Race recap: Charles fourth, Carlos seventh

Charles Leclerc  starts from fourth, Carlos from fifth.

Temperature: air 27°; track 36°.

Start. As the lights go out, Charles maintains fourth place while Carlos fights the two McLarens, losing a place to Daniel Ricciardo.

Lap 8. Carlos has to hand back position to Lando Norris for gaining an advantage by leaving the track, but he soon retakes the position. Charles is still fourth, 9 seconds behind third placed Sergio Perez.

Lap 11. Sainz comes in for a 2.2 second stop to take on Hard tyres. Charles is third, Carlos rejoins ninth.

Lap 13. Leclerc’s turn to pit, taking on Hards in 2.7s rejoining fifth and easily passing Valtteri Bottas to go fourth again. Carlos gets past Sebastian Vettel to go seventh behind Ricciardo.

Lap 28. At half distance, Charles is fourth, 10.6 behind Perez, with Carlos sixth, 1.6 off Ricciardo.

Lap 30. Carlos pits (5.6) for another set of Hards, rejoining eighth behind Bottas. Charles goes third as Perez pits on lap 31.

Lap 32. Ricciardo and Norris pit, the former getting out ahead of Sainz, the latter behind him. The Spaniard is seventh, 3.7 behind the Australian McLaren driver.

Lap 33. Charles comes in for a new set of Hards, rejoining behind Perez.

Lap 35. Bottas makes his second stop and Carlos moves up to sixth, 2.4 off Ricciardo.

Lap 43. Carlos again closes on Ricciardo and, as he tries to pass, the two cars touch slightly, the move doesn’t come off and the front wing on the number 55 SF21 is slightly damaged. The Spaniard has to push on as Bottas is on his tail.

Closing laps.  With two laps to go, Bottas gets ahead of Carlos, who finishes seventh. Charles is fourth.