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Formula 1 Belgian GP

Belgian Grand Prix race day

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But no sooner is Perez given that reassurance than Bottas turns it up again and gains by another second. The gap is now 1.7s and the Mercedes can see the fourth-placed Force India ahead.
Radio Comms
Force India tells Perez that on the last lap Bottas "did the same pace as you". That's very true: they both did 1m48.1s - is that the Mercedes tyre protecting?
Vettel and Hamilton are now lapping at a very similar pace at the front. 5.7s apart.
Radio Comms
Everything has settled down massively in the midfield. No one is even close to DRS range of anyone else, though Magnussen is told his pace is "better than Force India now - come on! Keep doing like that!"
Radio Comms
"Just hitting that left-rear limit. It needs some management. Could be games to play at the end of the race," Mercedes tells Bottas, a bit cryptically. "You'll still catch Perez."
Radio Comms
Perez says he's "giving everything" as Bottas gets to within 3.6s of him.
Ericsson is not lapping quicker than Gasly, despite using softer tyres, so looks like he won't make further progress from 10th.
Bottas's pursuit of Perez is going well - he's a second per lap faster at the moment, and the gap is down to 4.2s with 10 laps left.
Replays show Sainz overtaking Sirotkin around the outside under braking for Les Combes to move up to 11th. Tough ask to catch and pass Ericsson for 10th though.
Hartley has finally relented and binned those old softs for new supersofts, dropping to 14th.
Having dismissed Ocon, Bottas is now out to close a 6s gap to take fourth from Perez.
Radio Comms
"Any chance of rain maybe," asks a bored Verstappen, 25s behind second-placed Hamilton and 27s ahead of fourth-placed Perez. "Not for the next hour," Red Bull replies.
Ocon stays on the racing line on the Kemmel Straight and Bottas sweeps by into fifth.
Quote
"Engine mileage is better kept in the bank for him" says Christian Horner of Ricciardo's retirement.
Ocon is a bit wide through La Source and Bottas is closing in.
Radio Comms
Mercedes tries to give Hamilton a reason to be optimistic by saying the leaders will be hitting backmarker traffic soon. Vettel is 5.2s ahead right now.
Bottas is now right on the back of Ocon. This probably won't be very difficult.
He's two laps down in 16th so nothing to gain by pounding around at the back.
Bottas is flying and is rapidly within 1.3s of Ocon for fifth.
Crash
Red Bull decides to retire Ricciardo.
Vettel's lead is up to 5s as the race moves into its final two thirds.
Pit stop
Bottas pits with 14 laps to go, rejoining just ahead of Grosjean in sixth. He's got soft tyres and a 3s gap to chase down Ocon for fifth.
Ericsson learns his lesson and waits this time, picks up DRS out of Radillion and breezes past Hartley. That's 10th, but a seven-second gap to make up on Gasly now.
Ericsson makes short work of Hartley at La Source but gets past the Toro Rosso too soon and is repassed using DRS on Kemmel Straight. Needs to be more strategic to not get bottled up here and lose the edge of those softer tyres.
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Bottas's last lap was half a second quicker than the Force Indias behind as he tries to pull away before his likely final pitstop.
Radio Comms
Mercedes reassures Hamilton that "tyre wear isn't the issue, it's only the blistering that's causing this problem". That problem means Hamilton is now 4.2s from leader Vettel.
Ericsson rejoins ahead of Hartley but gets outdragged on the run to Les Combes. Ericsson is 11th but is on new supersofts while his rivals are on softs for these last 17 laps.
Bottas has run these supersofts since he pitted for damage repairs after the start crash. It's lap 26 now, and he's 8.4s clear of fifth-placed Perez. The rules allow Bottas to run to the end from here, but that would be very ambitious.

By: Geoff Creighton

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