We wondered if the kerbs might spice things up today. We wondered if Daniel Ricciardo would get his perfect birthday present. We wondered if Valtteri Bottas' luck might change. The answers? Maybe, no, and no.

In the end, the heat of the track, the early safety car and a major Mercedes strategic error went a long way to deciding this race.

Thanks for your company and comments - as ever. Let's do it again at Silverstone next weekend, shall we?

Image source, BBC Sport

Race-winner Max Verstappen, speaking to Sky Sports: "It was tougher than it looked like because I had to be on top of my tyres. They were opening up. I knew Kimi was three or four tenths quicker. The win was very unexpected, which makes it even better.

"I just try to do my best race possible. If you're first second or third, it's not always in your hands. I just tried to do my best with the car I had. If you're calm, it's better.

"The early contact with Kimi helped me a lot, it gave me that five or six seconds.

"With the fans, it was incredible. When you start leading the race, they start cheering you on. The orange smoke was coming as well. It was an amazing weekend."

Image source, Getty Images

Daniel Ricciardo, who had to stop on lap 51 because of a broken exhaust, told Sky Sports: "This is the sport I signed up for as a kid. If I could live my youth again I would probably change it. I'm sure at some point it will turn my way, it is frustrating. I'm disappointed with how the day went, as soon as we put the softs on it didn't feel like it gave me much.

"Kimi set the best lap on the last lap with a same tyre life, but I had to pit 30 laps earlier. Whether it was debris, I don't know.

"For Max, the team and the orange fans it is a great day."

On his frustration: "Is it too late to start my MMA career? I'm out of contract so maybe I will swap sports all together. Dana White (president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship) maybe you can call me, it might take a few years, it will give me something to take out my anger on."

Image source, Getty Images

Let's finish today with the two Red Bull drivers. Daniel Ricciardo didn't get the 29th birthday present he wanted - as it went to his Red Bull team-mate instead. Birthdays, eh?

Sebastian Vettel, speaking to Sky Sports, asked if he would have taken third place after his grid penalty: "No, I think that's boring if I take that. I don't want to sound arrogant but you never know what the race will hold up. We had a really good car, a really good race. I'm happy with the podium but I think there was more to grasp. Do you see what I mean?"

Asked if there had been a possibility of team orders coming in to allow him to pass Kimi Raikkonen: "No. I was trying to hunt both of them down. Kimi was pushing as hard as he could. I was pushing as hard as I could. I had to recover more than others after the it stop. I'm fine with that.

"Max won the race because he managed the tyres well. Kimi did everything he could. I tried everything I could to come back. I think most of it I got more less right but it could have been better without the plus-three [grid penalty] from the start."

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff told Sky Sports: "It is a tremendously painful day, for me personally the most painful in the last six years.

"We were one and two, a good first lap, but two DNFs, losing the race under VSC (virtual safety car) it does not get any more cruel for us.

"We have a race to do next week at Silverstone, we have to come back. The difficult ones are the ones we learn the most from. It feels terrible, but we have to stay positive."

Image source, Getty Images

A lot of soul-searching lies ahead for Mercedes after today's double retirement - added to the strategic error that left Lewis Hamilton spitting feathers. Toto Wolff, their team boss, has just described it as their most painful day in six years. Here he is...

Kevin Magnussen finished fifth and spoke to Sky Sports. He said: "It feels great, so proud of the team, such a great day for the team. We started P8, I lost a lot of positions as people pitted under the virtual safety car but then managed to overtake some people. We have been very strong this weekend on a smooth, high-speed circuit and our car worked so well.

"It is almost frightening to say we're going for fourth (in the constructors' championship), but that is what we are now doing. Our weakness is still consistency. We need to keep the ball rolling.

"Seventh is the best of the rest. If I can be seventh in the championship that means I have won my little championship."

Image source, AFP

Grosjean's Haas team-mate Kevin Magnussen has reason to be happy too. Having taken advantage of Valtteri Bottas' misfortunes to break the top six in France, he went one place better this time.

It's been a good weekend for Haas. Let's get the reaction from Magnussen...

Romain Grosjean, who finished fourth to get his first points of the season, said: "I am definitely feeling better than we have done. Finishing fourth and fifth is our best result. I had (taken) a lot of punches and a lot of criticism.

"It was mainly for me and my boys and my team to show that we can still do some really good racing. We are starting to get some luck. Going home knowing my boys are proud of me, yes. It was not the most fun race, it was pretty tricky but we have done it."

Image source, Reuters

It's been a big weekend for Romain Grosjean, who has had a lot of criticism - and, it must be said, a chunk of misfortune - after failing to score points in any of the season's first eight races.

The Haas driver probably would have broken that run in France last weekend had he not run into a wall in Q3. Today, it was others who suffered misfortunes as he secured fourth - his best finish since the 2015 Belgian Grand Prix, when he was third. Let's hear from him.

Lewis Hamilton, asked by Sky Sports whether he could have overridden his team’s call to stay out on track during the early safety car period: "There are things you can do. You can decide to stay out but the guys on the pit wall, you have to put 100 per cent faith in. You can’t see much when you’re out on the track. All you can see is the guy in front and the guy behind.

"We've got to understand how we went wrong at both ends. Ultimately, we have to take positives where we can. We were the quickest. We've got to keep working hard."

Asked if he still had faith in his team: "Of course."

On the problems that led to his retirement: "I’d fallen back to fourth, so I was just pushing to get back up. It was normal."

He adds: "I feel fine about it. It is what it is. All we can do is move forward. I'm sure the guys will be working hard to rectify things."

Image source, Getty Images

Right, let's get Lewis Hamilton's reaction...

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner on Daniel Ricciardo's retirement: "Gutted with Daniel. We got him up to second, his tyre blistered and once they started we had to bring him in. Then there was an exhaust leak and the temperatures went through the roof. We kept going in the hope we could do something but that's what caused his failure.

"Ferrari didn't have anything on us today, their pace was not anything special. With 80,000 people, 20,000 Dutch, a Red Bull car, Red Bull Ring, this couldn't be any better, we just have to do it next week for our local race."

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner tells Sky Sports: "A dream result, Red Bull Ring, Red Bull car, and Max driving an unbelievable race. The tyres we're so crucial but he managed to keep those temperatures down. A very mature drive.

"The teamwork with the two fantastic pit stops and we were sharp with the virtual safety car. You have to back your boys and we have the best guys in the pit lane. It was a ballsy call and it made the difference."

Image source, gett

In the meantime, here's Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who is in a much better mood than Hamilton is...

Lewis Hamilton was trying - unsuccessfully, I would suggest - to keep his emotions in check as he gave an interview to Sky Sports right now. At one point, he responded to a question about the engine failure from Natalie Pinkham by saying: "You're pointing out things that are really obvious."

Asked if he still had faith in his team, he just responded: "Of course."

We'll pick the bones out of that and bring it to you shortly.

Chris T: It was suggested that the pressure is eased on the Mercedes strategy call as Hamilton retired anyway - but surely the retirement was exacerbated by the fact he had to push?!

Listen to commentary as Lewis Hamilton retires from the race with less than 10 laps to go.

Listen as an increasingly frustrated Hamilton vents at his team.