A third safety car for Norris’ car to be recovered from the side of the track on the run towards the fast Turn Seven, two virtual safety cars to recover debris from the track, and a frantic final few laps for the final points as drivers on varying tyre life fought for position distracted from a fine drive from Hadjar.
Racing Bulls felt it would be difficult for the rookie to hold on to the fourth place from which he started after his career-best qualifying performance.
But Hadjar was flawless in the race, calmly fending off Leclerc in the first sprint, briefly threatening Verstappen in the second, and easily holding both Mercedes drivers at bay.
He would have taken fourth had it not been for Norris’ failure, but his podium was well deserved and will only increase his chances of being promoted to become Verstappen’s team-mate next year, especially after another lacklustre weekend from the second Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda.
Russell benefited from Antonelli’s misadventures to take fourth for Mercedes, while fifth place for Alex Albon after a strong race in the Williams has given his team a big boost in their attempt to fend off any challenge to their fifth place in the constructors’ championship.
Behind him, Oliver Bearman was helped by the Leclerc safety car because it enabled him to pit for tyres after a long, long first stint without losing much time, and he fought past Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin, which was on old tyres, to take a career-best sixth place.
Alonso also lost out to his team-mate Lance Stroll, who was also on new tyres, in the final laps, but still managed to hold on to eighth place ahead of Tsunoda’s Red Bull and Esteban Ocon’s Haas, both of which had fresh tyres for the closing laps.
