Red Bull’s offset strategy for Max Verstappen saw him leading until making his compulsory second pit stop on the penultimate lap. It was the only hope of trying to snatch a victory for a Red Bull, which was not as competitive around the bumps and slow speed corners of the street track as on the faster circuits.
The strategy involved running a long first stint on the hard tyre from his fourth place starting slot, then a very long (50 laps) stint on the medium to the penultimate lap.
