Russell wins thrilling sprint race, Verstappen slips to fourth
Russell had three attempts at passing Verstappen before he finally overtook the Red Bull driver on Lap 15 on the run to Turn 4.
After getting past surprise pole sitter Kevin Magnussen and leading the early stages, Verstappen appeared to pay the price for running on medium tyres while his rivals all opted for softs.
Verstappen picked up front wing damage after running over debris and had contact with Carlos Sainz when the Ferrari driver dived down the inside for second place on Lap 19.
From there Verstappen struggled for pace, with 2021 title rival Lewis Hamilton also getting past as he turned in an impressive recovery drive over 24 laps to finish third after starting eighth.
But Hamilton is one of three drivers under investigation over the start procedure.
Russell will start Sunday’s grand prix from pole position, leading an all-Mercedes front row with Sainz set to serve a five-place grid penalty for an engine change.
Verstappen finished ahead of Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez in fourth, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took sixth ahead of Lando Norris’ McLaren.
Having led the opening two laps, Magnussen eventually dropped to eighth at the chequered flag but claimed the final point on offer for Haas.
Sebastian Vettel and Pierre Gasly completed the top 10 for Aston Martin and AlphaTauri respectively.
It was a nightmare race for Alpine, with Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon finishing a lowly 15th and 18th following an early tangle.
