Verstappen said: “The first few laps were pretty hectic. They were pushing pretty hard in front and I had Carlos behind me with new tires and it was very difficult to hold him back. “It was,” he said.
“Then as the race went on we got stronger, the balance of the car became more comfortable and we were able to take better care of the tires. I'm very happy.”
The win gives them eight more points towards a fourth championship, and it looks like they've already paid for it.
Verstappen's victory was well-deserved as he clinically did the job of dispatching his rivals from fourth on the grid, which he earned in a wet and hectic qualifying session on Friday.
He extracted a 13 second advantage after just 10 laps, leaving little hope for Sunday's Grand Prix.
Hamilton's second place was the best result so far in a season that started in difficult fashion for the Mercedes team, which has struggled with its new car.
Hamilton: “I'm very happy and grateful because this was the best result for me in a long time. This is a big step and progress.
“The race was tough and if I had been further back I would have struggled to move forward. I have discovered a lot about the car through this short stint and I am excited for tomorrow.”
He was behind the two men who battled it out for the title in 2021, when all the action happened.
Towards the end of the race, Alonso was leading a convoy that included Sainz, Perez, Leclerc and Norris.
The veteran Spaniard, who signed a new two-year deal with Aston Martin last week to keep him in F1 until at least 2026, appeared to have Sainz-like measurements.
However, as Alonso's tires began to fade towards the end, Sainz attacked to bypass the Aston Martin through high-speed Turns 7 and 8 with three laps remaining.
It appeared that the cars made contact as the two Spaniards fought wheel-to-wheel, but it may have been here that Alonso sustained enough damage to be forced to retire. Perez managed to pass two cars and take third place.
Sainz then immediately came under attack from Leclerc. Leclerc ran parallel on the long back straight and tried to go around the outside at the end of the hairpin.
Sainz slid wide and the two cars touched tires, leaving Leclerc dissatisfied, but the man who will remain at Ferrari until the end of the season passes the departing Sainz at Turn 1 at the start of the next lap. and took 3rd place.
