 21, while Russell pulled off a difficult combination on lap 21. There was a roar in the pit lane as Norris quickly dropped out of second place, sending the McLaren back on track in P7 behind Perez.
Ferrari, meanwhile, appeared to be attempting an overcut as Norris found himself in traffic, although the Briton had already managed to clear Perez with a lap to go. After the Australian returned to the track with strong pace, Piastre also stopped before passing Stroll for P7.
Race leader Verstappen stopped soon after, while the Scuderia brought Leclerc a lap down, leaving Sainz and Hamilton in front as both had yet to pit. Leclerc and Piastre soon picked off Perez, while both Sainz and Hamilton made their pit stops on lap 28.
Sainz finished sixth behind Piastre and Perez, which will surely please the McLaren team as Ferrari now had to find a way past Red Bull. Further back, with Williams yet to make a pit stop, Tsunoda made an impressive overtake on Sgt.
As the race approached its halfway point, Verstappen held the lead from Norris, Leclerc and Piastre, while Sainz edged ahead of Perez – still moving up to fifth in his debut. The Mexican may have been known for his ‘tire whisperer’ qualities, but his toughness seemed to be fading.
