Max Verstappen WINS Malaysian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen has won the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix for Red Bull, beating the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton in to second place. Sebastian Vettel finished fourth for Ferrari.
It was significant because Max Verstappen took his second win for Red Bull on his 20th birthday weekend, winning the power war against Mercedes and leaving Lewis Hamilton a slightly out of touch second.
It was also significant because Sebastian Vettel managed to battle his Ferrari from a last place start to a fourth place finish – making you wonder just how good Ferrari would have been without yesterday’s engine fail – and because it extended Hamilton’s lead in the driver’s title race to 34 points.
The luck for Mercedes held – even with a second place for Hamilton – with Raikkonen’s Ferrari suffering a similar engine turbo fault before the race started, with Raikkonen not making the starting grid.
Despite Hamilton getting away in front, it took Verstappen just four laps to pass him and take the lead, and that’s where he stayed until the end, finishing more than 12 seconds ahead of the Brit.
Behind the top two, Verstappen’s team-mate Ricciardo managed to get past Bottas in the Mercedes for third place, but couldn’t get close to Hamilton after that and ended up in a fight for third with Vettel as the race drew to a close.
But Vettel had delivered everything he could on his tyres by then, and although he got close to taking Ricciardo he had to settle for fourth – but Vettel’s was the drive of the day.
Behind the top five it was Perez in the Force India in sixth, Vandoorne maintaining his advantage over Alonso in the McLaren in seventh, Stoll and Massa in the Williams next and Ocon in the Force india in the last points place. Alonso was just outside in 11th.
It was definitely Max Verstappen’s day, winning the battle against Mercedes, and Vettel’s too for showing just what the Ferrari could have done without its engine issue.
But it’s Hamilton winning the war.
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