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We are running out of superlatives to describe Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes driver who is reaching another level with a superb record towards victory in the Portuguese Grand Prix. But that was just one of several standout performances. We select the winners and losers of Portimao.
RACE HIGHLIGHTS: Watch all the action as Hamilton achieves a record 92 victory at the Portuguese GP
Winner: Lewis Hamilton
The first lap was not in the style of Lewis Hamilton, but his performance thereafter certainly was, the reigning world champion biding his time and delivering a masterclass in tire handling to regain the lead and secure a record win. 92 in F1, which is the same tally as Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna combined.
READ MORE: ‘He deserves all the wins he’s had’ – Vettel reveals he texted Hamilton ahead of record win
The Mercedes driver now holds the all-time records for most wins, podiums, points, races led and poles, while the victory came at the 28th different circuit in his F1 career, improving on his own record.
And then there’s his consistency, which has been the foundation of his recent dominance streak, the Brit extended his scoring streak to 45 in a row. For context, no other driver has scored in more than 27 consecutive races.
92 times Hamilton climbed to the top step of the podium
Loser: Valtteri Bottas
Make no mistake, Valtteri Bottas is a fast rider, and if Hamilton weren’t his teammate, his performances have been good enough this year to lead the championship. However, Hamilton is there and right now he is proving to be unbeatable.
READ MORE: ‘I had no rhythm’ – Bottas was taken aback by lack of performance at Portimao
Even when Bottas got ahead of Hamilton at the start, his tire handling was inferior and he simply had no response to the surprising pace of the six-time world champion.
He is now behind Hamilton by 77 points, more than three race wins, with just five Grands Prix remaining. Mathematically, it is still possible to win the title, but the reality is that your hopes are gone for another year.
Winner: Charles Leclerc
On Friday, Charles Leclerc said he reckoned he’s driving better than ever, even if the results aren’t as stellar as last year, and it’s hard to disagree with him. The Monegasque is getting results and beating his Ferrari with ruthless consistency. It is a hallmark of a future world champion.
READ MORE: Ross Brawn’s Column – Why Leclerc Reminds Me of Hamilton and Schumacher
In Portugal, he was at his best, qualifying fourth, then finishing fourth, with the pace to avoid being given a lap. This was his fourth top-four finish this season, but arguably his best in terms of sheer performance. He’s very much into the fight for fourth place in the drivers’ championship, which would be an amazing achievement.
Loser: Lance Stroll
These have not been a good few weeks for Lance Stroll. The Canadian missed the Eifel Grand Prix with what turned out to be Covid-19 and, although he tested negative and competed in Portugal, he did not keep up with his Racing Point teammate Sergio Pérez.
READ MORE: Norris Says Stroll ‘Doesn’t Appear To Learn’ After Portugal GP Collision
He collided with Max Verstappen in Friday’s practice at Turn 1 and then wrongly turned over Lando Norris in the same race turn, throwing him into the gravel and causing damage that ultimately ended his race.
Now he has failed to score in four consecutive races, he is 17 points behind Perez and he is not making the most of what is the third fastest car on the grid.
2020 Portuguese Grand Prix: Stroll and Norris collide at Turn 1
Winner: Pierre Gasly
Pierre Gasly is in the shape of his life, the Frenchman’s miserable time at Red Bull feels like a problem that was a lifetime ago. His driving in Portugal was exceptional, finding an astonishing pace on the soft tire to finish in a magnificent fifth, his second best result of the year.
It was his second consecutive top-six result, bringing his total to 63 points after 12 races with AlphaTauri, which is the same as he scored in his first 12 races with Red Bull, after which he was demoted.
He’s also just one point behind his replacement Alex Albon in the drivers’ championship.
Loser: Lando Norris
Lando Norris needs luck.
The McLaren driver spent much of the season in fourth place in the drivers’ championship, and deservedly so. But now he’s on a three-race streak without a point, his run ruined by Stroll spinning towards him with a headlong move into Turn 1.
He is now in seventh position in the drivers’ championship, 15 adrift Daniel Ricciardo in fourth place by just six ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz.
Winner: Carlos Sainz
A wet and slippery surface, requiring exquisite control of the car, are tailor-made conditions for the Sainz family and in the way rally legend Carlos Sainz Sr. danced his machine around a stage, his son seized his opportunity with a tire temperature advantage to snatch the lead. In Portugal.
READ MORE: Sainz credits rally driving mentality with giving him a head start at the Portuguese GP
He had the pleasure of passing not one but two Mercedes, in addition to his old teammate Verstappen, and enjoyed a handful of laps in the sun before his rivals warmed up their tires and used their far superior pace to get back on track. in front of.
The sixth was a good result – his first consecutive result in points since the initial triple header, and suddenly a top-five result in the drivers’ standings doesn’t seem so unlikely after all.
Loser: Alex Albon
Red Bull boss Christian Horner challenged Alex Albon to “claim” his seat for 2021 in the next two races, in Portugal and Imola, and unfortunately, the Thai driver struggled to deliver an emphatic result.
READ MORE: ‘It was like Kimi was on a different track!’ – Albon laments a bad start and plummets to 12th
When his teammate Verstappen scored his ninth podium of the season, Albon couldn’t do better than twelfth and is now just one point ahead of Gasly, the driver he replaced, in the drivers’ championship.
He desperately needs a stronger qualifying to make life easier for him in the race.
Winner: Kimi Raikkonen
Kimi Raikkonen’s first lap in Portugal was so fast that he “wondered what the others were doing” as he won 10 incredible places to get to sixth.
The Finn fainted courtesy of a lack of pace in his Alfa Romeo, but used every ounce of his experience and fighting spirit to nearly snatch a point from him, before his friend and former teammate Sebastian Vettel snatched it from him when he died. .
READ MORE: Raikkonen ‘wondered what others were doing’ during hypnotic onset in Portugal
Nonetheless, Raikkonen proved that he still has what it takes to compete in F1, and it is great news that he is ready to extend his stay for at least one more year with Alfa Romeo.
2020 Portuguese Grand Prix: Raikkonen wins 10 places with an incredible start
Loser: Daniil Kvyat
Daniil Kvyat’s purple spot at the Italian and Russian Grand Prix seems like it was a long time ago, the Russian following a lack of scoring in Germany with another in Portugal.
He couldn’t explain the lack of pace and it comes at the wrong time, as Red Bull looks to finalize its lineups in the senior team and AlphaTauri by 2021.
Winner: Max Verstappen
Every race that Max Verstappen has finished this year (nine of 12), he has finished on the podium, the Red Bull driver has finished in a comfortable third place in Portugal.
He didn’t have the pace to challenge Mercedes for victory, a threat that was lessened by the fact that he started in the soft rather than the middle, but it is clear in Verstappen’s hands, Red Bull is closing the gap with the Silver Arrows. .
And at 17 points behind Bottas, the chance of second in the drivers’ championship is still a very real possibility, which would be an achievement.
READ MORE: Verstappen says Hamilton won the record ‘pushing me to go to 40’
