2020 Tuscan Grand Prix

Lore & Background

The race was won by Lewis Hamilton of the Mercedes team, with teammate Valtteri Bottas in second; Mercedes scored their third 1–2 finish of the season. Alexander Albon of Red Bull Racing-Honda scored his first podium in Formula One with a third-place finish, becoming the first Thai driver to do so. The race was the first since the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix to have two red flags. Due to the two stoppages, the race had three standing starts.

In Their Own Story

Heat shimmered off the Apennine tarmac as lights went green, but the rhythm died almost instantly. Under each Safety Car deployment, Hamilton shifted his focus from aggression to preservation; every restart was a gamble on cold rubber at 180 mph where one lock-up meant the gravel trap and an end to the title charge. As competitors spun behind him into clouds of dust, the Mercedes pit wall monitored tire temps with bated breath. When the sixth and final restart came, Hamilton didn't hunt for the fastest line—he hunted for safety, driving a masterclass in restraint that kept the W11 intact until the checkered flag waved.

Reader's Guide

The race was held as an event celebrating Ferrari's 1000th race in the Formula One World Championship. The safety car used a red livery instead of its usual silver colour. The Ferrari SF1000 sported a special dark burgundy livery. Both Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc wore special racing overalls and special helmet designs. Up to 2,880 spectators were allowed. Ten teams each entered two drivers, the same as the season entry list. Pirelli brought the C1, C2, and C3 compound tyres. Qualifying saw Sergio Pérez receive a one-place grid penalty for causing a collision with Kimi Räikkönen in second practice. Daniil Kvyat and Kimi Räikkönen set identical times in Q2; Kvyat was classified ahead as he set his lap time first. The race featured multiple incidents: a first-lap collision at turn 2 involving Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly, Kimi Räikkönen, and Romain Grosjean, with Gasly and Verstappen retiring and Räikkönen changing his front wing; a separate incident at the same corner involving Carlos Sainz Jr. and Lance Stroll that damaged Sebastian Vettel's front wing. On lap 6, an accordion effect triggered a collision involving Sainz, Kevin Magnussen, Antonio Giovinazzi, and Nicholas Latifi, all retiring, leading to the first red flag. During that red flag, Esteban Ocon retired due to a brake failure. The second red flag came on lap 45 after Stroll suffered a tyre failure at turn 9 and went into the barrier; his car caught fire. Lewis Hamilton won his 90th career win. Kimi Räikkönen scored his first points of the season with ninth place. George Russell slipped from ninth to twelfth after a poor restart and finished eleventh. Twelve drivers were warned by the FIA for their part in the accident at the restart on lap 6. Räikkönen received a five-second time penalty for crossing the pit entry line.

Did You Know?

• The race was the first since the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix to have two red flags.
• Alexander Albon became the first Thai driver and the first Asian driver outside Japan to achieve a podium finish.
• The safety car used a red livery instead of its usual silver colour to mark Ferrari's 1000th race.
• Up to 2,880 spectators were allowed, making it the first race of the season with spectators.