The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, held on 1st November at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, was a return to a track with an emotive history. Many a fine grand prix has played out around its sweeping corners but it will always be associated with the dreadful weekend that took the lives of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna in 1994. This was an unscheduled return to the Formula One World Championship for Imola, and the third race to take place in Italy in the season the Covid 19 Pandemic made mincemeat of the original schedule. To many of the drivers it was a new circuit; some had driven there in other categories, but only Raikkonen had raced there in Formula One before.
If the Mercedes Petronas AMG team achieved a 4th place finish or better in the race, then they would take an unprecedented 7th consecutive World Constructor’s Championship.
Bottas had come out ahead of the Mercedes battle for Pole Position, with Hamilton denied by a single 10th of a second. Verstappen and Gasly made up the second row, followed by Ricciardo and Albon, Leclerc and Kvyat with the McLarens of Norris and Sainz taking the final top ten grid positions. The second half of the grid featured Perez, Ocon, Russell, Vettel, Stroll, Grosjean, Magnussen, Raikkonen, Latifi and Giovinazzi.
There appeared to be a last minute seat change for Hamilton on the grid but all was in order as the drivers set off on the formation lap. One stop strategies were predicted by the Pirelli experts. Overtaking is notoriously difficult around Imola and the lengthy pit lane makes for a long stop. As there hadn’t been a Friday practice for this race, the teams didn’t have the sort of tyre data that they normally would have and did not know how long the different tyres would last.
The lights went out and Bottas got away well. Verstappen managed to get passed Hamilton, with Ricciardo close behind the British driver. It went less well at the back of the field. Lance Stroll made contact with Ocon, going off the track into the gravel and leaving his front wing behind. Kevin Magnussen was spun around after a coming together with Vettel who left his front wing out on the track. Stroll returned to the pits for a front nose replacement and a set of hard compound tyres.
The pink bodywork from the Racing Point lay by the side of the track. The drivers continued with positions unchanged for the first few laps. The stray front wing had been retrieved by lap 6. DRS was now in play and Sainz used it to good effect to overtake Norris.
Lap 8 brings the first retirement as Gasly is called into the pits to retire as the car had a terminal issue.
By lap 10, the positions were: Bottas, Verstappen, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Leclerc, Albon, Kvyat, Sainz, Norris, Perez, Ocon, Russell, Giovinazzi (who had made a great start from last place up to 13), Vettel, Raikkonen, Grosjean, Latifi, Magnussen and Stroll. Grosjean took a pit stop moving him back to 18th.
Giovinazzi took a pit stop for medium tyres on lap 11, returning to the track behind Magnussen.
Russell pits on lap 12. Hamilton is reporting front right tyre issues.
Leclerc pits on lap 14 and moves onto the hard compound tyre, as does Ocon in the Renault and Norris in the McLaren.
Lap 15 and the Red Bull team calls in Albon and Renault call Ricciardo into the pits; Dany Kvyat in the remaining Alpha Tauri follows suit. Albon comes out behind the Ferrari of Leclerc; Ricciardo just in front. Leclerc almost hits Ricciardo and flat spots his tyre but manages to continue on.
Albon and Kvyat dual for 12th place on lap 18 but the Thai driver manages to stay ahead. There seems to be a little crunch though as the Alpha Tauri front wing contacts the rear tyre of the Red Bull.
McLaren bring Sainz into the pits from 5th position for a new set of medium tyres and re-joins just behind Kvyat.
Lap 19 and Red Bull bring in Verstappen and change him onto a set of hard tyres. Bottas and Hamilton had still yet to pit; Bottas was putting down laps and Hamilton was asking to be left out to build a gap. Bottas comes into the pits first and is released with a set of hard tyres.
Lap 20 and the Mercedes team acquiesce to Hamilton’s demands to stay out longer.
Lap 22 and the team inform Bottas that there is damage to the floor of his Mercedes. Verstappen is catching him. Hamilton sets another fastest lap.
Lap 24 and Verstappen is reporting problems with the battery recharging.
Hamilton continues to avoid the pits and his team ask him if he can go for 10 more laps on his current tyres.
Ricciardo gets past the Haas of Magnussen for 8th place but Magnussen fights off Leclerc. After a valiant defence by Magnussen, Leclerc gets by on the outside. Magnussen finally pits again, releasing Albon, Kvyat, Sainz and Norris from behind the slower Haas.
Lap 29 and Ocon parks with a clutch problem. There are double waived yellows in sectors 2 and 3. Then the virtual safety car gives Lewis Hamilton the perfect pit stop opportunity. He pits for hard tyres and comes out clear of Bottas.
It’s half way through on lap 32 and the positions are as follows:
Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Vettel, Raikkonen, Latifi, Perez, Ricciardo, Leclerc, Albon, Kvyat, Sainz, Norris, Russell, Giovinazzi, Grosjean, Magnussen and Stroll.
Lap 35 and Latifi makes his first pit stop, returning to the track in 15th just ahead of Grosjean.
Bottas is told on lap 36 that his car has significant damage causing a loss of downforce for the Finn. Verstappen is trying to close him down but he just can’t get close enough.
Vettel pits on lap 40 from 4th place and the pit stop goes horribly wrong. He comes out down the field in 14th place, behind Giovinazzi. This is a terrible job by Ferrari, with two of the wheel changes going wrong. Sebastian has driven magnificently to stay out so long on his first set of tyres and all his hopes of points have now been lost.
Lap 43 and Bottas almost goes off the track, enabling Verstappen to close right up and gets into the DRS zone. Verstappen takes second place from Bottas.
The end of Lap 43 marks 5000 career laps led in Formula One by Lewis Hamilton. He is the second man in Formula One to achieve this behind Michael Schumacher, who led 5111. This is another amazing milestone for Lewis.
On lap 45 Vettel gets past Giovinazzi for 13th. Perez in 5th is closing in on Raikkonen in 4th and is yet to stop.
Magnussen in the Haas and running in last place is reporting a headache from the upshifts “like a kick in the head every time.” He carries on through the pain even given the option of retiring.
It’s lap 48 and Verstappen has opened up nearly 7 seconds on Bottas but still 13 seconds behind Hamilton.
Lap 49 and Magnussen gives up. He tried to keep going but in the end he retires hurt. Raikkonen pits and comes out in 12th on soft tyres.
Lap 51 and the waived yellows come for Max Verstappen who ends up in the gravel with his right rear tyre totally deflated. The safety car comes out so they can remove the stricken Red Bull.
Hamilton is called into box but just too late and Bottas pits. Perez pits from third, which could be a mistake as he cedes track position to Ricciardo. Hamilton pits as does Vettel. Hamilton comes out just in front of Bottas to retain the lead.
George Russell, on for his first points finish, manages to spin out behind the safety car. This is a disaster for the Williams driver. He is clearly distraught as he sits by the side of the track.
Things don’t go well for Lance Stroll either as he can’t stop in time for his pit stop and sends his mechanic flying. Fortunately, he was not hurt.
So, behind the safety car, Ricciardo, Leclerc and Albon have stayed out, relegating Perez from the podium to 6th place. Russell’s off has caused debris on the racing line, extending the safety car period.
The safety car comes in at the end of lap 57. There are five laps to go. The positions are Hamilton, Bottas, Ricciardo, Leclerc, Albon, Perez, Kvyat, Sainz, Norris, Raikkonen, Giovinazzi, Latifi, Grosjean, Vettel and Stroll.
Green flag and there’s a five lap sprint to the finish.
Kvyat makes a great start and moves up to 5th. Alex Albon spins. Kvyat is inspired and gets past Leclerc and moves up to 4th place. Alex Albon is last. Sainz should win an award for avoiding Albon as the Red Bull spun right in front of him.
Lap 60 and Alex Albon pits to put on soft compound tyres to go for the fastest lap.
Lap 62 and Hamilton sets the fastest lap.
It’s the final lap and the Mercedes are on for a one-two finish and the 2020 Constructor’s Championship.
Danny Ricciardo makes the podium for the second time this season in third. The decision to stay out behind the safety car pays off.
Dany Kvyat is an excellent and spirited 4th place, followed home by Leclerc in the Ferrari and Perez in the Racing Point. The McLarens of Sainz and Norris are 7th and 8th with Raikkonen, voted driver of the day, in 9th. His team mate Giovinazzi rounds out the points in 10th.
Romain Grosjean ends a miserable race for the Haas team by getting a 5 second penalty for exceeding track limits.
By Clare Topic
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