Lewis Hamilton Wins 93rd Career F1 Race As Mercedes Smash Ferrari’s Record In Imola – Race Report

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton had predicted a boring race at the historic Imola track. However, if you take out the obvious podium finishers, the midfield battle was anything but uninteresting for the viewers.

The first lap was largely uneventful, with most drivers maintaining their places. However, the highlight of the start was seeing Max Verstappen charge down the left and overtake Hamilton.

Up until 10 laps, the midfield from P4 to P10 was separated by just about 3 seconds. Albon and Leclerc were a fascinating matchup to watch, which the Ferrari driver just about edged.

Mercedes sealed the Constructors’ title with 1-2 finishes

The most interesting thing was seeing Bottas and Hamilton work as a team in the race. Patiently building the time gap and weaving into the track; the priority on the day were podium finishes.

Lewis Hamilton, of course, went on to win his 93rd career race, in what was largely a straightforward GP for him in the end.

There was a moment of concern for Bottas, however, who was suffering from floor damage in his car. It was eventually comfortable in the end, with Verstappen involved in a massive tire blowout incident with his car.

However, needing only 11 points to win the title, the drivers made sure they saw out the race. It was a day of joy for Mercedes, as they secured a seventh straight Constructors’ title.

Misfortune for Gasly and complete joy for Ricciardo

It was a race to forget for Pierre Gasly and AlphaTauri, as a terminal issue with his car forced a retirement. Carrying through with excellent momentum from Saturday, the Frenchman started P4 alongside his former teammate Verstappen.

Sadly, after some time invested into the race, Gasly received the news over his team radio. As a result, saw his amazing race weekend ended abruptly.

Elsewhere, it was sheer happiness for Renault and Daniel Ricciardo. Although the events ahead of him impacted his podium finish, the Australian drove bravely to finish P3. In doing so, he claimed his second podium with Renault.

Overall, it was a very exciting race for the F1 neutral to watch. However, the plaudits on the day all belonged to Mercedes, who surpassed Ferrari’s previous milestone of possessing six titles. Now, they have an unprecedented record of seven consecutive Constructors’ titles.