Portuguese Grand Prix – Race: Hamilton record holder and winner, an excellent Gasly

First winner on the Portimao circuit, Hamilton was unwavering in Portugal, dominating his teammate Bottas. Verstappen completes the podium of a turbulent Grand Prix.

9⃣2⃣ race wins!@LewisHamilton rewrites the #F1 history books #PortugueseGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/rPBSACeX3G

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2020

A start under a few raindrops and against the wind well managed by Hamilton until the first corner. Coming out of the second corner, Bottas squeezed Verstappen, who clipped Perez. Hamilton found himself in extreme difficulty on a slippery and wet track, making small mistakes that allowed Bottas to take the lead.

An excellent start from the two McLarens, which quickly entered the top 5. Taking advantage of the mistakes made by the drivers ahead, notably Leclerc and the two Mercedes, and equipped with soft tires, Sainz managed to overtake the two “Silver Arrows” and take the lead of the race!

After several laps, the medium tires became more effective than the softs and allowed the Mercedes to regain their positions, followed by Verstappen and Charles Leclerc with the help of DRS.

Starting 15th on the grid, Räikkönen climbed up to 6th place after only 2 laps! The Finnish driver slipped down the standings before pitting to change his tires, as the Alfa Romeo was not on par with its competitors.

Gasly had a very good pace and managed to conserve his soft tires. The Frenchman moved up on the McLarens to seize 5th place. The drivers on medium tires are starting to suffer from blistering, with the front left tire being very worn for all drivers.

Contact in the first turn between Stroll and Norris. The Canadian attempted a very bold maneuver by squeezing through a tiny gap at the end of the straight. He faced the same consequences as in free practice by going off the track. Both drivers went to the pits to change their front wing and tires. Stroll was penalized 5 seconds for this risky overtaking attempt and an additional 5 seconds for exceeding track limits multiple times.

At the same time, Hamilton increased his pace and overtook his teammate, who seemed to have nothing left; Bottas appeared to have lost grip. The gap between the two Mercedes is widening. Hamilton, very comfortable, extends his first stint on the medium tires.

Verstappen pitted and came out 4th while Albon is 15th between the two McLarens. Gasly came out 8th immediately under pressure from Ricciardo who overtakes him, but the Frenchman resists Raikonnen. The Finn had a great battle against Sainz but was overtaken on the straight as the leaders lapped him. Drivers on soft tires switched to medium tires, and those on mediums decided to switch to hard tires.

The Mercedes cars stopped one after the other beyond the 40th lap but came back out in traffic. Bottas, struggling to heat his tires, was overtaken by Kvyat after the Russian moved over to let him pass. Norris made a second pit stop after detecting a slow puncture on his hard tires, just like Perez who had stopped on the first lap. He came out 5th behind Leclerc and ahead of Gasly with soft tires. A very good race for the Mexican driver after his collision in the first lap.

Stroll retired shortly before the end of the race after having a difficult run. He is the only retirement in this race. His teammate fought to maintain his 5th place as a train formed behind him with Gasly, Sainz, Ocon, Ricciardo, and Vettel in the points in 10th place, three laps from the finish. A significant block by Perez thwarted the Frenchman’s first attempt, but the second one was successful. On the following lap, Sainz did the same to secure a fine 6th place.

Results of the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix F1: