After waking up from our slumber, we continue our series of F1 race catch ups with the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix Result Review.
To the surprise of very few, the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix was another underwhelming experience, at a track where we presume Coronavirus couldn’t be bothered getting to.
Lewis Hamilton enjoyed another win, and the size of this one is a concern for the rest of the field, even with the “party mode” engine de-tuning from the next race.
With Ferrari dudding it up, the number two drivers not being quite as good as the numbers one in the big team (and when is a number two better than a number one?) our only hope for some competition up the front is Max Verstappen.
In the big review, we include a quick summary of the on track action, rate the race and we also work out who the best and worst of the race was, so we can assign points to our overall 2020 Driver of the year.
2020 Spanish Grand Prix Result – THE LAPS THAT MATTERED
Didn’t see the race live? Don’t have time to watch the whole race? Well here are the top ten laps where stuff happened. Normally it is five, so you know it was a good race if there’s ten.
Lap 1 – Valtteri Bottas was the big loser at the start, dropping from 2nd to 4th. Winners were Max Versatappen (3rd to 2nd) and Lance Stroll (5th to 3rd), Gasly (10th to 8th). By the end of lap 3 Hamilton is 1.4 seconds ahead of Verstappen who was about two seconds ahead of Stroll in third.
ORDER: HAM, VER, STR, BOT, PER, ALB, SAI, GAS, LEC, NOR
Lap 5 – Bottas overtakes Lance Stroll for third
Lap 10 – And nothing more has really happened. Not even a sneaky, bet paying first retirement. It’s at this stage you thanks the good lord that they didn’t double up on this circuit.
ORDER: HAM, VER, BOT, STR,, PER, ALB, SAI, GAS, LEC, NOR
Lap 14 – Yep, the TV cameras are focusing on the best battle of the race – Vettel v Kvyat for 11th. Wonder if the rumours of an early exit for the German will be using this as the final lever for the catapult out of F1.
Lap 18 – Alex Albon makes the first pitstop for tyres. He drops from 6th to 16th. Ouch.
Lap 20 – Ocon overtakes Kimi Raikkonen for 14th. Albon also gets ahead of the Finn. There is some interesting radio to pit comms from Max Verstappen. Max is complaining about losing time to Lewis Hamilton. Which is true, he is now 10 seconds behind.
Lap 22 – Max Verstappen pits, the Red Bull mechanics doing it quicker than one could scratch themselves. He only loses 2nd place to Bottas.
Lap 24 – Lewis Hamilton pits among others. Lewis keeps his first position. Bottas loses out to Verstappen for 2nd. Despite this development, Max is still getting angry on his radio. Good stuff.
Lap 28 – In car footage from Alex Albon, you notice that there are only a handful of sponsors spread across the whole track, making it look one of those old Hanna-Barbera cartoons. First of all the mind wonders to missing the localised sponsors like Tio Pepe Sherry back in the 1980’s races at Jerez, and a myriad of sponsors at any Italian race. Secondly, if this is Hanna-Barbera F1, is Valtteri Bottas the Barney Rubble of Formula One?
Lap 30 – The midfield pitstops reach a peak, and there’s some brief excitement as they rejoin. Daniel Ricciardo has not yet pit, and is lying 4th. Providing hope for Australian fans that they haven’t wasted their post-midnight sleep time for nothing.
Lap 32 – Lance Stroll overtakes Perez for 5th. Talk of rain in commentary. Wishful thinking, but you’ll take anything at this point. Those clouds do look dark.
ORDER: HAM, VER, BOT, RIC, STR, PER, SAI, OCO, ALB, GAS.
Lap 34-35 – A buffet of midfield racing between Gasly, Ocon, Norris, Leclerc.
Lap 38 – Leclerc facing the wrong way at the final chicane. Looks like engine froze and locked wheels ending in a spin. No safety car though, he gets going again in last palce.
Lap 42 – 45 – Front runners start to pit for a second time. TV producers continue to tease the local weather radar.
Lap 49 – Bottas pits, rejoins just behind Max Verstappen. Max pitted on lap 41 for context.
Lap 51 – Lewis Hamilton pits. Exits still in first place.
Lap 55 – This bloody rain ain’t coming is it?
Lap 66 – May or may not have had a nap towards the end, who could blame the loyal Australian fans having to put up with these races kicking off at 11:05pm. For all the excess shouting of David Croft it is still hard to stay awake some races. Oh, Lewis Hamilton wins from Verstappen, Bottas, and a lap to his pink teammates and beyond.
2020 Spanish Grand Prix – RACE RATING
We rate the 2020 British F1 Grand Prix so we know which races to go back and watch in the off season.
SEASON IMPORTANCE – 8/10
Not that the race was very important, but the change to remove “party mode” engone settings for qualifying could have some real ramifications for the rest of the season. On the surface it looks like anti-Mercedes equalisation, but we will see. But in race trim, Lewis Hamilton lapped the Racing Point of Lance Stroll with 11 laps to go.
And, as shithouse as the racing usually is at Barcelona, it usually provides the very best look at the genuine pace of each car for the 2020 season.
The end result is scary if Lewis Hamilton finishes as far ahead as he did.
ON TRACK ACTION – 2/10
It is the Spanish GP after all, what could you expect? Well there was some decent stuff in the midfield, and a little bit of strategy at the front. but it was still dull.
ENDING 2 / 10
After waking up from a very late race powernap, we can assure those who missed the race, that they in fact didn’t miss the race.
OVERALL RATING 12 / 30
Second race syndrome. The downside of two races in consecutive weekends at the same track. At least there was a non Mercedes win.
RACE RATINGS SO FAR
Austrian Grand Prix – 28/30
Styrian Grand Prix – 23/30
Hungarian Grand Prix – 15/30
70th Anniversary Grand Prix – 15/30
2020 Spanish Grand Prix Result – Great & Grape
Here we go through the field and highlight the three drivers we think deserve a little extra love, and one driver whose had the grapest weekend of all.
These points get added to our Driver of the Season. 3-2-1 for the Great and minus one point for the Grapest races.
It used to be called the good, bad and ugly, but everyone is using that now. And who doesn’t like grapes.
THE GREAT – 1. Lewis Hamilton
Imperious is one way you could describe Lewis Hamilton, one of the best of all time? Certainly the best this season. He may have the best car, but he’s certainly doing plenty with it.
THE GREAT – 2. Max Verstappen
Trying as hard as can to make the 2020 season interesting. Although he is slowing destroying the Red Bull stairway of talent by his dominant display, he is the best chance for a title race. Especially away from a track like Barcelona.
THE GREAT – 3. Sebastian Vettel
We’ve been hard on Seb Vettel this season. and that’s mainly because his Ferrari sucks, and he’s driven poorly. But his drive on old tyres to hang on for seventh place was a decent effort. And a point of interest late in the race.
THE GRAPE – 1. Rmoain Grosjean
For his dangerous moves when Kimi Raikkonen closed in on him during the race. One can only imagine how someone with such poor driving manners can be head of the Driver’s Association.
DIS-HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Valterri Bottas – Sunday was an event of such underwhelming performance it warranted a minus.
Alex Albon – Heading into Gasly territory. Perhaps Red Bull need to not promote from within.
2020 Spanish Grand Prix Result – 2020 Driver of the Year – The Martini Trophy
A feature on this website is determining the driver of the year.
This recognises not just the driver with the most amount of points at the end of the year, but factoring performance against their team mate, possibly outperforming the car, and a nod to our Great and Grape above. A full explanation is below the results.
The Martini Trophy is named after one of our favourite F1 drivers of all time, the underrated Pierluigi Martini.
2020 Spanish Grand Prix Results – Martini Trophy
Top qualifiers are awarded 3-2-1
Top finishes are awarded 5-4-3-2-1
Out-Race team mate only applies if they both cars finish
Best of Rest is the top driver not from Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari in race and qualifying
FirstLap is 0.2 / -0.2 for every position gained / lost on the first lap.
Good and Grape points are award 3-2-1 and -1 for drivers.
2020 Driver of the Year Points so far
2020 Spanish Grand Prix Result – Stats and Stuff
Here is our selection of our favourite stats from the season so far.
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