F1 | Portuguese GP | Lewis Hamilton secures 92nd victory to become the winningest driver in history
After a wild start with McLaren leading, normal service resumed as Hamilton made more history in Portugal.
When the five red lights went out, Hamilton held the lead into T1, but with rain spitting, it all kicked off throughout the field.
Verstappen and Perez tangled on the opening lap as they battled for P3 as the Dutchman had been pushed wide by Bottas. The Mexican was sent into a spin and dropped to the rear of the field; he pitted at the end of that lap to switch to mediums.
Rewind to Lap 1 ⏪👀
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2020
Verstappen 💥 Perez
Stewards have looked at this incident and will take no further action#PortugueseGP 🇵🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/K7HOzHvXum
Bottas and Sainz, who made a stonking start from 7th on the grid, overtook Hamilton on the opening lap as the Brit massively struggled to get heat in his tyres. Sainz then cruised past Bottas on lap 2 as the McLaren’s soft tyre was far superior in the cool conditions early on as the medium runners struggled to get heat in the tyres.
At the start of lap 3, the order was Sainz, Bottas, Hamilton, Norris and Verstappen. Kimi Raikkonen had an extraordinary start to move to P6 from 16th on the grid.
Bottas retook the lead on lap 6 after getting heat into his medium tyres and eased through with DRS. Hamilton and Verstappen followed the Finn through on laps 7 and 8.
After a difficult start where he dropped to P8, Leclerc overtook Ricciardo, Norris and Sainz by lap 12 to move back up to P4.
Raikkonen’s stunning opening lap came to nothing as he dropped back on the soft tyre to P10 before pitting on lap 12. Another soft runner, Daniel Ricciardo, followed him in a few laps later.
Bottas, Hamilton, Verstappen, Leclerc, Sainz, Gasly, Norris, Stroll, Ocon and Albon was the top 10 when things settled down.
Racing Point had more drama on lap 18 as Lance Stroll clashed with Lando Norris as they fought for position into turn 1. Stroll tried to overtake the Brit but they came together and both had to due to damage. The Canadian was hit with a 5-second penalty for the incident.
🚨
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2020
Stewards have handed Stroll a 5-second time penalty for the earlier collision with Norris#PortugueseGP 🇵🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/nRoauhmBl2
Stroll’s day got even worse as he got smacked with another 5-second penalty for consistently exceeding track limits. Grosjean was hit with the same sanction later in the race.
Following a tricky start, Hamilton gently closed up on Bottas and made his move on lap 20 to take the lead back. Meanwhile, Gasly also eased his way by for Sainz for P5 as the AlphaTauri driver showed strong pace on the softs.
LAP 20/66
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2020
Hamilton passes Bottas and retakes the lead! #PortugueseGP 🇵🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/1J3kHNPpTE
Verstappen, who was struggling on the softs, pitted on lap 25 from P3 to change to the mediums.
Perez’s storming charge back through the field saw him overtake the Haas’, Williams’, Kvyat and Giovinazzi to recover to P9 by lap 26.
At the halfway point, Hamilton held a comfortable lead over Bottas. Leclerc, Verstappen, Ocon, Perez, Russell, Ricciardo, Gasly and Raikkonen.
Sainz and Raikkonen, plus Perez and Ocon delivered two thrilling wheel-to-wheel battles as the Spaniard and Mexican eventually fought their way past for P10 and P5 respectively.
LAP 33/66
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2020
Carlos ⚔️ Kimi
Sainz finally gets the upper hand 👏#PortugueseGP 🇵🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/5SiA8HcOqK
LAP 35/66
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2020
And now it's Ocon and Perez fighting hard
Perez prevails and is P5! #PortugueseGP 🇵🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/ElqXAosJvU
Hamilton boxed at the end of lap 40 to switch to the hard tyres, followed by Bottas a lap later. They comfortably stayed in P1 and P2.
Ricciardo’s tyres started to fall away in the closing stages as Gasly and Sainz drove by with DRS.
LAP 47/66
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2020
Gasly gets past Ricciardo at Turn 1 and he's up to P7 - great work from the Frenchman 👏#PortugueseGP 🇵🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/eBn0C6Xnkg
Esteban Ocon finally pitted on lap 54 in the Renault from P5; he came out in P8. At the same time, Sebastian Vettel cruised by Raikkonen with DRS to take 10th place.
Hamilton, Bottas, Vestappen, Leclerc, Perez, Gasly, Sainz, Ocon, Ricciardo and Vettel was the top 10 after everyone had made a stop.
After putting on soft tyres for his second stop, Sergio Perez’s tyres fell away at the end and eventually got overtaken by Gasly and Sainz.
Hamilton trounced the field to collect his 92nd win and now holds the outright record for victories in Formula 1. Bottas and Verstappen rounded out the podium finishers.
9⃣2⃣ race wins!@LewisHamilton rewrites the #F1 history books #PortugueseGP 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/rPBSACeX3G
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2020
Leclerc, Gasly, Sainz, Perez, Ocon, Ricciardo and Vettel completed the points scorers.
One of the best to ever do it.#SkyF1 | #F1 pic.twitter.com/JoXc30JqCV
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) October 25, 2020