Their battle began from the very first lap, as Hamilton was slower away on the wet track after a downpour in the hour before the race. Verstappen, starting third behind Hamilton and the other Red Bull of Sergio Perez, was side by side with the Mercedes into the first corner. Verstappen streaked away into a five-second lead after just two laps but Hamilton then pegged him back and they fought a cat-and-mouse fight until their pit stops for dry tyres just before half-distance. Verstappen pitted first and Hamilton the next time around, setting fastest sector times on his in-lap. But traffic delayed Verstappen on the next lap and Hamilton closed in by three seconds. His race appeared to be over as he lost a lap struggling to get out of the gravel. At the restart, as Verstappen drove off into the distance, Hamilton set about recovering lost ground.

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