Formula One

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton fought back to pass both Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen for a brilliant victory in the Portuguese Grand Prix.

The seven-time champion fell to third as Verstappen's Red Bull overtook him at a restart after an early safety car.

But he passed Verstappen four laps later and then hunted down and did the same to his Mercedes team-mate before moving on to control the race.

The win gives Hamilton an eight-point championship lead over Verstappen.

[Threadfin]

Hamilton deserved it, he ran a great race. Now, this was a race short on excitement, and not just because Merc came out on top. A few random observations....

I said earlier in the thread that last year the pitstraight DRS zone was overpowered. It was shortened this year and much better. Cars were not being overtaken on the straight, but it gave enough to allow passing through turn one, and we saw many overtakes around the outside.

Oh Kimi... when it happened I said I bet he was head down on the wheel fiddling with something, and sure enough. Far too much experience to allow that to happen. They were fortunate he didn't take out his teammate.

I watched the race and saw Max got fast lap after his late stop. The results on F1.com said Bottas got it. Who got fast lap? Did Bottas pip it at the flag?

I expected Fez to be strong here, but they will be disappointed with the result. Sainz struggled and out of the points. Leclerc sixth.

Good result for Alpine, two cars in the points and Alonso looked much better.

Lando is putting together a great season, off to a fine start. He has really come on, and he is getting results. Ricciardo had a good run too, but he will be wanting to start stringing them together and a little higher in the order.

Force India, I mean Racing Point, sorry, Aston Martin look a mess. This team was the class of the midfield a year ago and now cannot do anything right. Is it that their rivals, in particular McLaren, got that much better? Or is something wrong within the team? Did the car fail to improve? Is Vettel a curse? Hard to say, but morale must be sinking over there.

I was hyping Russell ahead of this race and he had a terrible run. Same with Alfa Romeo. I had said they looked most improved at Bahrain, but they are reverting to form.

Mazepin is a menace. Seriously, this guy may have talent, or potential, but he doesn't belong out there. I know his pop is bankrolling them with his oil-soaked cash, but I find it all objectionable from a sporting point of view. Just a matter of time before Mazepin causes a disaster. I suspect he will at Monaco. There are more deserving drivers of that seat, they just don't come with the cash in tow. If Urakali's money is keeping the team in the sport I'll give them a pass, but just.

Overall I have to be disappointed with this result. I expect that today's finishing order will be a common sight, but Red Bull need to flip the script every other race if they are to be in with a shot at the end. Mercedes deserved their result, and Red Bull need to find that little bit extra to get the results that keep them in the hunt or Mercedes will keep opening the gap.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Threadfin

I watched the race and saw Max got fast lap after his late stop. The results on F1.com said Bottas got it. Who got fast lap? Did Bottas pip it at the flag?

It was taken off Verstappen after race control reported that he had broken track limits at Turn 14, causing the time to be deleted.

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton took a 100th career pole position by edging out Red Bull's Max Verstappen in qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Hamilton's Mercedes was just 0.036 seconds faster than Verstappen, who was in turn 0.096secs ahead of the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc pulled out one of his trademark stellar laps on his last run to take fourth from Alpine's Esteban Ocon.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was sixth ahead of McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo.

The second Red Bull of Sergio Perez took eighth, nearly 0.8secs adrift of Verstappen, with McLaren's Lando Norris and Alpine's Fernando Alonso completing the top 10.

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes produced a brilliant, attacking, strategic race to beat Red Bull's Max Verstappen in the Spanish Grand Prix.

Hamilton's third win in four races this season came despite losing the lead to Verstappen at the first corner.

Mercedes put Hamilton on a two-stop strategy and the seven-time champion closed a 23-second deficit in 18 laps to pass the Red Bull with six laps to go.

Verstappen bailed on his one-stop strategy after losing the lead and took second and the point for fastest lap as consolation.

Hamilton's victory was the 98th of his career, after he set his 100th pole position on Saturday, and it extends his championship lead to 14 points.

[Buddahaid]

Good to see Ferrari in the mix but I can't wait for next year. You can't take anything away from Mercedes with Hamilton driving but it's wearing on my interest and I'm missing the days when after five races you could have five different winners.

[Jimbuna]

Already a two-horse race imho.

[Threadfin]

Very disappointing result from my perspective. Mercedes deserves this result as their strategy was perfectly executed, and left Red Bull damned if they do and damned if they don't. It was gutting to watch the interval drop so quickly at the end. Max was a sitting duck at that point.

But it's all possible because Perez just isn't in the fight. Were he closer to the front then Mercedes would have thought twice about pitting Lewis and maybe the race result turns out differently. I like Perez and think they made the right decision with this hire. But he isn't taking advantage. That's five races done now, and he has yet to look anything like a challenger, and if Red Bull are to have a shot at this they need both cars in the mix. They aren't getting that right now and it needs to change starting at Monaco. We all expect a bedding-in period when a driver changes teams, but Red Bull no longer have the luxury of time if they are to stay in the title fight. It is quickly slipping away. Red Bull have the machinery to win the title, but they have to match that with winning strategy and driver performances. And the fact is that they are not, and honestly Mercedes made them look like amateurs yesterday.

Fez and especially Leclerc continue to impress. The Ferrari's aero package seems especially good, and with their power plant problems seemingly in the past the Fez is looking strong again. Leclerc is driving great, and while it is still early days, it looks to be shaping up as a great battle between him and Lando for the best of the rest title. Some of the shine came off Norris this weekend, but 8th is still in the points and combined with Sainz's and Ricciardo's results this is shaping up to be a great midfield battle, with just five points between the two teams. I'm tempted to throw Alpine in that mix, but they are only showing flashes and Alonso is feast or famine it seems, and anyway they are now 45 points back of Ferrari already. Alonso's retreat through the pack yesterday was painful to watch. They'll need more consistency to be in the mix.

One of the biggest surprises for me so far has been Aston Martin's fall. They have in no way carried their momentum from last season and look out of sorts. Stroll is driving well, but the car seems well off the standard they set last year. This is the team I expected to emerge as midfield boss, and they been anything but. Vettel has strung together some competent performances instead of being a trainwreck, which is good, but they need to find some pace.

Mazepin did not finish last and I hardly noticed him, which I guess is progress haha. Mick Schumacher seems the most polished of the rookie class, or maybe the least volatile, and in that seat he'll not get anything done, but so far he looks the most likely to stick around.

At the moment it feels like Red Bull are all promise and little product. Mercedes have their fangs out under a genuine title threat, and the fact is they are executing better, they look like a title-caliber team, while Red Bull look like pretenders. A long way to go, but they need to start getting results.

[Threadfin]

Interesting sessions and results. I've been saying Fez looked to have a great aero package this year, and it sure seemed to be borne out today. This is the type of track that will reveal it.

The McLaren livery looks awesome.

I predicted Mazepin would be a menace around Moncao, but it was the other rookies having shunts. Far from over though.

Monaco is such a horrible racing track, but the event is iconic, and I look forward to it every year. Qualifying should be fantastic. Everyone knows how crucial it is at Monaco.

P3 should be enlightening.

[Jimbuna]

Yes, Ferrari have surprised me but I notice the three 'usual suspects' are right behind them.

[Threadfin]

Wow!

Ferrari's for real. You could see it coming. Well done to Leclerc who must be over the moon.

Bitter sweet result for Red Bull. Verstappen strong, as expected. Perez not strong, as expected. Ninth is just not good enough. On a day when Hamilton struggled, the door was wide open but once again Perez fails to shine and it will cost them in the race (probably).

Giovinazzi. Wut. Well I've been saying they look improved, and then they don't. But tenth on the grid is outrageous for Alfa. Fantastic result. He'll need to start on softs though, and I always say that eleventh is better than tenth because of that. Still, top ten at Moncao is a fantastic result for him.

Sainz, Gasly, Norris all had a good session, and once again I love seeing the marks shuffled up, makes for a better race than having classification by team.

Disappointed to see Kimi so far back, considering his teammate's result. Alonso must be wondering what he needs to do. To fail to make Q2 again has to be demoralizing, especially as Ocon is outdriving him every weekend. Same exact scenario over at McLaren with Ricciardo, who surely didn't expect to struggle so much.

I guess Shumacher gets special dispensation? There's no chance he doesn't start, is there?

Can't wait for the race.

[Threadfin]

Leclerc crashed with a minute to go and busted up his car. That could change things, especially if any fix falls outside parc ferme and he could get a grid penatly. Max was purple first sector at the time and that's just rotten luck.


So depending on the ruling it could be max and Bottas on the front row tomorrow. Great stuff! Gotta love F1

[Buddahaid]

So much for my prediction that Max and Lewis will take each other out at Sainte Devote tomorrow but I still expect a first corner mess.

[Jimbuna]

Missed it all, watching the mackems lose in the semi final playoff place.

Looking at the final pole positions I really can't see Hamilton making it onto the podium this time around.

[Buddahaid]

Well that wasn't the race I was expecting. Mercedes dropped the ball and I can't help feeling really bad for Bottas but have no sympathy for Lewis's crocodile tears because he didn't make a podium for once.

Vettal finally shows pace for Aston Martin with a P5 finish and Norris's star just keeps rising.

Also I'm amazed the race had no safety cars to scramble the results.