Max Verstappen has increased his championship lead after defeating Lewis Hamilton in another nail-biting F1 battle at the French GP, expertly passing his title opponent on the Paul Ricard race’s penultimate lap.
Verstappen exploited his fresh tyres after his second stop to sprint up behind a one-stopping Hamilton in the final stages and pounce on his prey on Lap 52 of 53. \
The win was greatly attributed to team strategy with the Red Bull and Mercedes cars well matched on track.
As the F1 2021 season continues to deliver dramatic wheel-to-wheel clashes amongst its best drivers, Verstappen surged past a faltering Hamilton on the main DRS straight.
Both drivers had a difficult Sunday, with Verstappen losing his lead after a mistake into the first chicane and Hamilton losing his advantage following a Red Bull undercut, but the end result is that Verstappen now has a 12-point lead over the seven-time world champion.
For the first time since 2013, Red Bull has won three races in a row.
