The Saubers of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu started from pit lane. They changed to a different rear wing spec as they looked to take advantage of the wet conditions.
RUS, VER, NOR, PIA, RIC, ALO, HAM, TSU, STR, ALB, LEC, SAI, SAR, MAG, GAS, PER, HUL, OCO was the final starting grid.
18 drivers started on inters, with the Haas duo going for full wets.
RB had bad starts again as Ricciardo and Tsunoda dropped to 7th and 11th respectively. Carlos Sainz had a bad first lap, dropping three places to 15th.
At turn 2, Sergio Perez made contact with Pierre Gasly as he almost turned the Alpine around. Both continued without damage.
Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg came storming through the field on their wets, moving up nine (P5) and seven spots (P10) by the end of lap 2.
On the next tour, Magnussen cleared Piastri, as Hülkenberg eased by Stroll and Ricciardo.
Ferrari told Charles Leclerc that he had engine issues on lap 4 as he ran in P11.
The crossover happened on lap 5 as Max Verstappen set fastest lap on inters, with Nico Hülkenberg ending up staying behind Lewis Hamilton.
Logan Sargeant dropped to the back of the field as he locked up at turn 6 and went straight on.
In the battle for P6, Alonso missed the final chicane, with Lewis Hamilton missing turn 1 moments later. The Brit gave the place back.
The Haas of Magnussen came in on lap 7 to switch to inters, coming out in 14th.
Hülkenberg eventually pitted six laps later as Ricciardo, Stroll, Leclerc and Tsunoda had passed him. He came out in P19.
Daniel Ricciardo was handed a 5-second penalty for a jump start.
Russsll led Verstappen, Norris, Piastri, Alonso, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Stroll, Leclerc and Tsunoda on lap 15.
Albon, Sainz, Magnussen, Ocon, Perez, Gasly, Bottas, Guanyu, Hülkenberg and Sargeant completed the second half of the field.
After dropping over 10s Russell early on, Lando Norris came steaming back towards Verstappen and his fellow Brit. The reigning World Champion had a front lock-up and cut across the grass at turn 2, allowing the McLaren to get within DRS range as it was finally enabled.
Alex Albon cleared Yuki Tsunoda at the start of lap 20 for P10. Heading down the long back straight before the final chicane, Norris used DRS to breeze by to take 2nd.
The McLaren driver cruised by Russell on the next lap in the same spot to take the lead. Verstappen took 2nd seconds later as Russell missed the final chicane and lost a lot of speed because of it.
The engine issues for Charles Leclerc started to bite as Albon and Tsunoda used DRS to take 9th and 10th from the Monegasque driver.
The race turned on lap 25 as a Safety Car was deployed as Logan Sargeant crashed at turn 4, losing the rear on the kerb and damaging the left rear suspension.
Norris missed an immediate pit opportunity as he had got so far ahead of Verstappen. The Safety Car picked him up and it was costly. The McLaren driver fell behind Verstappen and Russell as they were going at higher speeds as they caught it.
Verstappen, Russell, Norris, Piastri, Hamilton, Alonso, Tsunoda, Stroll, Ocon and Ricciardo was the top 10. The Mercedes crew produced a great stop to get Hamilton ahead of his former teammate. Ricciardo served his penalty.
Tsunoda, Ocon and Bottas did not pit for new inters.
Albon, Leclerc, Bottas, Sainz, Magnussen, Gasly, Perez, Hülkenberg and Guanyu was the order from 11th to 19th.
Ferrari went for a gamble due to engine issues as Charles Leclerc boxed for hard tyres and dropped to P19.
Albon continued his impressive run as the Thai pulled off a stunning double overtake on Ricciardo and Ocon down the back straight and into the last chicane.
Carlos Sainz clipped his front wing against the rear of Valtteri Bottas down at the hairpin and lost his endplate in the battle for P12.
The leaders got into blue flag range and lapped Charles Leclerc as Ferrari’s shocking weekend continued.
At the end of lap 40, Pierre Gasly switched to dries, putting on the hards.
Lando Norris went straight at turn 1 and had to cut the corner, staying in P3 in the end as he gave the place back to Russell.
It was game over on lap 43 for Charles Leclerc as he was told to retire the car.
The first of the main runners pitted on lap 43 as Hamilton pitted for mediums. Piastri responded a lap later, with Verstappen and Russell (hards) coming in on lap 45. They stayed in the ordered they pitted.
Norris extended on inters as the others tried to get temperature into the tyres, and he managed to jump Russell when he boxed for mediums. He almost got Verstappen but the pit exit was far too wet.
On lap 49, Russell got into DRS and easily overtook Norris. However, at turns 8 and 9 a couple of laps later, Russell had a snap of oversteer, got over the kerb and almost ended up in the wall. It gifted Norris P2 back.
In the battle for P7, Lance Stroll overtook Yuki Tsunoda as he reclaimed the spot he lost following his stop for inters.
At turn 6, Perez lost the car on entry as he put his right hand side wheels on the wet part of the track and crashed, destroying his rear wing and had to retire.
A second Safety Car was required on lap 54. Carlos Sainz spun at turn 6, and he collected Alex Albon in the process as his car came across into the path of the Williams. Both cars retired with damage.
Russell (mediums) and Hamilton (hards) boxed as they had a big gap to Alonso. The younger Brit dropped behind Piastri, with Hamilton staying in P5.
Verstappen, Norris, Piastri, Russell, Hamilton, Alonso, Stroll, Tsunoda, Ocon and Ricciardo was the top 10 on the restart.
Gasly, Hülkenberg, Bottas, Magnussen and Guanyu was the order of the remaining drivers.
Esteban Ocon’s superb race continued as he overtook Tsunoda for P8.
A poor day continued for George Russell. As he tried to pass Oscar Piastri on lap 63, he failed to give the Australian space and they touched, with the Mercedes driver cutting the chicane. Russell lost out to Hamilton in the process.
However, Piastri struggled with graining and was swept up by the Mercedes drivers.
There was heartbreak for Yuki Tsunoda as he ended up on the grass at turn 8 and spun on the wet stuff, dropping out of 9th.
The Mercedes drivers then went at it in the closing laps, with Russell making a brave move into the final chicane on lap 68.
It was a hectic fight at the end to get points as Ricciardo and Gasly cleared Ocon in the closing laps.
Verstappen took a masterful victory, beating Norris and Russell by 3.8 and 4.3s respectively. Hamilton and Piastri completed the top 5 on a good day for Mercedes and McLaren.
Alonso, Stroll, Ricciardo, Gasly and Ocon completed the points scorers.
