ReutersMotor racing-The tide is turning in Red Bull's favour
Red Bull went into Sunday's French Grand Prix thinking they could win anywhere if they beat Mercedes at Le Castellet, and Max Verstappen's victory has lifted the Formula One title battle to another level. The 23-year-old Dutch driver, now 12 points clear at the top, is more than just a threat to Lewis Hamilton's dream of eight titles. For the first time in the 1.6 litre V6 turbo hybrid era that started in 2014, Honda-powered Red Bull have strung together three wins in a row and cracks are starting to appear in the mighty Mercedes machine.
ReutersMotor racing-Verstappen on a roll with Red Bull after French win
Formula One leader Max Verstappen passed Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton on the penultimate lap to win a tense French Grand Prix for Red Bull on Sunday and canter 12 points clear at the top. The victory from pole position at Le Castellet was the third in a row for Red Bull, picking up speed as they bid to end seven years of Mercedes domination, after wins on the streets of Monaco and Baku. Verstappen's Mexican team mate Sergio Perez, winner in Azerbaijan after the Dutch driver suffered a high-speed blowout while leading, finished third after passing Valtteri Bottas's Mercedes in the closing laps.
ReutersVerstappen delivers the unexpected with French GP pole
Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen pulled off the unexpected on Saturday when he snatched a comfortable French Grand Prix pole for Red Bull at a track that had until now been a happy hunting ground for rivals Mercedes. The Dutchman, who leads Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton by four points in the overall standings, was in a league of his own around the 5.8-kilometre Paul Ricard circuit. His lap of one minute 29.990 seconds made him the only driver to breach the 1:30 barrier and was good enough to beat seven-times world champion Hamilton by 0.258 seconds.
