Mercedes did not have to pit their cars, but chose to do so in what was intended to be a safety decision. But they put the wrong tyres on Russell’s car and then could not fit a new set to that of his team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who had to have his old tyres fitted back on to his car. Russell could still have won the race, but a puncture when he was trying to chase down Perez sent him to the back. But he drove a remarkable race to carve back up through the field, not pitting again until lap 48, by which time he was up to third place.

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