The only post-Qualifying penalty is a €5,000 fine for McLaren for the unsafe release of NOR in Q1.
So the grid is: VER, LEC, SAI, HAM, PER, RUS, NOR, SCH, TSU, STR, GAS, OCO, ALO, ZHO, ALB, BOT, MAG, RIC, VET, LAT
Air temperature 23°C; track 35°C; 20% chance of rain during the race
VER leads everyone away on the formation lap
Front 3 are on soft compound tyres; HAM on mediums; PER on soft; RUS, NOR, SCH on mediums, then a lot of softs
01/72: HAM inside SAI into Turn 1; contact but they both continue
NOR past RUS for P6
SCH has dropped to P10
02: VER, LEC, SAI, HAM, PER, NOR, RUS, STR, OCO, SCH
Yellow flag – MAG runs wide, across the gravel, taps the tyre wall but returns to the track
03: VER fastest lap 1:16.249
MAG reports the car is ok
05/72: VER, LEC, SAI, HAM, PER, RUS, NOR, STR, OCO, SCH, TSU, GAS, ALO, ZHO, ALB, RIC, VET, BOT, LAT, MAG
HAM has DRS behind SAI, as does LEC behind VER
07: LEC f/lap 1:16.213
08: VER’s opened the gap and LEC no longer has DRS
ALO lining up GAS
09: TSU at the head of a DRS train – GAS, ALO, ZHO
10/72: VER, LEC, SAI, HAM, PER, RUS, NOR, STR, OCO, SCH
ALO past P12 from GAS
11: VET pits
MAG dives inside LAT, takes P18
12: ALO inside TSU for P11
GAS and RIC pit; both take on mediums
13: ALO pits, followed by ZHO
ALO now on hard tyres so that looks like a 1-stop strategy
15: PER and SAI pit
Ferrari manage to delay SAI – no rear left tyre ready for him!
Ferrari mechanic left the wheel gun almost in the “fast” lane; PER may have just clipped it as he left his box
Race control – ZHO speeding in the pit lane – noted
18: LEC pits; a cleaner stop
NOR pits; hards go on
19: VER pits; mediums; rejoins P3, behind HAM and RUS
OCO pits; also takes on hard tyres (along with ALO and NOR)
20/72: HAM, RUS, VER, LEC, PER, ALB, SAI, NOR, STR
SAI takes P6 from ALB
ZHO given 5sec penalty for speeding in the pit lane
21 VER f/lap 1:15.904
BOT passes VET but small contact as BOT pulls in front
22: ALB pits
Pit lane incident involving SAI and PER will be investigated after the race – expect Ferrari to get a $penalty
25/72: HAM, RUS, VER, LEC, PER, SAI, NOR, STR, ALO, OCO, TSU, GAS, ZHO, SCH, BOT, ALB, VET, RIC, MAG, LAT
Radio for VER telling him to close up on RUS
27: VER has DRS behind RUS
28: VER f/lap 1:15.725
VER around the outside of RUS to take P2
29: HAM’s lead just over 2sec
30/72: HAM pits from P1; hard tyres go on; rejoins P5
ZHO closing on GAS
31: VER, RUS, LEC, PER, HAM, SAI, NOR, STR, ALO, OCO, TSU, GAS, ZHO, SCH, BOT, ALB, VET, MAG, RIC, LAT
VER pushing to open a gap before he pits
32: RUS pits from P2; hards too; rejoins P5, although it’s LAT (P20) who is right behind him as RUS leaves the pits
34: RUS f/lap 1:15.477 – that’s 0.5sec faster than HAM!
35/72: VER, LEC, PER, HAM, RUS, SAI, NOR, STR, ALO, OCO, TSU, ZHO, BOT, ALB, VET, MAG, GAS, SCH, RIC, LAT
HAM f/lap 1:15.472
HAM closing on PER
36 = half distance: BOT and MAG pit
RUS f/lap 1:15.422
HAM around the outside of PER; PER “runs wide” and forces HAM to back out
37: HAM lines up PER again; makes it stick for P3
VET exits the pit lane right in front of HAM – almost let PER re-pass HAM 🙁
38: HAM lost 3secs due to VET!
39: HAM f/lap 1:15.116 – he’s 19sec behind VER (with LEC between them)
RUS easily past PER for P4
40/72: VER, LEC, HAM, RUS, PER, SAI, NOR, ALO, OCO, TSU, STR, ALB, GAS, BOT, ZHO, VET, RIC, SCH, MAG, LAT
41: PER pits; hards; rejoins P7
Race control – Pit exit incident involving VET under investigation – ignoring blue flags
42: Radio for VER telling him RUS’ lap time on hard tyres; “that’s quick” … “for now”
Radio for LEC, “Plan C”
43: PER f/lap 1:14.930
PER closing on NOR; NOR closes the door
44: VER, LEC, HAM, RUS, SAI…
SAI pits
Yellow flag – TSU has stopped on the side of the track
Replay of radio from TSU, “Tyres not fitted!”
TSU is told “Tyres are ok” and rejoins the track
45/72: VER, LEC, HAM, RUS, PER, NOR, ALO, OCO, SAI, STR
46: LEC pits from P2; hards; rejoins P4
TSU pits; mechanics are adjusting his seatbelts!?
What are Alphatauri doing? How is this meant to help Red Bull?
47: Radio from TSU reporting something’s broken at the rear; parks off track – yellow flags
48: VSC deployed
NOR and ALO pit; both switch to softs
49[VSC]: VER pits from P1; hards; rejoins still P1
HAM and RUS pit too; both move to mediums; rejoin P2 and P3 respectively
50/72[VSC]: VER, HAM, RUS, LEC, PER, OCO,SAI, NOR, ALO, STR, GAS, ALB, BOT, ZHO, SCH, VET, MAG, RIC, LAT; out: TSU
VER has 15sec lead over HAM
VSC ending
51: ALO f/lap 1:14.563
Race control – Pit lane incident involving TSU will be investigated after the race
52: VER f/lap 1:14.454
RUS f/lap 1:14.223
ALO f/lap 1:14.144
5-sec penalty for VET for ignoring blue flags (back on lap 37)
53: ALO trying to go around NOR but the McLaren keeps P8
54: RUS f/lap 1:13.947
55/72: VER, HAM, RUS, LEC, PER, OCO, SAI, NOR,
HAM f/lap 1:13.854
Yellow flag – BOT has parked his Alfa Romeo on the main straight, just before Turn 1
56: SAI inside OCO but there were yellow flags – SAI will have to give P6 back to OCO
Safety Car deployed
57[SC]: VER pits; softs go on; rejoins P3
LEC and PER pit too
58[SC]: SC leads everyone through the pit lane
RUS pits – softs go on; rejoins P3
Ferrari release SAI into the side of ALO
59[SC]: Race control – lapped cars can pass the SC
60/72[SC]: HAM, VER, RUS, LEC, PER, SAI, ALO, NOR, OCO, STR, GAS, ALB, SCH, VET, MAG, ZHO, RIC, LAT; out: BOT, TSU
SC in at the end of this lap
HAM slows, backing VER up into RUS
61: VER immediately challenges HAM; takes P1 before Turn 1
VER streaks off into the distance
62: VER f/lap 1:13.682 and has 1.8sec lead over HAM
SAI around PER for P5
63: VER f/lap 1:13.652
DRS enabled
RUS has DRS behind HAM
64: RUS inside HAM to take P2 from his teammate
Radio from HAM is mostly expletives
65/72: VER, RUS, HAM, LEC, SAI, PER, ALO, NOR, OCO, STR, GAS, ALB, SCH, VET, MAG, ZHO, RIC, LAT
LEC closing on HAM now
66: LEC easily past HAM for P3
67: PER has a look inside SAI but the Ferrari hangs on to P5
NOR thinks about a move on ALO but the Alpine anticipates
68: 5-sec penalty for SAI for unsafe release
70/72: VER, RUS, LEC, HAM, SAI*, PER, ALO, NOR, OCO, STR (*SAI’s penalty means he’s effectively P10)
PER tries to go around SAI but runs across the gravel, rejoins
71: Only remaining battles are PER (P6), ALO, NOR, and then OCO (P9), STR
72: ALO not close enough this time
VER takes the chequered flag
Provisional result: VER, RUS, LEC, HAM, PER, ALO, NOR, SAI, OCO, STR; GAS, ALB, SCH, VET, MAG, ZHO, RIC, LAT
DNF: BOT, TSU
Fastest lap: VER
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