F1 returned to Imola for the first time since 2006 for the FORMULA 1 EMIRATES GRAN PREMIO DELL’EMILIA ROMAGNA 2020. It was a shorter weekend with no Friday practice sessions, giving teams less time to setup their cars. Ultimately it was Lewis Hamilton led Mercedes to a 1-2 finish that secured the team another World Constructors’ Championship title.
Both Mercedes cars had an ok start, but Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly started better. Lewis Hamilton’s start got worse with some wheel spin or a late gear change on the run down to turn 1. Verstappen was able to make his way past the Brit into P2. Gasly nearly did the same to Hamilton.
Sebastian Vettel spun Kevin Magnussen’s Haas in turn 7. Lance Stroll had to pit for a new wing at the end of the first lap after tapping the rear tyre of Esteban Ocon in the first corner.
Pierre Gasly, who start fourth on the grid, held his position well in the opening laps. However, the team had to retire the car with a terminal power unit issue nine laps into the race, putting a premature end to his race.
The midfield teams pitted for sets of hard tyres on lap 15. Verstappen did the same on lap 19. Bottas responded the following lap, maintaining the position over Verstappen but the Red Bull driver was much closer. Hamilton extended his stint.
The team warned Bottas of some floor damage, meaning that he was slightly slower. Verstappen was hover around the DRS range. He was within DRS range for most of the lap, but would lose time in the final corners, meaning he wouldn’t get DRS down the long main straight.
Ten laps after his teammate was in the pits for new tyres, Hamilton was called into the pits for a set of hard tyres. However, luck was really on Hamilton’s side as the Virtual Safety Car was deployed just as Hamilton was in the final corners, giving Hamilton a cheap stop and allowing him to come out with a 4 second lead. He was in the right place at the right time as the VSC ended just as he was leaving the pit lane.
Verstappen continued to apply pressure to Bottas. On lap 37, Bottas locked up in Rivazza and put a tyre on the gravel. This allowed Verstappen to get close to the Mercedes, but the Red Bull was not fast enough in a straight line and the DRS was not strong enough to help him to jump past into P2.
Bottas had a similar incident in Rivazza again on lap 43, putting nearly all four tyres onto the gravel. This put Verstappen right on the gearbox of the Mercedes in the final corner and Verstappen was finally able to overtake the Finn down the main straight.
On lap 51, Verstappen’s day came to an end when his rear tyre blew up going into the turn 4-5 chicane. His car beached into the gravel, bringing out the safety car in the closing stages of the race. Bottas pitted for new softs and Hamilton did so as well the following lap, having been too far into the lap to be able to pit when the safety car first came out.
Sergio Perez pitted under the safety car, giving up his podium position for a new set of tyres. Racing Point was gambling that the new tyres would give them the advantage for the remaining laps.
The safety car was extended to recover the car of George Russell. The Williams driver lost the rear of the car under the safety car, slamming into the barriers. He had a chance to earn his first career points in race, having inherited P10 after Verstappen’s crash.
When the race restarted, Perez made some good progress through the field, but he was not able to get back to the podium scoring positions. Daniel Ricciardo took P3 on the podium.
But it was Mercedes who took the 1-2 finish with Lewis Hamilton leading the way. This allowed the Silver Arrows to secure their seventh consecutive World Constructors’ Championship title.
There will be no F1 next weekend, as the teams make their way to Turkey for the first time since 2011. The race will be on the weekend of November 15.
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Above results table does not include any post-race penalties
