Verstappen 'just tried to stay calm, tried to stay close'

Max Verstappen clinched his seventh Grand Prix victory of the 2022 world championship, the Red Bull driver having a surprisingly easy run to the finish after chief rival Charles Leclerc crashed out on lap 17.

Verstappen had tried to take the lead from Leclerc at the start but the pole sitter was able to rebuff his attacks. Even when the Ferrari failed to pull out of DRS range, Verstappen was still unable to make his move stick.

In the end Verstappen had to back off in order to protect his tyres from graining. He was then the first of the leaders to head for pit lane while Leclerc seemed content to stay out.

• Read also: Verstappen beats Hamilton in France, Leclerc crashes out

It was while all this was playing out that Leclerc ended up running nose-first into the barrier at turn 11 on lap 17, which immediately changed the picture.

Verstappen was soon into the lead for the restart, and easily in control with Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes not proving quick enough to mount a serious challenge.

“I think we had really good pace from the start,” Verstappen told the media in post-race interviews in parc ferme. "The car was quick today.

“I was putting pressure on Charles," he recalled. "Following around here with this heat, you know, the tyres were overheating a lot. I could never really like go for a move, only once into turn 11.

"We just tried to stay calm, tried to stay close," he continued. "We pitted a bit earlier, and from there onwards you never know how the race is going to go.

"Of course it was unlucky for Charles. I hope he’s okay," he noted. "From there onwards, I just did my race, looked after the tyres.

"The pit lane being so long, you couldn't do another stop so you had to stay out. But the tyres were wearing a lot, so it was all about just looking after the tyres."

Today's result means that Verstappen is now on 233 points in the drivers championship, a whopping 63 points ahead of Leclerc.

It was also a good day for Red Bull as a whole, which has extended its lead in the constructors championship by 26 points after the first 12 races of the 22-round season.

"I always just try to get the most points possible," Verstappen said when asked if not having Leclerc in the mix had taken the shine off today's result.

"Some moves, you have to just back out and wait, maybe for the end of the race, and that's what we did.

"We still have a bit of work to do over a single lap especially, so we'll just keep working.

"There are plenty more races to come where you have to score points. In that aspect, I think today was a great day."

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