Brendan Lines November 2, 2020

Lewis Hamilton has claimed his 93rd F1 victory – his first at Imola for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas came home in second, Australian Daniel Ricciardo was third, taking his second podium in three races.

Formula 1’s return to the historic Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola was the setting for Mercedes to rewrite the history books, its one-two finish secured the team’s seventh successive Constructors World Championship.

Lewis Hamilton delivered another win despite being out-qualified for the second successive race by Bottas, the Brit slipped back to P3 on the opening laps behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Hamilton played the strategy game to extend his opening stint on the Medium tyres under-cutting both Bottas and Verstappen ahead.

“A big, big thank you to the entire Mercedes family and all of our partners, because we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without them,” Hamilton said.

“The race itself was an exhausting one, particularly with the speeds that we are experiencing around this track. I had a tricky start but extended the stint and managed to fight back to the front. It feels fantastic to clinch the title today at Imola in style.”

Hamilton pitted under the Virtual Safety Car on Lap 31 after Renault driver Esteban Ocon’s retirement, Hamilton covering his rivals to maintain the lead, after Vertappen’s right rear puncture forced his retirement forced a full safety car.

The later safety car period had its winners and losers, as Hamilton and Ricciardo chose not to pit to maintain track position, but for Williams’ George Russell it was disaster as his car spun out of control behind the safety car and hit a wall as he swerved to maintain tyre temperature — ending his day that was set for a points finish.

For Daniel Ricciardo it was all smiles and ‘Shoeys’ as the Aussie drove himself to third from P5 on the grid.

“Two podiums in three races! I’m very happy and I didn’t forget to do the ‘shoey’ this time around! We were pretty settled in fifth but then Max triggered the safety car. It was the right thing to stay out, especially after Perez pitted,” Ricciardo said.

The podium finish now puts Renault just one point ahead in the constructors standings ahead of McLaren — Ricciardo’s team of choice in 2021.

Alpha Tauri’s Daniil Kyvat took P4 his best finish for 2020, the Russian’s pass around the outside of Vettel at the Piratella a highlight, despite teammate Pierre Gasly’s retirement on Lap 9. Kyvat finished ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in P5 and Racing Point’s Sergio Perez in P6.

Perez, who started P11, staged another great comeback drive after a compromised qualifying.

The McLaren’s of Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris finished P7 and P8, salvageable performance from the Woking team to remain in the hunt for third in the constructors standings.

It was a double points finish for Alfa Romeo as Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi finished P9 and P10 respectively, the team’s first double points finish for the season and on home Italian soil.

It was a forgettable day for Red Bull, coming away with no points, Verstappen’s day cut short while in second place, by a puncture in the closing stages after troubling Bottas’ Mercedes all race.

Red Bull teammate Alex Albon was relegated to P15 after spinning out at the Tamburello chicane jostling with Sergio Perez on the restart from the safety car.

Lewis Hamilton is now poised to clinch his seventh drivers title to match Michael Shumachers all time record, at the Turkish Grand Prix in two weeks time.