Formula 1 Eifel Grand Prix - As it happened
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Updated 11/10/2020 at 14:03 GMT
Join us for live text commentary on the Formula 1 Eifel Grand Prix, as Lewis Hamilton goes for the 91st race win which would draw him level with Michael Schumacher. However, it's Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas on pole for the race at the Nurburgring.
Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton competes during the qualifying session at the Nuerburgring circuit in Nuerburg
Image credit: Getty Images
Hamilton wins the Eifel GP!
Hamilton equals Schumacher's long-standing record of 91 race victories and it was another comfortable afternoon for the world champion! Ricciardo claims his first podium finish since 2018 and his first since moving to Renault! Verstappen snatches the bonus point for the fastest lap!
60/60 - Last lap!
Hamilton has this one in the bag and barring disaster it seems Ricciardo also has the podium finish in the bag! Hulkenberg also on course for a very respectable eighth place finish.
58/60 - Danny Ric podium incoming?
A few laps ago, it seemed Ricciardo had a real fight on his hands to keep Perez at bay, but he appears to have done the job. Just a couple laps between the Australian and his first podium finish as a Renault driver. It has been coming in recent races!
57/60 - Twitchy Hamilton!
There are a few nervous engineers on the Mercedes pit wall. Verstappen has found some real pace and is starting to close the gap on Hamilton. The difference is now down to just over two seconds when it was five seconds not so long ago, but the race leader probably has just enough in the tank. Just three laps left.
55/60 - Vettel into P11!
Vettel takes the place from Magnussen way off the race track. The Haas believes that was pretty rude from the former world champion, but Vettel kept the racing line and took the position cleanly. Can Vettel make it into the points?
54/60 - Grosjean in points!
It should be noted that Grosjean is up into P9 and that would be a fantastic performance for the Haas driver. Giovinazzi is still in play for that position, though. All eyes on the podium fight, though.
53/60 - As things stand
Seven laps to go, here's how the race order stand... 1) Hamilton 2) Verstappen 3) Ricciardo 4) Perez 5) Sainz 6) Gasly 7) Leclerc 8) Hulkenberg 9) Grosjean 10) Giovinazzi 11) Magnussen 12) Vettel 13) Raikkonen 14) Latifi 15) Kvyat
51/60 - New lap record!
Hamilton is really pushing things now that he has clean air ahead of him and no traffic to get in his way. The world championship leader sets a new lap record and Verstappen has opened up a five-second gap on Ricciardo in P2 as well.
50/60 - Podium battle!
Hamilton has enjoyed a good restart and has a lead of nearly two seconds after one lap. The real scrap appears to be between Ricciardo and Perez for the final podium place. The former hasn't finished on the podium as a Renault driver while the latter hasn't been in the top three since 2018.
49/60 - Game on!
We are racing again! Hamilton has got away well after the safety car comes in. Ricciardo looked to have got past Verstappen, but the Red Bull does well to regain the position coming out of turn two.
47/60 - Slow safety car
Both Hamilton and Verstappen are both complaining the safety car is going far too slow. They are concerned that the tyres are cooling far too quickly. Hamilton says it's not safe and is pulling alongside the safety car to give the hint that this is too slow a pace.
46/60 - Safety car deployed!
Oh boy! It's not just a virtual safety car, it's a full safety car and that could be huge for the final 14 laps of this race. Hamilton and Verstappen are both into the pits for soft tyres.
45/60 - Norris DNF!
Norris is out! The McLaren driver has been the team radio a lot this afternoon. He looked to be a good position for a podium finish, but has suffered power unit issues and now his race is over. That's such a shame. Might that prompt a virtual safety car for a few laps while they move that McLaren?
42/60 - Hulkenberg P9!
Indeed, Hulkenberg is looking very good for some championship points. He passes Vettel with ease as the two cars head down the straight into turn one. The Mercedes engine is just so much more powerful than the Ferrari this season. That was easy for Hulkenberg.
41/60 - Hulkenberg wide!
It's all happening at turn one at the moment, with Hulkenberg going wide as he passes Raikkonen. He takes the position, though, and is up into P10. That would be a point for the man who was at home drinking coffee yesterday morning when he got the call from Racing Point!
40/60 - Leclerc past Vettel
Ferrari pit Leclerc, he comes out behind his teammate, but it doesn't take long for the youngster to pass Vettel and move back up into P7. That was pretty close between the two as Leclerc passed down into turn one. Vettel just can't wait for this season to end. He'll be at Racing Point next year, of course.
38/60 - Perez position
So as things stand Perez is sitting about 15 seconds back from Ricciardo and his tyres are 12 laps fresher. The Mexican is only gaining a few tenths per lap on the Australian, though. Ricciardo is among the best at managing tyres. How big a factor will that be?
37/60 - Ricciardo podium?
Ricciardo has yet to finish in the podium positions since making the move to Renault from Red Bull, but is today the day the Australian breaks his duck? He's currently running P3 and is looking good, although he will be concerned by how Perez has managed to make his way up through the pack to P4.
34/60 - Update on Albon
It turns out Albon also suffered a power unit issue. That's five different drivers who have suffered this same issue this afternoon. What is going on?
33/60 - Hamilton out of sight
Hamilton currently has a six-second led at the head of the pack and there isn't any sense that the world championship leader is about to be caught any time soon. Verstappen needs a safety car or some rain to close the gap on the Mercedes.
31/60 - McLarens into the pits!
In come Norris and Sainz. The former is still having issues with his power unit. He's been told to use a certain default setting but he says "it's not doing anything." He's frustrated because this could have been a podium finish for Norris. He was in a good position.
29/60 - Reliability issues!
This isn't usually a track that breaks cars, so to speak, but we are seeing a lot of reliability issues this afternoon. Is that due to the lack of practice time? Engineers and mechanics haven't had as much time to fine tune the cars for the race.
26/60 - Norris problem!
Norris losing power! Just as the McLaren looked to be in a good position for a podium finish, Norris has a problem with a sensor. The engineers are running through a number of remote settings to try and find a solution, but it doesn't seem to be addressing anything.
25/60 - Albon DNF!
That was a bit of a strange one. Albon was pulled into the pits, it seemed that he was serving his five-second time penalty, but no. Red Bull have decided to retire him. What was the issue there? We'll learn more.
24/60 - Time penalty!
The stewards have made a decision! Albon has been handed a five-second time penalty for the lunge on Kvyat which resulted in the AlphaTauri losing its front wing. The young Thai driver is currently running in P10, so this could cost him points.
23/60 - Ocon DNF!
A third driver out of this race! "I lost something, I don’t have braking. The gears are not working guys," says Ocon over the team radio and Renault have pulled him into the pits to retire him.
20/60 - Bottas DNF!
Bottas' race is over! This is an afternoon Bottas will want to forget quickly. He qualified on pole, started the race well, but it's all gone so badly wrong. Mercedes have no choice but to retire his car.
19/60 - Bottas losing power!
It goes from bad to worse! Bottas has an issue with his power unit and he is sinking like a stone. Verstappen, Norris, Perez and Ocon all get past the Finn. Might this be it for his race? Are Mercedes able to recover this situation?
18/60 - Collission!
Albon into Kvyat! The Red Bull looked to be past the AlphaTauri, but Albon pulled into the racing line when he wasn't entirely past Kvyat and the Russian has lost his front wing! Oh dear! Might Albon get a penalty for that?
17/60 - Virtual safety car!
The stewards need some time to clear Russell's stricken Williams off the track and so we are behind the virtual safety car for a couple laps.
14/60 - Russell puncture!
Raikkonen into Russell! "What happened there? I gave him plenty of space," Russell says on the Williams team radio and he does have a point. Russell's race is over after the puncture, but there might also be some damage to his suspension.
13/60 - Hamilton into the lead!
Bottas lock-up! Hamilton makes the most of a Bottas lock-up and he passes his teamate! What happened there? Did Bottas just misjudge his braking? Or was there a mechanical fault that caused the lock-up?
12/60 - Vettel spin!
Vettel spins into turn one! That's a big moment for the former world champion as he spins into turn one. Thankfully, there is a lot of concrete run off there and he is able to continue his race, but down in P13. He lost the car as he was lining up the overtake on Giovinazzi.
11/60 - Box, box!
It's pitting time! The impending rain shower has prompted a series of pit stops from a number of different drivers and teams. Albon, Raikkonen, Leclerc, Russell, Vettel...
10/60 - Lando unhappy!
"Stop talking, man. I'm racing," Norris complains over the team radio. The McLaren driver was in a bit of a scrap with Perez at the time of that message. Might have been timed a bit better...
9/60 - Ricciardo is past!
Ricciardo into P4! Great move from the Australian! He went around the outside of Leclerc and takes fourth position! That is huge for Ricciardo's race! He is now through and can close up the gap on Verstappen in P3. Is this the day Ricciardo finishes on the podium for the first time as a Renault driver?
8/60 - Rain coming?
Sainz has been informed over the McLaren team radio that a rain shower is coming in about five minutes' time. Bring it on! That's just what we need to shake this race up!
7/60 - Broken finger?
Grosjean has been on the team radio to complain that some gravel from the back of Raikkonen struck him and he's concerned that he has broken his finger!
6/60 - Leclerc still ahead!
Ricciardo is all over the back of Leclerc, and it seemed the Renault was destined to pass the Ferrari after it ran very wide. But Leclerc put his car in the right position and Ricciardo STILL can't get past. Now Albon is getting closer to the Renault in P5 and this could get interesting.
5/60 - Ricciardo on Leclerc!
Leclerc did brilliantly to qualify fourth yesterday, but the Ferrari is the cork in the bottle here. Ricciardo knows he needs to get past Leclerc. He has the straightline pace to catch the front three, but the Ferrari is in his way right now and despite some late braking the Renault can't find a way past.
4/60 - Scrap!
Bottas has won two races so far this season, including last time out at the Russian GP, but we have yet to see a straight fight between the Finn and Hamilton. Is today the day that happens?
2/60 - Bottas lead
Bottas has a lead of a second-and-a-half on his teammate and that will be very pleasing for the Finn. He really needs a race victory here to stand any chance of keeping his title chances alive. Hulkenberg is up to 17th from 20th!
1/60 - Lights out!
Bottas still ahead! Hamilton and Bottas both went wide on the first corner, but nobody behind them could take advantage and it's the Finn who keeps his position at the front of the pack. Hamilton made the better start, but Bottas has survived and is now building a lead!
13:10 - Formation lap!
Okay, here we go. The drivers have started their formation lap. Is today the day Hamilton equal's Schumacher's long-standing record of 90 race victories, the record nobody thought would ever be matched?
13:05 - Last minute preparations
Not long until lights out now. This is an exciting top four. Can Bottas claim the victory to really get his title challenge back on track? What about Verstappen? He's starting on the clean side of the grid and the Mercedes are fearful the Dutchman has the pace on them. This could be very interesting.
13:00 - Hamilton issue?
Sounds like Hamilton has called in a problem with his steering wheel. This was an issue for the defending world champion yesterday and it doesn't seem to have been resolved overnight. This is where the lack of practice time might be felt. Team engineers simply haven't had as much time to fine tune their cars before the race.
12:55 - Anthem time!
The drivers are lined up on the track for the national anthem and for F1's 'End Racism' campaign. Once again, some drivers take the knee and others don't. F1 just hasn't been able to get away from these mixed messages. It's not a good look for the sport.
12:50 - Full grid
20 minutes until lights out at the the Nürburgring, so let's run through the grid... 1) Bottas 2) Hamilton 3) Verstappen 4) Leclerc 5) Albon 6) Ricciardo 7) Ocon 8) Norris 9) Perez 10) Sainz 11) Vettel 12) Gasly 13) Kvyat 14) Giovinazzi 15) Magnussen 16) Grosjean 17) Russell 18) Latifi 19) Raikkonen 20) Hulkenberg
12:45 - Cold and rainy!
Friday practice was cancelled entirely due to bad weather and it looks cold once again at the Nürburgring. This isn't a track F1 has been at for a good number of years, but it is one of the most famous tracks in motorsport. This has the potential to be a classic race.
12:40 - Bottas title charge?
It's fair to say Hamilton looks to have the driver's championship in the bag, but Bottas won the Russian Grand Prix last time out and he's on pole for this one. The Finn has found some strong form. A race victory this weekend would at least make things a bit interesting.
12:35 - Big day for Nico!
Lance Stroll took ill on Friday and so Nico Hulkenberg is in the Racing Point car this weekend. He was conviently doing some TV punditry work in nearby Cologne. Of course, Hulkenberg stood in for Sergio Perez earlier this season due to a positive Covid-19 test and so it's a car he knows a little bit, but this is still a big ask for him.
12:30 - It's race day!
Good afternoon and welcome to Eurosport's LIVE coverage of the Eifel Grand Prix! We'll bring you all the action as it happens at the Nürburgring.
Of course, the big storyline this weekend is Lewis Hamilton's pursuit of Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 91 race victories. Hamilton is on 90, so he can equal it today, but he's behind his teammate Valtteri Bottas on the front row.
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