Hadjar goes the distance as Verstappen finds his pace on soft tyres

Isack Hadjar’s comeback did not end with a good qualifying performance. Third at the finish, the Frenchman takes his third Formula 1 podium and the first he considers genuinely earned on the car’s pace. His wrist held up over 51 laps, although he still reports numbness after the race. This is therefore not a claim of full recovery, but a successful return over the complete distance.

For Verstappen, who climbed from eighth to second, the tyre change proved decisive. The Dutchman says he was largely trying to survive on the mediums during the first stint. Switching to softs under the Safety Car then gave him a much faster car and allowed him to pass Piastri at the restart before chasing Russell.

Red Bull finishes with both cars on the podium and 33 points, while McLaren scores none. In the constructors’ championship, the gap between the teams shrinks to 43 points: 306 for McLaren and 263 for Red Bull. Hadjar’s return therefore makes an immediate contribution to the team battle beyond his own personal success.