Last night (5/7) at Hanoi time, the 2020 F1 season kicked off in Austria, almost 5 months behind the original schedule due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The anticipation of the fans over the past 5 months was finally fulfilled with an exciting and captivating first race in Austria. The first position was held throughout the 71 laps, but the rest of the race was a fierce competition. Only 11 out of the 20 drivers managed to complete the 71 laps of the Red Bull Ring track.
Valtteri Bottas took advantage of his starting position and maintained his lead for all 71 laps, securing the first place. At certain points, the two Mercedes drivers, Bottas and Hamilton, were over 10 seconds ahead of the driver in third place. However, the safety car’s frequent appearances helped the drivers in the midfield to close the gap.
The tension escalated in lap 61 when Hamilton and Albon collided. In an overtaking attempt by Albon, Hamilton seemed impatient as he entered the corner and cut across Albon’s path, causing the Thai driver’s car to spin and retire. As a result of this mistake, the race stewards penalized the reigning world champion with a 5-second penalty.
Despite the collision and Hamilton’s penalty, the determination in the race was taken to another level. Taking advantage of the chaos in the front pack, Ferrari’s young driver, Charles Leclerc, steadily increased his speed and climbed to the third position, closely chasing the two Mercedes drivers. With Hamilton receiving a 5-second penalty and a significant gap to Bottas, Leclerc managed to maintain a safe distance and secure the second position overall.
The biggest surprise of the race was the performance of the McLaren drivers, particularly Lando Norris. The 20-year-old McLaren driver impressed in the qualifying session and secured the 4th starting position. He maintained his composure throughout the race and made a spectacular breakthrough in the final laps. In the 71st lap, Norris utilized his skills to achieve the fastest lap while also closing the gap to Hamilton to less than 5 seconds, securing the 3rd position overall due to Hamilton’s penalty for the collision with Albon.
Carlos Sainz, also from McLaren, had an impressive debut, finishing 5th overall after Hamilton. The other Ferrari driver, Vettel, only managed to finish in 10th position, earning 1 point for Ferrari. It was a forgettable race for Aston Martin, as both drivers had to retire due to engine problems and collisions, leaving them empty-handed on the opening day.
At the end of stage 1, Mercedes leads the race with a total of 37 points, McLaren ranks 2nd with 26 points, while Ferrari has 19 points after stage 1. The second race of the F1 2020 season will still be held at the Red Bull Ring this weekend, promising an equally thrilling race as the first stage.
Mercedes Dominates Stage 2 of F1 2020
Mercedes’ two drivers claimed the top two positions at the second race of the F1 2020, while the Ferrari drivers collided in the very first lap and were forced to retire early from the race.
Exciting Start to F1 2020 Season in Austria
The F1 2020 season started off with a thrilling race in Austria, where Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes emerged as the winner after 71 intense laps at the Red Bull Ring circuit.
Mercedes Dominates Stage 2 of F1 2020
Mercedes’ drivers dominated the second race of the F1 2020, securing the first and second positions. In a disappointing turn of events, the Ferrari drivers crashed into each other on the opening lap, resulting in their early retirement from the race.
