The circuit is a little overcast but it’s warming up and there’s no rain forecast for the race. There was a little drizzle at the very end of qualifying but it didn’t really affect the session.
Provisional grid after Quali: VER, HAM, PER, BOT*, LEC, SAI, RIC, NOR, GAS, TSU, OCO, VET*, GIO, ALO*, RUS*, STR, LAT, RAI, SCH, MAZ
*BOT will drop to P9; VET, ALO and RUS will drop to P18, 19 and 20 respectively
The top 10 will all start the race on the same tyres they used in Q2, which means they’ll all be on medium compound tyres except SAI on softs
The green light comes on so drivers can leave the pit lane; they’ll do a practice start and head to the grid
Grid: VER, HAM, PER, LEC, SAI, RIC, NOR, GAS, BOT, TSU, OCO, GIO, STR, LAT, RAI, SCH, MAZ, VET, ALO, RUS
Air temperature 27°C; track 36°C; it’s still warming up
Radio from PER reporting an issue with his drink – “If it doesn’t stop leaking, I will have to change my balaclava”
GAS seems to have an issue – the AlphaTauri mechanics are crowded around his car, trying to hide the problem from the cameras, but they’ve fired up the engine so maybe they’ve fixed it – apparently it was a sensor issue
Christian Horner says he’s told his drivers to get through Turn 1 and then “get stuck in” … hmmmm, or did he tell PER to give HAM a nudge?
VER leads everyone away on the formation lap
GAS seems to be going ok
01/56: HAM gets a good start
VER pushes HAM off track as they head to Turn 1
HAM runs wide, making VER go off-track in T1
VER rejoins P2, ahead of PER
02: HAM, VER, PER, LEC, RIC, SAI, NOR, TSU, BOT, GAS, GIO, RAI, OCO, RUS, VET, ALO, STR, SCH, LAT, MAZ
Close battle between RIC, SAI and NOR
03: DRS enabled
VER is under 1sec behind, so he’ll have DRS to attack HAM
04: Replay of the start shows LAT tagged STR and spun him
OCO pits; new front wing; switches to hard tyres
05/56: HAM, VER, PER, LEC, RIC, SAI, NOR, TSU, GAS, BOT, GIO, RAI, VET, ALO, STR, SCH, LAT, MAZ, OCO
HAM f/lap 1:41.071
06: Radio for VER for exceeding track limits in Turn 19
LAT pits; new front wing and hard tyres
07: RUS has made it up to P13
Radio from HAM, “He’s quicker than me”
ALO closing up on VET
08: ALO pits from P15; hard tyres; rejoins P17
Radio from VER, “He’s sliding a lot”
10/56: HAM, VER, PER, LEC, RIC, SAI, NOR, TSU…
TSU pits; hard tyres go on; rejoins P14
RUS pits too
11: VER pits; hard tyres; rejoins P5
12: RIC pits, as does SAI
13: PER pits; used mediums go on;
VER f/lap 1:40.426
LEC pits
14: HAM pits; looked like a quick entry but VER passes while HAM takes on hard tyres; rejoins P2
VER f/lap 1:40.1
15/56: VER, HAM, PER, LEC, BOT, RIC, SAI, NOR, VET, STR
GAS is slowing; reports a suspension problem
Radio for BOT, “Strat 4 – everything you’ve got”
16: BOT pits; rejoins P11
GAS pits; retires
RAI and ALO going elbow to elbow through Turn 1
Radio from ALO complaining RAI passed him while off track
18: HAM over 6sec behind VER
19: BOT takes P9 from STR… and then STR pits
20/56: VER, HAM, PER, LEC, RIC, SAI, NOR, TSU, BOT, RAI, GIO, ALO, RUS, VET, STR, LAT, OCO, SCH, MAZ; out: GAS
BOT steals P8 from TSU
VER laps MAZ (P19)
21: ALO brakes way too late, dives inside RAI, runs well off track, passes GIO – surely he’ll have to give that back
23: Radio for ALO telling him he has to give the place (P11) back to GIO
25/56: VER, HAM, PER, LEC, RIC, SAI, NOR, BOT, TSU, RAI, GIO, ALO, RUS, VET, STR, LAT, OCO, SCH, MAZ
ALO has another go at passing GIO, pushes him a bit wide
26: Radio for GIO telling him to give P11 to ALO
That squabbling has allowed RUS and VET to catch GIO
VET around the outside of RUS for P13
27: HAM under 3sec behind VER; when will they make their second stop?
VET trying to pry P12 from GIO
28: Virtual Safety Car deployed while a marshal picked up some debris
Radio from PER reporting his drink system’s not working
30/56: VER pits; new hard tyres; rejoins P3
Radio for HAM, “Target plus six”
SAI pits; rear-right was slow going on; rejoins P8
VER passes PER for P2
31: HAM f/lap 1:40.081
PER pits; hards go on
RIC pits from P4, followed by teammate NOR
32: HAM, VER, LEC, PER, BOT, RIC, SAI, NOR, TSU, RAI
33: LEC pits; rejoins P4, just ahead of BOT who has yet to stop
PER f/lap 1:39.566
34: HAM laps TSU (P11)
35/56: HAM, VER, PER, LEC, BOT, RIC, SAI, NOR, VET, STR, TSU, RAI, ALO, GIO, RUS, SCH, LAT, OCO, MAZ; out: GAS
BOT pits; rejoins P7
36: VER is taking about 0.5sec out of HAM’s lead each lap, so hopefully Mercedes will pit soon
38: HAM pits; new hard tyres; clean stop; rejoins P2
39: ALO closing on RAI again
40/56: VER, HAM, PER, LEC, RIC, SAI, BOT, NOR, TSU, RAI, ALO, GIO, VET, STR, RUS, LAT, OCO, SCH, MAZ; out: GAS
Everyone has made their second stop
41: VER and HAM both post personal fastest laps
SAI closing on RIC
42: HAM f/lap 1:38.485
Radio for OCO telling him they need to retire the car
Black and white flag for RAI for not letting VER pass him soon enough
43: BOT catching the RIC/SAI battle
RIC squeezes SAI
45/56: VER, HAM, PER, LEC, RIC, SAI, BOT, NOR, TSU, RAI, GIO, VET, ALO, STR, RUS, LAT, SCH, MAZ; out: OCO, GAS
46: HAM under 3sec behind VER
47: BOT close enough to look for a gap to pass SAI
49: HAM continues to close on VER; gap is now under 2sec
Black and white flag for STR for exceeding track limits
50/56: VER, HAM, PER, LEC, RIC, SAI, BOT, NOR, TSU, RAI, GIO, VET, ALO, STR, RUS, LAT, SCH, MAZ
51: ALO pits, retires the Alpine
VET takes P11 from GIO
53: VER is holding his lead at about 1.8sec
RAI loses the tail, slides off and across the gravel; brief yellow flag as he returns to the track
54: BOT filling SAI’s mirrors but can’t find a gap
55/56: Gap is 1.1sec
VER picks up his pace again; gap over 1.5sec
VER closing to lap SCH
56 = final lap: BOT past SAI for P6
VER takes the chequered flag
HAM under 1sec behind
Interviews:
VER: “We lost out in the start so had to try to do something else. Tyre wear is high around the track so we did go aggressive. I wasn’t sure it was going to work. The last few laps were fun, a bit sideways through the high-speed corners, but I’m super happy to hang on.”
HAM: “It was such a tough race. Got a good start and gave it absolutely everything but at the end of the day they had the upper hand this weekend.”
PER: “Since lap one I ran out of water so could not drink at all. By the middle of the second stint it was starting to get difficult, I was losing strength. It was my toughest race physically.”
Provisional result: VER, HAM, PER, LEC, RIC, BOT, SAI, NOR, TSU, VET; GIO, STR, RAI, RUS, LAT, SCH, MAZ
DNF: ALO, OCO, GAS
Fastest lap: HAM (1:38.485)
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