Formula 1 returned to Portugal for the first time since 1996 this weekend, and aside from wondering why more tracks like the one at Portimao don’t exist, we also have our 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix Result Review.
Our bite sized review takes a look through the laps that mattered, the quickest way to relive the best bits without watching anything.
Then there are our ratings of the race itself, the drivers, and finish off with a bunch of graphs that are just interesting enough.
Fun fact. Alain Prost broke Jackie Stewart’s win record in Portugal 14 years after the Scot’s last win. And Hamilton had the chance to beat Michael Schumacher’s win record in Portugal 14 years after the German’s last win.
Another deserved win and record for Lewis Hamilton, and his reward is featuring in our 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix Result Review.
2020 Portuguese 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 laps where stuff happened. Normally it is five or ten, so you know it was a good race if there’s more than ten.
We write these live as we go, sort of like a minute by minute for the football.
Lap 1 – What more do you want? Hamilton leads Bottas and Verstappen into the first corner. That’s where the boredom ends.
Perez spins out trying to take Verstappen for third , replays show Max taps Perez. Bottas takes Hamilton further down the road for the lead. Sainz moves up to third. Hamilton is struggling, same with Verstappen after contact. And there’s rain. Somehow Kimi Raikkonen is up to 9th gaining nine places. Norris up to fourth and McLarens looking quick
Lap 2 – Sainz takes Bottas for the lead. Perez resumes at the back.
Lap 3 – Carlos Sainz sets fastest lap, so speed is no fluke.
ORDER SAI BOT HAM NOR VER RAI RIC LEC GAS STR
Lap 6 – Bottas takes Sainz for the lead. Hamilton looking likely to demote him further.
Lap 7 – Max Verstappen sets fastest lap and take Norris for 4th and looks like he will get Sainz soon enough. Yep, half a lap later he does.
Lap 9 – Leclerc gets past Norris for fifth. Ricciardo takes Raikkonen for 7th. Vettel is still 15th, showing his 2020 decline continuing. A lap later Gasly takes Kimi (and Ricciardo a lap later). Stroll gets a black and white for track limits. His dad will probably pay the fine.
ORDER – BOT HAM VER SAI LEC NOR GAS RIC RAI STR
Lap 18 – Lance Stroll spins off while attacking Lando Norris into turn One for 7th. Possible wing damage for Norris. Hamilton closing up on Bottas quickly. Both drivers pit and drop to last.
Lap 20 – Hamilton gets past Bottas for the lead with the help of superior speed and DRS.
ORDER – HAM BOT VER LEC GAS SAI OCO VET RUS GIO
Lap 21 – Reports of more rain. That’d be nice, just as it is getting a bit boring. Pit stops continuing in the midfield. Not for the Mercedes or Leclerc in third. Verstappen did his a while ago.
Lap 33 – Decent battle between Sainz and Raikkonen for 10th. Just as Hamilton comes to lap him. Didn’t Sainz lead this race earlier?
Lap 35 – Equally good battle between Ocon and Perez through the same opening corners. This track kicks arse. Leclerc pits.
ORDER – HAM BOT VER LEC PER OCO RUS RIC GAS SAI
Lap 46 – Rain continues to tease. Gasly takes Ricciardo for 7th.
ORDER – HAM BOT VER LEC OCO GAS RIC SAI RAI
Lap 55 – Ocon pits after an incredible 55 laps on his medium tyres. Rejoins in 8th, just in front of his team mate. Vettel overtakes Kimi for 10th.
ORDER – HAM BOT VER LEC PER GAS SAI OCO RIC VET
Lap 59 – Hamilton radios in and advises he has a cramp. Could be interesting. Rain mentioned again. Wolf! Wolf! We cry.
Lap 65 – Gasly takes Perez for 5th, and another wonderful drive. Sainz sniffing around the Mexican for another place.
Lap 66 – Lewis Hamilton wins, and breaks the record for most GP wins.
ORDER – HAM BOT VER LEC GAS SAI PER OCO RIC VET
2020 Portuguese Grand Prix – RACE RATING
We rate the 2020 Italian F1 Grand Prix so we know which races to go back and watch in the off season or one to simply remember the winner for the post season quiz nights.
SEASON IMPORTANCE – 5/10
Hamilton takes another step towards the title by grabbing the overall wins record. The battle for third continues to rage.
ON TRACK ACTION – 9/10
Multiple overtakes for the lead. McLarens leading races again. Tangles for third place. Vintage Kimi overtaking. Some poor efforts to pass like from Lance Stroll on Lando Norris. And that’s just the first 20 laps.
Great battles throughout the field too, when the cameras show.
ENDING 6 / 10
Apart from a possible cramp for leader Hamilton, there wasn’t a great deal of action towards the front of the race. There was still enough close racing behind the top three cars to keep the sleep fairies away from those in the midnight F1 watching club.
OVERALL RATING 20 / 30
Decent first race in Portugal, with the new track popular with drivers and fans alike. Some great racing early at the front, and enough fun further down the field.
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
Eifel Grand Prix 11 / 30
2020 Portuguese 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
Wins the race, seals a new world record. Crushes team mate’s spirits for a championship fight again. Boxes ticked
THE GREAT – 2. PIERRE GASLY
Fifth place finish
THE GREAT – 3= SERGIO PEREZ
Came from back of the field after first lap spin to finish 7th. Lost positions late in the race.
THE GREAT – 3= ESTEBAN OCON
Drove for 55 laps on medium tyres. Finsihed ahead of his illustrious team mate.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Kimi Raikkonen – stormed up the field early, and provided some decent racing highlights.
Charles Leclerc – fourth place finish, miles ahead of team mate Vettel.
Max Verstappen – third as good as he could do today.
THE GRAPE – ALEX ALBON
Another anonymous race from Albon, and all while he has been publicly put under pressure by his team. Hulkenberg last weekend, and Perez this weekend show what the alternative could be. And both look better options right now.
Lapped by his team mate with 15 laps to go sums up his efforts.
DIS-HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Lance Stroll – Multiple penalties, throwing away some decent pace. Well beaten again by team mate who is getting the arse for next season.
2020 Portuguese 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 Portuguese 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 or unless the other driver was a complete dick.
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 Portuguese Grand Prix Result – Stats and Stuff
Here is a selection of our favourite stats from the season so far.
