KIMI ANTONELLI won the first race at the Madring in front of Jude Bellingham in the Mercedes garage.
Meanwhile Lando Norris’ hopes for a win were thwarted by a VSC and a woeful pit-stop.
Italian youngster Antonelli has now toasted eight F1 race wins and extended his championship lead to 81 points.
You have to feel for pole-sitter Norris who had done all the hard work in qualifying to have his hopes of a win crushed in the blink of an eye.
It started when the VSC was called into action on lap 15 after Lance Stroll stopped on track, allowing Verstappen and Antonelli a cheap pit stop.
Norris on the other hand had just missed the pit entry and then the VSC ended as he came in a lap later.
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Things went from bad to worse when his pit crew produced a whopping SEVEN SECOND stop, meaning he reemerged in fifth.
The nightmare seemed to light a fire in his belly as he drove with a bit between his teeth to seal the final podium spot, behind second-place Max Verstappen.
Norris said after the race :“A tough race, one that just got away from us. I felt like we deserved it today but that’s racing sometimes. We’ll take it on the chin and try again next time.”
A chaotic start saw Norris and Antonelli chop and change for the lead as the young Italian cut the first two chicanes.
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Antonelli knew he had to give the place back and conceded to Norris, while a plucky Verstappen wriggled through as well.
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But Verstappen was told to give places back to Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton having earlier cut the first chicane in his battle for third with the Brit.
The fuming Dutchman said on the team radio: “Mate, what the **** are you guys talking about. He would have shunted.
“Like what are you guys talking about? If I just stay on the track, I am out of the race”.
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Hamilton then came onto his team in a panic, asking them to check his car after hitting the wall with his left rear.
Disaster struck for the Brit as his brakes failed and he plummeted to 14th before limping into the pits and retiring.
Norris was flying out front and produced the fastest lap to pull nearly five seconds clear of championship leader Antonelli.
But his bubble was burst on lap 15 as the VSC came out.
Leclerc was the new race leader, while Antonelli snapped at his heels within a second behind.
Norris was driving like he had nothing to lose and was actually told he was “taking too much risk” on the final corner where he made a mistake in qualifying.
Leclerc finally pitted with eight laps to go and Antonelli took the lead with Verstappen and Norris right up his jacksie.
Norris was closing in on Verstappen and clipped the wall in his furious pursuit of a podium spot.
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The pair eventually locked horns on lap 54 and Norris was forced to cut the chicane at Turn 5 with him one second behind the Dutchman.
Verstappen managed to fend Norris off and keep second-place as Antonelli flew to another victory.