♦ Prior to the race starting, three drivers received penalties that changed their positions on the starting grid. Charles Leclerc for obstructing another driver, Lando Norris for overtaking under yellow flags and Antonio Giovinazzi for a gearbox change to his Alfa Romeo. Romain Grosjean had to start from the pit lane as his car was worked on while under parc ferme.

♦ If things weren’t bad enough for Leclerc, he collided with team mate Sebastian Vettel as the cars entered Turn 3 after leaving the starting line! Vettel’s Ferrari had rear wing damage and that was the end of his race but Leclerc was able to continue for 5 laps before also having to retire.

♦ Racing Point’s Sergio Perez started in 17th place on the grid and by the 49th lap, he had risen 12 places through the pack, an impressive performance with very fast lap times.

♦ A last lap push by Lando Norris got the McLaren driver past Perez and Stroll to grab 5th place.

♦ Four laps before the end, Valtteri Bottas finally got past Max Verstappen to give Mercedes-AMG a 1-2 finish, as Lewis Hamilton led the way.

♦ Charles Leclerc also got a warning from the FIA about breaching the rule regarding interactions with people outside the team’s ‘bubble’. The rules require all team members to not interact with outsiders but Leclerc was spotted with his friends in Monaco earlier in the week when he returned home after the first round. Understanding that these are new and unusual conditions, he has only received a warning but has been warned that breaking the rules again could have him (or any other member) barred from attending the race.