After he took the lead from Verstappen on the second lap with a pass around the outside at Turn 10, Sainz maintained the lead throughout the entirety of the race - and his victory in the 58-lap race was enshrined a lap early when George Russell crashed out at Turn 6 to produce a virtual safety car.
A mere two weeks after having his appendix removed which caused him to miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Sainz returned to the top step of the podium for the third time in his F1 career, following his victory in Singapore last year.
