F1 ANNIVERSARY GP 2020 : MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS RACE

Formula 1 celebrates their 70th anniversary with this Grand Prix. Max Verstappen won his first Grand Prix of the season, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas’ Mercedes. His bet to set off on hard tires finally paid off! Very good race also for Charles Leclerc.

F1 ANNIVERSARY GP 2020 MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS RACE – It was Red Bull and Max Verstappen that denied Lewis Hamilton the victory during this afternoon’s 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone, Valtteri Bottas would come home in third.

As the lights went out, pole-sitter Bottas held the lead from Hamilton, as Verstappen jumped Hulkenberg for this. Hamilton and Bottas immediately went to work duelling for the lead, as a spin for Sebastian Vettel left him in last.

Race – Great Britain (2)

Pos.	Driver	Team	Time
1	Max VERSTAPPEN	Red Bull	LAP 52
2	Lewis HAMILTON	Mercedes	+ 11,326
3	Valtteri BOTTAS	Mercedes	+ 19,231
4	Charles LECLERC	Ferrari	+29,289
5	Alexander ALBON	Red Bull	+ 39,146
6	Lance STROLL	Racing Point	+42,538
7	Nico HULKENBERG	Racing Point	+55,951
8	Esteban OCON	Renault	+64,773
9	Lando NORRIS	McLaren	+65,544
10	Daniil KVYAT	Alpha Tauri	+69,669
11	Pierre GASLY	Alpha Tauri	+70,642
12	Sebastian VETTEL	Ferrari	+73,370
13	Carlos SAINZ	McLaren	+74070
14	Daniel RICCIARDO	Renault	+ 1 L.
15	Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN	Alfa Romeo	+ 1 L.
16	Romain GROSJEAN	Haas	+ 1 L.
17	Antonio GIOVINAZZI	Alfa Romeo	+ 1 L.
18	George RUSSELL	Williams	+ 1 L.
19	Nicholas LATIFI	Williams	+ 1 L.
20	Kevin MAGNUSSEN	Haas	DNF

Alexander Albon fell behind the McLaren of Lando Norris, whilst Lance Stroll got around Daniel Ricciardo for fifth position.

Replays showed Vettel’s spin, the German losing it by himself after getting on to the inside kerb and almost taking out Carlos Sainz in the process.

Six laps in and Mercedes were already worried of a repeat of last weekend, warning Bottas of his front left tyre being ‘critical’, as Albon took an early pitstop for hard tyres at the end of the lap.

Bottas pitted on lap 13, as Verstappen closed in behind new race leader Hamilton, who was also struggling with his tyres. Hamilton pitted on the following lap, giving Verstappen the lead on the harder compound.

Further down, Albon put a daring move on Kimi Raikkonen for fifteenth around the outside of Copse, just barely getting past the Finn, as Vettel was slowly working his way up the field, sitting in eleventh. Hulkenberg also visited the pits, rejoining in seventh.

Leclerc complained of engine cutting coming through turn 1, while Kevin Magnussen and Nicolas Latifi almost came to blows as the pair came through Stowe wheel-to-wheel.

Both Bottas and Hamilton suffered with blisters despite only making a pitstop, with Verstappen going faster in the lead on older tyres than both Mercedes on a fresh set of hards. AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly was also suffering with his rear left tyre, despite only doing a handful of laps on the new set.

Fourth and fifth went to Charles Leclerc and Albon, as Lance Stroll and Hulkenberg crossed the line in sixth and seventh.

Sainz lost out during his stop with a wheel gun issue, almost coming out in the path of Esteban Ocon, but managed to stop in time.

Verstappen pitted for mediums on lap 27, briefly losing out to Bottas, but the Dutch driver quickly regained the lead coming through Luffield. Magnussen was awarded a five-second time penalty for his move on Latifi earlier on in the race.

Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo was dropped out of the points after a spin coming through Village while battling with Sainz for ninth on lap 30. Ricciardo was able to continue and rejoin the race in twelfth.

Both Verstappen and Bottas pitted on lap 33, as Hamilton took the lead. Mercedes leaned towards the intention of a one-stop with Hamilton, but the world champion was afraid of a repeat of last weekend.

Verstappen got the call to go after Hamilton with eight seconds to make up in the last ten seconds, as Ferrari’s Leclerc pushed on to maintain fourth.

Hamilton eventually pitted on lap 41 rejoining in fourth and setting off the podium positions. Hamilton found a way past Leclerc on lap 46, as Magnussen became the first and only retirement of the race.

Hamilton caught the rear of his teammate with three laps to go, getting past Bottas for second on lap 50. Hamilton then set off Verstappen for the victory, but it was not enough as Verstappen gave the team its first win at Silverstone since 2012.

Ocon and Norris took the chequered flag in eighth and ninth, while Daniil Kvyat took the final point in tenth.

F1 ANNIVERSARY GP 2020 : MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS RACE F1 ANNIVERSARY GP 2020 : MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS RACE

NICO HULKENBERG VERY HAPPY : IT’S A GOOD SURPRISE

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