Lewis Hamilton was able to see off team-mate Valtteri Bottas to claim his ninth victory of the season as Mercedes secured their seventh and record-breaking constructors’ world championship at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Hamilton lost a place straight off the start as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was able to get ahead of the Brit thanks to Bottas who was giving Verstappen slipstream down to turn one. Hamilton, who found himself in third, extended his first stint of the race and reacted to a Virtual Safety Car.
Hamilton was leading the race when pole-sitter Bottas and Verstappen opted to pit before the Brit started setting fastest laps putting himself in prime position to pull off an overcut strategy.
Esteban Ocon was forced to retire the car on lap 29 and pulled over to the side of the track causing a Virtual Safety Car just one lap later. Hamilton reacted to this short VSC, which meant he lost significantly less time compared to his rivals behind who had already pitted under green flag racing.
The 35-year-old emerged from the pitlane with over a five-second gap to previous race leader Bottas who had Verstappen for company behind. At this moment it was apparent to Mercedes that Bottas had some damage to the floor of his Mercedes caused by debris on the track on lap two.
Verstappen was able to pounce upon a mistake by Bottas on lap 43 which saw the Finn take a brief trip into the gravel which was enough for the Red Bull driver to breeze past Bottas come the back straight just two corners later.
Just seven laps later, Verstappen took a trip to the gravel of his own as his right-rear tyre suffered a failure which caused him to retire from the race. A safety car was summoned just moments later meanwhile, George Russell crashed his Williams into the wall after trying to heat up his tyres under the safety car. Both Hamilton and Bottas took this opportunity to make a free pitstop onto the soft compound tyre.
After all the debris was cleared the drivers found themselves in a seven-lap dash to the chequered flag. Hamilton was unchallenged at the restart and kept Bottas behind for the remainder of the race clinching his 93rd career victory.
The Mercedes one-two finish was enough for them to be crowned constructors’ champions for a seventh consecutive year as they continue to show their dominance since the hybrid era.
Hamilton now has an 85-point lead in the championship going into the Turkish Grand Prix where he can claim his seventh drivers’ world championship equalling the great Michael Schumacher.
After the two Mercedes came Aussie Daniel Ricciardo who capitalised on the late drama to pick up his second podium in three races. He had to see off Daniil Kvyat who claimed fourth after a late charge through the field after the safety car restart.
Charles Leclerc claimed fifth place in the Scuderia Ferrari having stayed out on his hard tyres during the safety car while Sergio Perez finished sixth ahead of the two McLaren’s with Carlos Sainz this week pipping team-mate Lando Norris.
Alfa Romeo had a double point finish for the first time this year as Kimi Raikkonen lead Antonio Giovinazzi. The Swiss team took advantage of late drama to finish the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in ninth and 10th.
By Cameron Anderson-Jones
