The 26-year-old Dutchman led unchallenged from pole position to chequered flag to finish nearly ten seconds clear of revitalised seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes. Charles Leclerc came home third for Ferrari.

It was Verstappen's third sprint race win of the season and buoyed his prospects for another triumph in Sunday's Grand Prix race when he will start from sixth on the grid after having his best qualifying lap deleted for exceeding track limits.

Lando Norris maintained McLaren's much-improved form by taking a strong fourth place ahead of Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull and Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari.

George Russell finished seventh in the second Mercedes, but he was relegated to eighth after taking a five-second penalty, thus elevating Pierre Gasly of Alpine to seventh.