Emilia Romagna GP ICYMI: Mercedes takes record 7th title in a row, Max out of title hunt

14:19
That’s all from me today.
In two weeks the F1 circus pulls over in Turkey for my favourite track that hasn’t been on the calender since 2011.
Qualifying will be at 12 on the 14th of November with an early start of the race on the 15th at 10:10am

Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone, and stay safe.

14:04
Oh no! Hamilton partakes, but with Dani’s shoe, 🤢

SHOOOOOEEEEEEEYYYY! 👞🍾#ImolaGP 🇮🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/kYD1d67RED

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 1, 2020

14:03
Dani is sitting, the shoe is off…

14:00
Shoey this time from Ricciardo?

13:56
How is that for a record breaking fortnight for the guys at Brakley.
Hamiltons record wins total taken last weekend, this weekend Mercedes breaks the record for consecutive constructors titles.
Can Hamilton equal the titles record next week?

13:55

MAKING @F1 #HIS7ORY! ❤️ WE ARE CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD FOR A SEVENTH TIME!! 👊 pic.twitter.com/FqAHS6yYza

— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) November 1, 2020

13:47
Ricciardo holds on to take his 2nd podium of the year, Renault have really been coming into form just as he’s about to jump ship to McLaren.

13:43
Hamilton wins!
Mercedes are World Champions for a record 7th year on the trot.

13:41
Dani’s podium is not a certainty here, Kvytt is piling on the preasure with just 2 laps to go

13:40
Perez and the two McLarens behind him are hunting down Leclerc.

13:39
Will this be two tattoos if Dani Ric keeps the podium?

13:36
Safety car ending:
Both mercs out in front on softs, Ricciardo and Leclerc battling for the podium, not for long as Kvyatt takes Leclerc who goes wide.
Perez shames Albon who then drops it all on his own and spins down to last placed. Nightmare for Red Bull.

13:33
In all the madness, Stroll punted his front jack man halfway down the pitlane, says sorry over the radio, said his brakes were cold.
Ouch!

13:30
Russell is distraught by the trackside, last brit to do this was Button back in 2000, that was also at Italy, and also in a Williams

13:27
Noooooo, Russell is out of the race! He’s binned it behind the safety car!

13:22
SAFETY CAR!
Max is out of the championship!
Right rear is gone and so is his car into the gravel trap.
Did I just jinx him? Russell up to 10th

13:21
Russell agonizingly close to a points finish in 11th with just 13 laps to go.
You never want to see a driver retire, but you kinda do to see Russell take a point or two.

13:12
Big oof as Bottas goes wide and Verstappen nearly plows into his rear, he loses all the momentum and Max duly takes 2nd in the DRS zone past the pits.
Max has just kept himself in the title fight with that move, just.

13:09
Horrendous pit-stop by Ferrari for Vettel who is stationary for 13seconds as the wheel nuts wouldn’t tighten, and comes out in 14th rather than 11th which he could have been if the pit had went to plan.

13:08
Hamilton is checking out on fresher tyres and clear air, the gap back to Bottas is now over 10 seconds

13:06
Mercedes coming over the radio to Bottas to tell him that the damage to his car is quite significant, Bottas asking where the damage happened, nobody seems to know.

13:04
Grid rundown at lap 36:

1	Lewis Hamilton	44	Mercedes	current lap 36
2	Valtteri Bottas	77	Mercedes	+6.836
3	Max Verstappen	33	Red Bull	+7.832
4	Sebastian Vettel	5	Ferrari	+30.916
5	Kimi Raikkonen	7	Alfa Romeo	+36.582
6	Sergio Perez	11	Racing Point	+42.842
7	Daniel Ricciardo	3	Renault	+48.902
8	Charles Leclerc	16	Ferrari	+51.267
9	Alexander Albon	23	Red Bull	+53.286
10	Daniil Kvyat	26	AlphaTauri	+56.322
11	Carlos Sainz Jnr	55	McLaren	+58.050
12	Lando Norris	4	McLaren	+1:00.407
13	George Russell	63	Williams	+1:03.965
14	Antonio Giovinazzi	99	Alfa Romeo	+1:07.508
15	Nicholas Latifi	6	Williams	+1:09.187
16	Romain Grosjean	8	Haas	+1:10.946
17	Kevin Magnussen	20	Haas	+1 lap
18	Lance Stroll	18	Racing Point	+1 lap
not classified	Esteban Ocon	31	Renault	did not finish completed 29 laps
not classified	Pierre Gasly	10	AlphaTauri	did not finish completed 9 laps

12:56
VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR:
Hamilton gets what he needed, pits, and keeps the lead as he exits the pits.
I’m not gonna say i called it a few laps ago, but i called it 😀

12:55
Ocon pulls off the track, Mercedes is on alert incase a Virtual Safety car or a full safety car.

12:52
Poor Magnussen, swallowed up by Ricciardo, Leclerc and Albon, but you have to say, stellar racecraft by everyone around the tight track

12:49
Hamilton ignores the pit and blasts bast on the pit-straight.
The radio comes on asking if he can extend by 10 more laps.
One stopping to Bottas and Verstappen’s two stops? or just a pace advantage and using Bottas as a moving speed bump?

12:48
Red Bull say Bottas is holding them up, but the Max says his battery is charging too slowly.

12:45
Bottas has floor damage we hear over the radio, and he has a safe gap after pitting of 2.5 to Hamilton.

12:42
He wasn’t lying, he pumps in a fastest lap, if a safety car comes out now, he’s sitting pretty.

12:40
And Max is in the pits, Mercedes stay out, What does Hamilton have to say about that?
“I’m going to go faster, don’t stop me”

12:36
They all start pouring into the pit-lane now, and on his 2nd lap on fresh tyres Leclerc has to bail out after nearly steaming into the gearbox of Dani Ric.
Charles will hope he doesn’t have to keep these tyres for the rest of the race as that will have a horrible flat spot now.

12:35
Leclerc, Norris, Ocon all pit, seems early, but passing is near impossible here.

12:30
The front three have gone.
Three seconds seperate them, but after 11 laps, there is a gap of 13 seconds back to 4th placed man Ricciardo from 3rd placed Hamilton.

12:26
Heartbreak for 5th placed Gasly as the call comes over the radio to pit and retire the car.
He was running comfortably in 5th and had his season-best grid start in 4th too.
Gut punch.

12:22
Good news for Mercedes fans, as as it stands, they will wrap up the constructors championship today, and good news for neutrals too, as Hamiltons position in 3rd and within DRS of Verstappen should throw some great racing up today.

12:17
Magnussen is at the back of the pack after facing the wrong way after a tag from Vettel, Stroll pits for a new wing too.

12:15
And we’re off.
Bottas gets a great start, as well as Max Verstappen who squeezes out Hamilton and the championship leader is down to 3rd

12:10
Can Bottas beat the best? Statistically speaking of course.
Can Mercedes wrap up their record 7th title in a row?
Will the spirit of the late great Senna inspire a fantastic day of racing or will the track stiffle overtaking with it’s narrow nature?

We’re about to find out.