The Red Bull Racing one-two was followed to the flag by Carlos Sainz, while Charles Leclerc battled brake issues en route to fourth.
It was a devastating performance from Verstappen who won with ease, only ever pushing the RB20 for a lap or two as he ensured himself the bonus point for fastest lap.
Oscar Piastri came home in eighth while Daniel Ricciardo was 13th after a late scrap with his RB team-mate, Yuki Tsunoda.
An even start saw Verstappen hold the lead, Leclerc tucking in behind before trying to go around the outside of the Red Bull driver at the opening corner.
There was drama further back as Stroll spun at Turn 1, plummeting to the back of the field, the pack scattering around the Aston Martin as it sat broadside on the apex.
By the end of the opening lap, Verstappen held a 0.9s advantage over Leclerc with George Russell third from Perez, Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, and Tsunoda.
Secure your spot today.
Nico Hulkenberg, who’d started 10th, pitted for a new front wing as he fell to the rear of the field, the German involved with Stroll at the first corner.
Leclerc was struggling for pace in the early laps and soon fell victim to Russell at Turn 4 on Lap 3.
A mistake a Turn 10 then left the Ferrari driver vulnerable to Perez, though he was able to recover and hold on to third.
On Lap 7, the Mexican driver was through as Leclerc made another mistake at Turn 10, allowing Perez to draw alongside into the sweeping Turn 11.
The Ferrari driver attempted to fight back, prompting the Red Bull ahead to defend into the first corner, while Sainz latched onto the gearbox of his Maranello stablemate.
Leclerc was battling to slow the Ferrari, pinching brakes routinely – he thrice ran off the road at Turn 10, before going deep at Turn 1 on Lap 9.
Sainz was having a better time, though the SF-23 was clearly a handful as the Spaniard too smoked his tyres trying to slow it.
At the start of Lap 11, the Ferrari pair duked it out through the opening complex.
Sainz had moved to the inside, but Leclerc was unwilling to cede the spot. He was ultimately crowded out on exit and forced to drop in behind his team-mate.
The chance was created by another mistake from Leclerc, this time the rear end stepping out and compromising his exit from the final corner, giving Sainz the run.
Out front, Verstappen was already in a class of his own, 9.6s clear of Perez in second after Russell stopped at the end of Lap 11 for a set of hard tyres.
Leclerc also boxed, though the brake issues that blighted his opening stint remained once he was back out on track.
Verstappen was the last to pit, doing so on Lap 17 and maintaining the lead.
He emerged ahead of Perez, Russell, and Leclerc, though the Monegasque soon fell victim again to his team-mate.
Sainz was on a tear, soon passing Russell for third on Lap 18.
Ricciardo had fallen to 16th through the cycle, while Tsunoda remained 11th.
Following his pit stop, Verstappen’s advantage had shrunk to five seconds to Perez. However, a series of fast laps grew that back out to seven seconds before he eased the pace back down.
Even then he was lapping a second faster than his team-mate, who sat two seconds clear of Sainz.
The second round of stops interrupted the monotony that was Verstappen’s destruction of the field, the Dutchman absolutely peerless as he extended the gap out front.
As Piastri exited the lane from his second stop he encountered Hamilton on track, the Mercedes already at racing speed.
The seven-time champion pitted after 33 laps, undercutting the McLaren driver who valiantly attempted to hold on, without success, at the first corner.
When Perez stopped at the end of Lap 36, Red Bull Racing bolted on a set of soft compound tyres. He’d started on the red-walled tyre before moving to the hards on Lap 13.
A lap later, Verstappen followed suit, also bolting on the soft compound tyres – a used set at that.
Both Red Bull Racing drivers had only a single set of hard rubber available, though both had a new set of mediums available. Instead, the team opted for a used set of softs.
Following their stops, Verstappen held a 16.5s advantage over Perez who remained two seconds ahead of Sainz.
The race leader immediately dropped the hammer once back out on track, lapping in 1:32.608s – two seconds faster than anyone else in a terrifying insight into the potential the RB20 holds over the field.
Behind the top three was Russell from Leclerc, Norris, Hamilton, Piastri, Alonso, and Stroll.
With 12 laps remaining, Ferrari advised third-placed Sainz that the race should begin to swing in his favour.
Sainz had a set of hard compound tyres fitted chasing Perez, three seconds ahead, on a set of used softs and the crossover, according to the Scuderia’s pit wall, was Lap 45.
So it seemed as the Ferrari driver logged a time 0.3s faster than the Red Bull ahead, and matched Verstappen’s time out front – though the Dutchman was 19.2s up the road.
It was a misnomer as the Red Bull Racing drivers were able to keep Sainz at bay, lifting their pace as needed and finishing away.
On different strategies, Ricciardo and Tsunoda found themselves nose to tail on track, the Japanese driver instructed to move aside for his team-mate with five laps remaining.
It was a request that was unwillingly adhered to, though ultimately proved fruitless as the delay in releasing the soft-shod Ricciardo meant he was unable to catch Kevin Magnussen ahead.
And so the race ended with Verstappen more than 20 seconds clear of team-mate Perez after 57 laps.
Sainz was third ahead of his Ferrari team-mate Leclerc, with Russell heading Norris, Hamilton, Piastri, Alonso, and Stroll to the flag.
Discussion about this post