Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B, in the pits
Autosport Plus

How Red Bull took French GP "payback" on a day of Mercedes mistakes

By:

The French GP has been a stronghold for Mercedes since Paul Ricard's return to the calendar in 2018. But that all changed on Sunday, as a clever two-stop strategy guided Red Bull's Max Verstappen to make a race-winning pass on the penultimate lap - for once leaving Mercedes to experience the pain of late defeat it has so often inflicted on Red Bull

“We just didn't want to be in the same position as Barcelona.”

Last month in Spain, Christian Horner’s Red Bull squad suffered a deja vu defeat against Mercedes, as Lewis Hamilton charged late on to make a perfect, unexpected and aggressive two-stop strategy work to win a race where he’d sacrificed track position. At the 2021 French Grand Prix, Horner’s team was not caught out again – as Max Verstappen reversed the late-race drama and ultimately triumphed in an engaging contest that was also laced with several familiar themes from other races this season.

PLUS: How Red Bull’s deja vu set Hamilton on the winning path in Spain 

shares
comments

Russell: 12th on merit my best drive for Williams

Wolff welcomes Bottas’ feistiness over Mercedes F1 team radio

More from Alex Kalinauckas

F1 driver contracts: How long are all the drivers' contracts?

F1 driver contracts: How long are all the drivers' contracts?

F1 Formula 1

F1 driver contracts: How long are all the drivers' contracts? F1 driver contracts: How long are all the drivers' contracts?

 The signs that suggest an immediate Red Bull resurgence in F1's Japanese GP

The signs that suggest an immediate Red Bull resurgence in F1's Japanese GP

Plus
Plus
F1 Formula 1
Japanese GP

The signs that suggest an immediate Red Bull resurgence in F1's Japanese GP The signs that suggest an immediate Red Bull resurgence in F1's Japanese GP

10 things we learned at the 2023 F1 Singapore Grand Prix

10 things we learned at the 2023 F1 Singapore Grand Prix

F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP

10 things we learned at the 2023 F1 Singapore Grand Prix 10 things we learned at the 2023 F1 Singapore Grand Prix

Singapore Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023

Singapore Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023

Plus
Plus
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP

Singapore Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023 Singapore Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023

F1 Singapore GP: Leclerc heads Ferrari 1-2 in FP1 as lizards cause disruption

F1 Singapore GP: Leclerc heads Ferrari 1-2 in FP1 as lizards cause disruption

F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP

F1 Singapore GP: Leclerc heads Ferrari 1-2 in FP1 as lizards cause disruption F1 Singapore GP: Leclerc heads Ferrari 1-2 in FP1 as lizards cause disruption

Why Singapore’s 2023 F1 track changes should hurt Red Bull

Why Singapore’s 2023 F1 track changes should hurt Red Bull

Plus
Plus
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP

Why Singapore’s 2023 F1 track changes should hurt Red Bull Why Singapore’s 2023 F1 track changes should hurt Red Bull

AlphaTauri confirms Ricciardo won't race Singapore F1 round but will be present

AlphaTauri confirms Ricciardo won't race Singapore F1 round but will be present

F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP

AlphaTauri confirms Ricciardo won't race Singapore F1 round but will be present AlphaTauri confirms Ricciardo won't race Singapore F1 round but will be present

McLaren reveals F1 livery change for Singapore and Japan

McLaren reveals F1 livery change for Singapore and Japan

F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP

McLaren reveals F1 livery change for Singapore and Japan McLaren reveals F1 livery change for Singapore and Japan

Why precedent doesn’t favour Massa’s F1 legal challenge

Why precedent doesn’t favour Massa’s F1 legal challenge

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
GP Racing

Why precedent doesn’t favour Massa’s F1 legal challenge Why precedent doesn’t favour Massa’s F1 legal challenge

Why Sainz’s Singapore F1 success was not just about DRS genius

Why Sainz’s Singapore F1 success was not just about DRS genius

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Singapore GP
Jonathan Noble

Why Sainz’s Singapore F1 success was not just about DRS genius Why Sainz’s Singapore F1 success was not just about DRS genius

 The signs that suggest an immediate Red Bull resurgence in F1's Japanese GP

The signs that suggest an immediate Red Bull resurgence in F1's Japanese GP

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Japanese GP
Alex Kalinauckas

The signs that suggest an immediate Red Bull resurgence in F1's Japanese GP The signs that suggest an immediate Red Bull resurgence in F1's Japanese GP

The lessons Russell can take from his "two-centimetre" Singapore F1 mistake

The lessons Russell can take from his "two-centimetre" Singapore F1 mistake

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Singapore GP
Jake Boxall-Legge

The lessons Russell can take from his "two-centimetre" Singapore F1 mistake The lessons Russell can take from his "two-centimetre" Singapore F1 mistake

Singapore Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023

Singapore Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Singapore GP
Alex Kalinauckas

Singapore Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023 Singapore Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023

The Singapore secrets that helped Sainz end Verstappen's F1 winning streak

The Singapore secrets that helped Sainz end Verstappen's F1 winning streak

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Singapore GP
Jake Boxall-Legge

The Singapore secrets that helped Sainz end Verstappen's F1 winning streak The Singapore secrets that helped Sainz end Verstappen's F1 winning streak

How a McLaren winner overshadowed by scandal was dealt self-inflicted setbacks

How a McLaren winner overshadowed by scandal was dealt self-inflicted setbacks

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
GP Racing

How a McLaren winner overshadowed by scandal was dealt self-inflicted setbacks How a McLaren winner overshadowed by scandal was dealt self-inflicted setbacks

The numbers that reveal F1's aerodynamic efficiency improvements

The numbers that reveal F1's aerodynamic efficiency improvements

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
GP Racing

The numbers that reveal F1's aerodynamic efficiency improvements The numbers that reveal F1's aerodynamic efficiency improvements

Subscribe