Polesitter Verstappen had built a comfortable lead over second-placed Alonso, but with rain looming the Aston Martin driver enjoyed a strategic advantage by starting on the hard tyre, while Verstappen began to struggle on worn mediums.
As the rain eventually hit and then intensified, Verstappen pitted on lap 56 of 78 for intermediates and managed to undo Alonso's tyre advantage as well as the Spaniard's bid to benefit from any safety car or red flag.
