In clear weather, with air temperatures of 28 degrees and asphalt temperatures of 41 degrees, the cars lined up on the grid for the tenth Formula 1 race of the 2020 season, the Russian Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton took the tenth pole position of the year, ahead of Max Verstappen, who split the two Mercedes drivers in two. Valtteri Bottas and Racing Point’s Mexican Sergio Perez could start behind Red Bull’s Dutch, the third line went to Daniel Ricciardó and Carlos Sainz. Renault and McLaren riders were followed by their teammates in the 7-8. place Esteban Ocon, Lando Norris order. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) and Charles Leclerc also made it into the top ten. Ferrari’s monaco would have originally started from 11th place, but Red Bull’s Alexander Albon had a five-place penalty for a relay exchange, so the Thai-British driver could start the race from 15th instead of tenth. For the same reason, Nicholas Latif, williamses, was also classified as the very end of the field.
Sebastian Vettel, who crashed his Ferrari ugly on the time trial, was able to cut him off the grid with the others, and the German from 14th place could wait for the red lights to go out.
Half of the field started the race on medium tires, with eight – with the exception of Bottas and Verstappen starting from the top nine places and Alexander Albon (Red Bull) – choosing the yellow sidewall medium mix. The hard ones were chosen by only two, Danyiil Kvja (AlphaTauri) and Kimi Räikkönen (Alfa Romeo).
According to Pirelli, the fastest strategy in dry weather could have been a one-stop tactic, in a soft-hard distribution with a 12-lap soft rubber leg. The soft-medium version, in which the soft rubber stage could be 14 laps, was thought to be similarly fast. For those who would have preferred the even slower, two-shift tactics, the Italians were counting on the soft-medium-soft split, with two 12-lap soft rubber stages in the 53-lap race.
To the track 💪# Seb5 #Charles16 #beFerrari🔴 #RussianGP🇷🇺 pic.twitter.com/9aYz5pjcAh
– Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) September 27, 2020
2020 Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix
Kvjat made good progress in his home race, the Russian was already in tenth place with the hard tires in the tenth place.
Hamilton stretched 1.5 seconds from Bottas in one lap, but the British were soft, the Finn and behind him Verstappen were driving moderately. However, it has no advantage compared to being penalized twice (!) For five seconds for what happened before the start!
Meanwhile, Norris and Albon fought a great battle for the penultimate place.
There was no change in the lead after the reboot, with Räikkönen alone overtaking 15th.
The safety car left the track at the end of the lap, the race resumed.
The job is in the scoring places: Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Ocon, Ricciardo, Perez, Gasly, Leclerc, Magnussen, Grosjean.
Two riders just dropped out, the field escaped both incidents. Sainz hit the wall on his own, while Norris was presumably pushed by Leclerc.
LAP 1/53
Safety Car is out on the opening lap
Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz are both out of the race 😮💥#RussianGP 🇷🇺 # F1 pic.twitter.com/NlytU9F8Fu
– Formula 1 (@ F1) September 27, 2020
SMOOOOOTH OPERATOOOORRRRR # F1 #RussianGP pic.twitter.com/K8P6XV0H9f
– Mattzel89 (@ Mattzel89) September 27, 2020
Russell, Albon and Norris also went to the box for hard tires.
Bottas walked past Verstappen, but Hamilton could not be overtaken by the Finn, though he had been ahead of him for some time. Verstappen and several behind him widened the two turns, including Sainz, who broke down McLaren when he returned to the track. Stroll Racing Point also ended up in the wall, so the safety car was sent to the track.
LIGHTS OUT
The 2020 Russian Grand Prix is GO!#RussianGP 🇷🇺 # F1 pic.twitter.com/Owt7Ckzd26
– Formula 1 (@ F1) September 27, 2020
Magnussen had a hard time coming off the grid, he was the last to come after the field.
An investigation was launched against Hamilton on the circuit leading to the starting grid because he did not make a trial run in the right place.
BREAKING: Lewis Hamilton is under investigation by the race stewards for a practice start outside of the designated area #RussianGP 🇷🇺 # F1 pic.twitter.com/Gw3NoKgvwe
– Formula 1 (@ F1) September 27, 2020
Image source (s): Getty Images
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