The inaugural 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello began with chaos but eventually settled in to the familiar Mercedes 1-2 snoozefest that has become the standard result for the unique 2020 Formula One season. Six-time defending world champion Lewis Hamilton took home the top podium spot followed by his teammate, Valtteri Bottas, and Red Bull’s Alexander Albon claimed the third and final podium position.
The race began ominously as Hamilton sat on the pole position but Bottas beat him to the first corner to briefly take the lead as, only seconds later, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly were both knocked out of the race in a crash that involved several cars, most of which were damaged but able to continue.
The race ran the next seven laps under the yellow flag while debris was being cleared from the track, but on the ensuing restart, Bottas was running slow and attempting to hold up Hamilton at the front of the pack but the tactic was unseen at the rear of the pack and the resulting accordion effect created a massive crash that eliminated four cars – Carlos Sainz, Jr., Kevin Magnussen, Antonio Giovinazzi and Nicholas Latifi – from the crash and Esteban Ocon in the pits with a brake duct problem.
The race was red-flagged as the debris was cleared off the track and on the ensuing standing start, Hamilton resumed the lead and held it until the race end – through yet another red flag event on Lap 44 when Racing Point’s Lance Stroll crashed out. Only 12 cars finished the race.
With the victory, Hamilton maintains his stranglehold on the driver’s standings with 190 points to 135 for Bottas and 110 for Verstappen.
2020 Tuscan Grand Prix Top 10
1] Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
2] Valtteri Bottas Mercedes
3] A.lexander Albon Red Bull
4] Daniel Ricciardo Renault
5] Sergio Pérez Racing Point
6] Lando Norris McLaren
7] Daniil Kvyat AlphaTauri
8] Charles Leclerc Ferrari
9] Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo
10] Sebastian Vettel Ferrari
