Hamilton beats Bottas as Mercedes seal record F1 title at Imola
Lewis Hamilton claimed his ninth victory from🦂 the opening ✨13 races of the 2020 Formula 1 season as Mercedes clinched a record seventh constructors’ world championship at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Despite initially losing a p🍸lace at the start to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen an🔴d dropping to third, Hamilton extended his opening stint and capitalised on a fortunately-timed Virtual Safety Car period to snatch the lead.
🐟Hamilton had moved into the net lead of the race when polesitt🦋er Valtteri Bottas and Verstappen pitted before a succession of fastest laps put the Briton in prime position to pull off an overcut strategy.
His job was made easier when a VSC was called for E🥂steban Ocon’s parked Renault, meaning Hamilton lost less ti🍰me compared to his rivals during his pit stop with the field forced to run slower.
Hamilton had just posted a new fastest lap of the race just before he came in - a lap that 𓂃was 1.5s faster than his teammate - and already look꧟ed to have the delta to successfully maintain his position at the front of the field.
A late Safety Car was deployed on Lap 51 when Verstappen spun off into the gravel following a suspected right-rear tyre failure, before George Russell ꦓcrashe⭕d his Williams into the wall, throwing away the chance to score his first points in F1.
Both Hamilton and Bottas took the opportunity to make a fre🥃e pit stop under the Safety Car to switch their Hard tyres for the Soft compound, setting up a seven-lap sprint to the chequered flag.
Hamilton aced the restart and kept Bottas a♏t bay on his way to securing his 93rd career victory to head Mercedes’ fourth 1-2 finish 🗹of the season.
Hamilton now heads Bottas by 85 points in the championship and can wrap up the 2020 drivers’ crown ꦉat the Turk🍎ish Grand Prix next time out.
Behind the Mercedes duo, Daniel Ricciardo took advantage of the late drama to score his second podium of the season in third place, holding offꦇ the late-charging AlphaTauri of Daniil Kvyat, who claimed🦂 his best result of 2020 in fourth.
Charles Leclerc took a strong fifth place for F🌜errari having opted not to pit under the Safety Car, while Sergio Perez f🌃inished sixth ahead of the McLaren duo headed by Carlos Sainz.
Alfa Romeo claimed its first double-points finish of the year as Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi rounded out the points in ninth and 10th, with the Swiss squad taking advantage of the late drama to record its be🀅st single points haul of 2020.
FULL RACE RESULTS FOR THE 2020 F1 EMILIA ROMAGNA GRAND PRIX.
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for ltxcn.top around the world. Often reporting on the action from the grou🔯nd, Lewis tells the stories൩ of the people who matter in the sport.
