Due to an uncommon error on his last qualifying run on Friday, Verstappen was not awarded the pole position for the race on Sunday. However, a day later, the Red Bull driver made a triumphant return to the track, taking the lead in the 19-lap sprint race. With 14 grand prix wins and three of the first five sprint race wins, Verstappen has already secured the season championship. To hold the advantage away from the start, he managed to nudge Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc into the first curve, a left-hand switchback that is uphill. After that, Verstappen needed to gain some ground on Lewis Hamilton, the driver of a Mercedes, who had passed Leclerc into second place after the first turn. Over the course of the remaining five races of the season, Hamilton is attempting to pass Sergio Perez of Red Bull for second place in the drivers’ rankings.