IMOLA, Italy – Lewis Hamilton rolled to his 93rd Formula One victory on Sunday at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, helping Mercedes to claim its seventh-straight constructors championship.
Initially it appeared Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was going the way of Valtteri Bottas, who started from the pole and moved into the lead at the start.
The first of the leaders to pit was Max Verstappen on lap 19, who moved around Hamilton at the start to take second. Bottas followed a lap later, allowing Hamilton to go from third to first as he stayed on track.
As Hamilton attempted to build on his gap to Bottas, it was revealed that Bottas had struck debris on the track and his car was damaged. The resulting damage hindered his performance, giving Hamilton an advantage over his Mercedes teammate.
Hamilton caught a break just past lap 30 when the virtual safety car briefly slowed the field, allowing him to pit for fresh tires and rejoin the pack ahead of Bottas. He would lead the remainder of the race from there, but it wasn’t without a bit of drama late in the race.
With Hamilton well ahead, Verstappen was able to slip around Bottas to steal second away on lap 43. However, less than 10 laps later, a tire failed on Verstappen’s Red Bull heading into turn five and his car was sent careening through a gravel trap.
The incident resulted in a safety car period, allowing Bottas and several other drivers to pit for fresh rubber. During the safety car period George Russell, who was in position to score his first points for Williams, made a mistake while warming up his tires and crashed out of the race.
When the race resumed Hamilton quickly got away from Bottas, who despite having fresh tires was unable to keep up with his teammate. It would be discovered after the race that a large piece of debris had become stuck under Bottas’ car during the race, hindering his ability to keep up with Hamilton.
Hamilton, meanwhile, claimed his record extending 93rd Formula One victory. With Bottas finishing second, Mercedes was able to easily claim its seventh-straight constructors championship. Mercedes is the first team to win seven consecutive constructors’ championships in Formula One history.
“It was an exhausting race,” said Hamilton. “It’s just very overwhelming right now. I look at my crew, I know all the men and women back at the factory back in Brackley and Brixworth…they’re the unsung heroes. They’re the ones that have really grafted away, never given up, just continued to push and elevate and innovate.
“People watching might maybe think we’re used to this, but it always feels like the first with this team and I think that’s because of the spirit. I’m forever, forever grateful to everyone to be a part of it.”
Daniel Ricciardo stayed on track during the late safety car period, which moved him up to third when Sergio Perez pitted in front of him for fresh tires. Ricciardo was able to fend off a challenge from Daniil Kvyat to take his second podium in three races for Renault.
Kvyat settled for fourth aboard his AlphaTauri, followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in fifth. Perez, Carlos Sainz Jr., Lando Norris, Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi completed the top-10.