But then his engine failed and the race fell into rival Max Verstappen’s lap. Not only that, but the statistics look grim for Leclerc and Ferrari. Verstappen has retired twice this year, but has won every race he has finished. After a difficult start to the season with a recalcitrant car, suddenly both Russell and Lewis Hamilton look like they could start making life difficult for Verstappen and Leclerc. And while Verstappen has retired twice this season, the difference is that his failures came in races in which he was already well beaten by Leclerc. Verstappen’s spin made life difficult for him, but once Leclerc was out the race looked like his to lose.

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