Team by team analysis of the Eifel Grand Prix

(Reuters) – Team by team analysis of Sunday’s Eifel Grand Prix at the Nuerburgring, round 11 of the 17 race championship (listed in current championship order): Formula One F1 – Eifel Grand Prix – Nurburgring, Nurburg, Germany – October 11, 2020 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas in action […]

(Reuters) – Team by team analysis of Sunday’s Eifel Grand Prix at the Nuerburgring, round 11 of the 17 race championship (listed in current championship order):

Formula One F1 – Eifel Grand Prix – Nurburgring, Nurburg, Germany – October 11, 2020 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas in action at the start of the race Pool via REUTERS/Ina Fassbender

MERCEDES (Lewis Hamilton 1, Valtteri Bottas retired)

Hamilton, starting second on the grid, equalled Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of 91 wins with his seventh victory of the season. The Briton is now 69 points clear of Bottas, who started on pole but suffered his first retirement of the season, and has scored more points (230) than Red Bull. Mercedes are 180 points clear of Red Bull in the constructors’ standings.

RED BULL (Max Verstappen 2, Alexander Albon retired)

Verstappen remains third in the championship but the gap to Bottas is now only 14 points. He set the fastest lap right at the end. Albon started fifth but damaged his tyres on the opening lap and then collided with Kvyat, breaking the AlphaTauri’s front wing and collecting a five second time penalty and two points on his licence. He retired with a power unit issue after debris pierced the car’s radiator.

RACING POINT (Sergio Perez 4, Nico Hulkenberg 8)

Points for both drivers lifted the team to third overall, four points clear of McLaren. Perez started ninth, and might have made the podium but for a late safety car that helped Ricciardo pit for fresh tyres, while Hulkenberg was last on the grid after standing in at short notice for unwell Canadian Lance Stroll. The German was voted driver of the day by F1 fans.

MCLAREN (Carlos Sainz 5, Lando Norris retired)

Sainz started 10th, Norris eighth. Norris was in fourth place but suffered a power unit problem, on a new engine installed just before the race, before his pitstop and then had to retire on track with smoke coming from the car, bringing out the safety car.

RENAULT (Daniel Ricciardo 3, Esteban Ocon retired)

Ricciardo took his first Renault podium and the French carmaker’s first since the return to Formula One as a constructor in 2016, and also their first in 10 years. The late safety car helped him keep ahead of Perez. The Australian started sixth. Ocon retired on lap 23 with an hydraulic problem.

FERRARI (Charles Leclerc 7, Sebastian Vettel 11)

Ferrari fell further behind in sixth place with AlphaTauri closing the gap. The team were more competitive in qualifying than the race. Leclerc pitted after 10 laps, switching to a two-stop strategy. Vettel started on mediums but lost out to Giovinazzi. He then damaged the tyres with an early spin, switching to hards and then softs.

ALPHATAURI (Pierre Gasly 6, Daniil Kvyat 15)

Gasly again brought home the points, scoring two more than Ferrari, while Kvyat suffered from the collision with Albon, the impact also damaging the floor and brake ducts.

ALFA ROMEO (Antonio Giovinazzi 10, Kimi Raikkonen 12)

Raikkonen made a record 323rd Formula One start, one more than Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and more than 31% of all the championship grands prix to date. The Finn was also handed a 10 second penalty and two points on his licence for causing a collision with Russell. Giovinazzi secured the team’s second top 10 position in three races.

HAAS (Romain Grosjean 9, Kevin Magnussen 13)

Grosjean scored his first points of the season, leaving only the Williams drivers without. The Frenchman’s last points finish was also in Germany, in July 2019. Magnussen banged wheels with Vettel and was passed by Raikkonen.

WILLIAMS (Nicholas Latifi 14, George Russell retired)

Russell was sent flying by the impact with Raikkonen, ending his race.

Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar

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