The Albany Gazette - Leclerc relieved after being saved by the Safety Car

"I'm very happy with this weekend and happy to be on this amazing podium again, but I was very happy also to see the Safety Car at the end," Leclerc said.

"My tyres were completely gone and I could see Mas was coming back on the softer tyre so it was tough, but the Safety Car saved me.

"It was the most stressful part of the race."

He said the start was "chaos as well... There was Lewis (Hamilton) on the inside and I don't think he expected that and there was Max on the outside and a little bit of contract.

"I had to go straight, but it was stressful too. I thought the race would end there for me and Lewis... Lewis wanted to try take his shot and I would have done exactly the same if I was him. It is completely normal."

Seven-time champion Hamilton, who started third and finished eighth after being given a 10-second penalty for gaining an advantage by running off track, said: "It was fun at the start and then it didn't end up that way or the way I had hoped, but that's motor racing.

"At least I got some points."

Verstappen was sanguine about the late Virtual Safety Car thwarting his charge for second and the early bumps during the opening laps.

"It was very hectic at the beginning of the race for me," he said.

"I had to be on that kerb, kept battling out all the way so almost crashed over the grass and even after that there was a lot going on.

"Everyone around me was on soft tyres and I was on the medium and it looked like a bit of a struggle, so I was just surviving the first stint.

"But once we bolted on the softs I think we were more competitive.

"And the Safety Car? Well, you win some, you lose some. Sometimes it works for you and sometimes it works against you."

(B.Smith--TAG)