LE CASTELLET: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc crash handed an easy victory to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the French Grand Prix, who kept Mercedes Lewis Hamilton at bay to triumph in his seventh race of the season.

Leclerc, who was in dire need of good results in an attempt to keep his title hopes alive, remained unlucky as the outcomes proved to be completely contrasting.

The Ferrari driver lost control at the Beausset right-hander two laps after the Red Bull had made its first pit stop.

The disastrous crash handed a comfortable position to Red Bull’s Verstappen, who dominated the rest of the race by holding off Mercedes Hamilton to finish at the top of the podium.

Competing in his 300th Formula 1 race, Hamilton appeared to have gathered the momentum as he took a strong second followed by his teammate George Russell, who experienced a frantic duel with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in the closing laps.

Carlos Sainz of Ferrari, on the other hand, came in fifth and once more questioned his team’s strategy to make a second pit stop shortly after he had passed Perez for third place with 11 laps remaining.

With 10 races remaining, Verstappen has increased his championship advantage over Leclerc by 63 points following another top-podium finish. On the other hand, 13 points behind Leclerc, his colleague Perez stayed in third place.