▁pit ▁stop ▁on ▁the ▁second ▁lap , ▁leaving ▁the ▁car ▁in ▁ 1 8 th ▁position ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 3 ▁cars ▁remaining ▁in ▁the ▁race . ▁The ▁order ▁of ▁the ▁top ▁ 1 0 ▁teams ▁remained ▁the ▁same ▁until ▁lap ▁ 8 , ▁with ▁Portugal ▁handed ▁a ▁drive - through ▁penalty ▁for ▁a ▁false ▁start . ▁This ▁gave ▁France ▁the ▁race ▁lead , ▁with ▁Great ▁Britain ▁second . ▁Lap ▁ 8 ▁also ▁saw ▁a ▁collision , ▁as ▁Mexico ▁and ▁Russia ▁crash ed ▁at ▁turn ▁two , ▁forcing ▁both ▁into ▁early ▁ret irement ▁from ▁ 1 1 th ▁and ▁ 1 2 th ▁positions . ▁Leb anon , ▁following ▁closely ▁behind , ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁narrow ly ▁avoid ▁being ▁taken ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁pair , ▁and ▁moved ▁into ▁ 1 2 th ▁after ▁a ▁short ▁trip ▁through ▁the ▁gra vel . ▁ ▁The ▁incident ▁brought ▁out ▁the ▁safety ▁car , ▁which ▁gave ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁teams ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁take ▁their ▁pit st ops . ▁Front - run ners ▁France ▁and ▁Great ▁Britain ▁both ▁pe e led ▁off ▁into ▁the ▁p its ▁on ▁lap ▁ 9 , ▁hand ing ▁Leb anon ▁the ▁race ▁lead , ▁a ▁remarkable ▁occurrence ▁given ▁the ▁team ▁had ▁not ▁yet ▁scored ▁a ▁point ▁in ▁A 1 GP . ▁Switzerland ▁also ▁benef ited ▁from ▁the ▁safety ▁car ▁period , ▁moving ▁into ▁fourth ▁spot , ▁whilst ▁Australia ▁dropped ▁four ▁positions ▁to ▁ 8 th . ▁The ▁cars ▁held ▁their ▁on - track ▁positions ▁until ▁the ▁safety ▁car ▁left ▁the ▁circuit ▁on