Schumacher also experienced a used weekend in Haas. After finishing in the points at Silverstone and Spielberg, he ended up at the end of the field this time. Even before he was forced to spin after being pushed by the Chinese Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo), Schumacher was clearly behind. Sebastian Vettel (Heppenheim) in the Aston Martin also missed the top ten and didn’t get a point.
Verstappen shocked: “Is he okay?”
Leclerc had set the route for the rest of the season in the run-up to the weekend. After numerous blunders and technical failures, he now has to deliver “perfectly” and “don’t afford to make any more mistakes”. At first it looked as if the 24-year-old could stand up to Verstappen.
He stayed in front at the start, and although Verstappen repeatedly tried to overtake with the support of DRS in the first laps, the Ferrari driver confidently maintained his lead. The two quickly set themselves apart from the rest of the field and were in their own league.
But Leclerc did not make the crucial mistake under pressure from Verstappen: the Dutchman came into the pits on lap 18 to try to make up time with fresh tires. Alone in the lead, Leclerc then spun and slid into the barriers. A stuck accelerator pedal may have been the cause.
While Leclerc roared his frustration, Verstappen radioed into the box: “Is he okay?” The Monegasse was physically fine, but also pissed off about this annoying mistake. In any case, Verstappen used this through ball and managed the race at the top with confidence. The world champion was not threatened by Hamilton, so the Red Bull driver could concentrate on chasing the extra point for the fastest race lap.