George Russell, Mercedes (P4) 7/10
Fourth was perhaps exactly where Russell expected to finish, although the race was far from a straightforward one for the Briton. Initially he found himself sandwiched between both Ferraris, but that was swiftly remedied after one crashed out and the other was overcut thanks to a Safety Car. Leclerc was faster though and barged his way past Russell on lap 32, resulting in a bit of damage for the latter. He begrudgingly allowed Antonelli through after team orders, but finished ahead of him anyway after his teammate collided with Leclerc some laps later.
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls (P3) 9/10
After qualifying on the second row, not many expected Hadjar to keep the Ferraris and Mercedes cars behind him in the Grand Prix. But they were wrong. Not only did the Racing Bulls driver put up stout defensive displays against both Leclerc and Russell, he also had the pace and performance to keep up with Verstappen ahead of him for most of the race. So unlike some drivers who got a good result on Sunday, Hadjar’s maiden podium was simply due to pure driving ability, and luck hardly played a part (apart from Norris’ retirement, of course).
