The Eifel Grand Prix took place on a chilly October Sunday. The Friday practice sessions had been cancelled due to fog making it impossible for the medical helicopter to take off. Overnight changes to the medical helicopter procedure and a clear morning on the Saturday let the cars to take to the track for qualifying. Hulkenberg once again stepped up a short notice to replace an ailing Racing Point driver, this time Lance Stroll (who was later to be confirmed as suffering from Covid 19).
Valtteri Bottas took pole position in front of Hamilton, with Verstappen taking third. Leclerc did a storming lap in his Ferrari to take 4th. Sebastien Vettel started 11th. The grid was most notable for the start of Kimi Raikkonen, taking the record for the most Formula One grand prix starts.
All the top ten started on the soft tyres, with Vettel, Gasly, Kvyat and Grosjean being the only drivers starting on the medium. Due to the lack of Friday practice the teams were lining up with very little time running on the medium and hard tyres. In fact, no one had used the hard tyres in the only practice session. With the air temperature only being 9°C, the drivers were going into the unknown in terms of tyre performance.
Hamilton got a great start, causing both Mercedes to go wide at the first corner. Bottas took the lead back going down the hill, establishing a 1.5 second lead at the end of the first lap.
By lap 4, the Mercedes were making progress out in front, with Verstappen keeping in touch. Leclerc was holding on to 4th but was holding up the Renault of Danny Ricciardo. The Australian was all over the back of the Ferrari, trying to utilise his DRS to get past.
Grosjean had the unusual problem of being injured on the hand by flying gravel from Raikkonen’s excursion off track and had to continue in the race in some pain.
With reports of a short rain shower being imminent, Albon was the first to pit on lap 8 from 6th place. He changes his soft tyres for mediums.
Lap 9 and Bottas, Hamilton and Verstappen have pulled ahead of Leclerc, opening up a 15 second gap. Ricciardo finally gets past Leclerc and sets off in pursuit of Verstappen. Leclerc had defended well but ultimately was unable to keep the Renault behind him. Immediately, he had to refocus as Norris was less than second behind him in the McLaren. Norris, however, had Perez in the Racing Point on his tail. Perez had a go at passing Norris on Lap 10 but Norris managed to keep in front.
Lap 11 and Sebastian Vettel has a massive slide at turn 1 leaving the track, re-joining in 13th place. Meanwhile Leclerc pits his Ferrari for a new set of tyres, moving onto the Mediums.
Raikkonen also pits in the Alfa Romeo, followed by his team mate, Giovanzzi.
Vettel pits on lap 12 to replace his damaged tyres. He moves onto the untested hard compound tyre.
On lap 13, Hamilton passes Bottas to take the lead, after the leader locks up. Verstappen closes in on Bottas. George Russel momentarily brings out the yellow flags as he spins. Bottas gets to the pits to change his damaged tyres for the mediums. He can only re-join in 4th place, behind Ricciardo.
In an overtake attempt, Raikkonen hit Russell, causing him a puncture and suspension damage. He tries to make his way back to the pits but has to park the Williams. The Stewards open an investigation.
Lap 15: Magnussen and Latifi pit. Bottas gets past Ricciardo.
Verstappen starts lap 16 by locking up into turn 1. The Virtual Safety Car is deployed to collect George Russell’s Williams. Hamilton immediately pits, as does Verstappen. Hamilton loses a couple of seconds to Verstappen as they have to hold him in the box as Verstappen goes past.
Lap 17 and the race is back on green. Albon makes a poor move on Kvyat, taking off the Alfa Tauri’s front wing. It was a dumb move by Albon who just moved in front of Kvyat back onto the racing line before he had properly passed Kvyat.
Lap 18 and Bottas starts to have power problems, being passed by Norris and Perez.
Kvyat pits to replace his broken front wing, sending him to the back of the race. The Stewards are called upon again to investigate.
Valtteri Bottas is forced to retire the Mercedes. It was suspected that there was a problem with the MGU-H but it was later confirmed that the issue was with the control electronics. This is the first DNF of the season for Bottas and probably the end of his hopes of the Championship.
One third of the way through, and Hamilton leads, Bottas is out, as is Russell. Albon is now trying to pass Gasly for 8th place. Leclerc passes Hulkenberg for 10th. Kimi gets a 10 second penalty for causing a collision and taking out Russell.
Lap 22 and Albon flat spots his tyre again making an optimistic move on Gasly, who manages to stay in front. Albon complains on the radio that the Alfa Tauri drivers race him “so hard”. Possibly that’s a career ending statement from the struggling Thai driver.
Lap 23 and Ocon retires with a hydraulic issue.
Albon pits on the next lap seemingly to change tyres and take his 5 second penalty. Red Bull retire the car, however.
Norris has made it up to third place, but on lap 26, Norris starts to complain of a power issue. The team tell him it’s a sensor issue.
Charles Leclerc moves his Ferrari into 8th place, getting past Gasly at turn 1 on lap 29. Perez pits for the first time, as does Carlos Sainz.
Norris pits from third place. They change tyres only, despite Norris continuing to complain of power deployment problems.
At half race distance Hamilton is still leading, followed by Verstappen and Ricciardo. Leclerc is 4th, followed by Norris, Perez, Gasly, Sainz, Giovanzzi; Vettel completes the top 10. Raikkonen, Magnussen Hulkenberg, Latifi, Grosjean and Kvyat make up the remaining places. Albon, Ocon, Bottas and Russel have all retired.
Hulkenberg pits and falls down to 14th place.
Perez overtakes for Norris for 5th.
Gasly pits on lap 31, re-joining in 12th.
Perez tries to take 4th place from Leclerc but Leclerc takes the place back on the straight.
The McLarens of Sainz and Norris swap places for 6th and 7th.
Lap 35 and Perez manages to get past Leclerc again. Grosjean gets a track limit warning.
Leclerc pits on lap 36 and comes out behind in 10th position. Gasly wastes no time in causing Leclerc trouble right behind him.
Leclerc creates some distance and then moves up to 8th place, just behind his team mate Vettel, in 7th.
With two thirds of the race distance complete, Gasly gets past Raikkonen and Leclerc overtakes Vettel.
Hamilton still leads, with Verstappen 2nd and Ricciardo 3rd. Perez is in 4th, with Sainz, Norris, Leclerc, Vettel, Gasly and Hulkenberg rounding out the top ten. Raikkonen is 11th, followed by Grosjean, Giovanzzi, Magnussen, Latifi and Kvyat, who has never recovered from the Albon incident.
Gasly overtakes Vettel with his ailing front tyres on Lap 41. Hulkenberg overtakes Vettel on the next lap. Vettel pits on lap 43, dropping down to 15th.
On lap 44, the McLaren of Lando Norris refuses to continue. The safety car is deployed for the stricken car to be retrieved. Ricciardo pits immediately. Perez stays out. Hamilton, Sainz and Verstappen pit in quick succession. Then Gasly, Hulkenberg and Raikkonen. Perez then pits.
Hamilton complains about the pace of the safety car, concerned about the temperature of the tyres. Verstappen is also complaining.
The safety car returns to the pits on lap 49.
Hamilton reasserts his lead at the end of the safety car period. It’s 10 laps to go.
Gasly overtakes Leclerc on lap 51 to take 6th place.
At the back of the pack, Raikkonen overtakes Latifi for 13th.
Vettel takes Magnussen for 11th, after a little nudge from the German. Raikkonen follows Vettel past Magnussen.
As the final laps unfold, Hamilton sets the fastest lap yet again. Verstappen is still 3 seconds behind in second and Ricciardo is in third, hoping to score Renault’s first podium since 2011.
Hamilton enters the final lap. The race that started with Raikkonen breaking the record for the most race starts will be ending with Hamilton equalling the record of race wins. Hamilton scores his 91st win to equal Michael Schumacher’s record.
The final race result is Hamilton, Verstappen and Ricciardo on the podium, with Verstappen stealing the point for fastest lap on the final lap. Perez comes home 4th, with Sainz, Gasly, Leclerc, Hulkenberg, Grosjean and Giovanzzi taking the final points. Vettel, in the second Ferrari was 11, followed by Raikkonen, Magnussen and Latifi. Danny Kvyat was the final classified finisher.
The day belonged to Hamilton. Not only did he move to an almost unassailable lead in the Driver’s Championship, but he equalled the record of Michael Schumacher. He was clearly moved when Michael’s son, Mick, presented him with one of Schumacher’s helmets to mark the occasion.
The only chance Bottas has of taking the Driver’s title now relies on either mistakes or technical failures for Hamilton.
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