Though polesitter Verstappen raced into an early lead, greater tyres wear in the race saw Leclerc claimed the lead after 13 laps and he passed the Dutchman twice more as the strategies played out to hold a comfortable lead in the closing stages.
But when the power unit of Sainz Jr.’s Ferrari failed on lap 57 of 71 , the VSC was deployed and both Leclerc and Verstappen pitted for fresh tyres. Leclerc then began reporting trouble with throttle and though Verstappen closed in the Ferrari driver was able to hang on until the chequered flag to claim his first win since the Australian Grand Prix in April.
That battle allowed Sergio Pérez, who had started fifth, to close in and into Turn 3 he took a wide line around the outside to set up a challenge on Russell.
On the run towards Turn 4 the Red Bull driver drew alongside the Mercedes AMG and he attacked around the outside, getting ahead of the Mercedes AMG in mid-corner.
However, as Pérez turned in on the exit, Russell clipped the right sidepod of the Red Bull and Pérez driver was pitched into the gravel trap. Pérez was able to continue and swiftly pitted for hard tyres.
He rejoined in last place. Russell was later handed a five-second penalty for causing the collision and the Mercedes driver then pitted for hard tyres and a new front wing.
Verstappen immediately pitted and switched to hard tyres. He rejoined in P6 behind Mick Schumacher and quickly made his way past the Haas driver before setting off in pursuit after Lewis Hamilton who was behind Esteban Ocon.
On lap 18 Verstappen passed the Mercedes AMG driver as they powered towards 4 and on lap 19, with Ocon pitting, Verstappen was third, 14s behind Sainz and 19s behind race leader Leclerc.
At the end of the following lap, Leclerc made his first pit stop from the lead, 12 laps after Verstappen’s switch. The Ferrari driver made the move to hard tyres and rejoined five seconds behind the Dutchman.
Sainz Jr. followed his team-mate with a similar swap a lap later. Armed with fresher tyres, Leclerc closed in on Verstappen over the following laps and on lap 33 he got into DRS range of the race leader.
And on the run up the hill to Turn 3, with little resistance from Verstappen, Leclerc flew past to retake the lead.
Leclerc pitted at the end of lap 49 and he emerged in third place behind Verstappen. Sainz Jr. repeated the switch at the end of the following lap, and Verstappen moved back into the lead, though just 1.5s ahead of Leclerc.
The Monegasque driver, again on fresher tyres, quickly closed that gap and on lap 53 he went to the outside of Verstappen into Turn 3, forcing Verstappen to take a tight line. And lacking traction, Verstappen was easily passed by the Ferrari driver as they exited the corner.
His car burst into flames and Sainz Jr. had to quickly exit as the Ferrari rolled backwards. Marshals were quickly on the scene to put a wedge behind the front right and the blaze was then swiftly extinguished.
The Virtual Safety Car was deployed and at the end of lap 58, Leclerc and Verstappen pitted for medium tyres. Verstappen was now just four seconds behind the race leader.
Hamilton finished third ahead of team-mate Russell, while Ocon took fifth place ahead of Schumacher. Lando Norris finished seventh ahead of Magnussen and the second McLaren of Daniel Ricciardo, and the final point on offer went to Fernando Alonso, though the Alpine driver was set to be investigated after the race for a possible unsafe release.
Post-race procedure notes issued to the teams said: "Drivers' physiotherapists must wait outside the rest room, located behind the podium, until the trophy ceremony is over."
The three drivers on the Victory podium earned a suspended fine of 10,000 euros for each of them.
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