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Formula 1 Dutch GP

F1 Dutch GP Live Commentary and Updates - Race day

Sunday's action from the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort

Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo Racing C41

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Perez pits for the second time in this race, taking on some fresh softs, and comes out in P12 right in between Russell and Stroll.
"I'm not going to make it to the end on these tyres," Hamilton says. Going by past experience, that means he can.
Ocon reports he has a plastic bag stuck to his car, as TV replays show it breaking up into pieces and littering all over the track.
"There was still so much life left on that last tyre," Hamilton says, ruing the pit strategy.
Haas report Mazepin has retired from the race due to a hydraulic issue.
The Dutch GP has its first race retirement. It is Mazepin in the Haas, who pulls into the pits and parks up.
Kubica's stop means Norris is the last driver standing in terms of taking a trip to pitlane. But just to be annoying for us, the McLaren driver comes in on lap 43 to switch his mediums for hards and comes out in P11 - ahead of Russell and Stroll.
Verstappen's found some pace in those hard tyres now, opening the lead gap to 3.3s. "Doesn't seem to be an advantage, called our bluff too soon," Hamilton says.
Kubica finally makes his first pitstop, swapping his mediums for hards on lap 41. The Pole, replacing Raikkonen who tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday morning, comes out in P18.
Hamilton logged a 1m13.292s last time out as the Mercedes driver tries to close the gap on Verstappen - which is 3s as it stands.
"Why did you put me with these guys?" Hamilton asks. Nonetheless, he's cleared the traffic, and now has a tyre advantage on the leader.
Hamilton gets dumped into a bunch of traffic, giving Verstappen free license to pit. Hard tyres for the Red Bull.
Hamilton, however, responds and comes in for pitstop number two for fresh mediums. That's somewhat early, given we've just passed half-distance.
"Everything we've got for the next four-five laps," Verstappen is told. Perhaps Red Bull is trying to evade an early Merc stop.
Verstappen's now opened up the lead once more, adding 0.5s to the gap on the previous lap.
Vettel suffers a half-spin all on his own at the bowl Turn 3, with Bottas having to slam on the anchors to avoid the sideways Aston Martin. Thankfully both avoid any further danger aside from losing a chunk of time.
Giovinazzi has pitted again as he has picked up a puncture - meaning he has dropped down to P18. Disaster for Alfa Romeo as the Italian had been fighting for a points finish this afternoon.
Leclerc makes his stop, rejoining in fifth behind Gasly - so the status quo returns to the top six.
On lap 35 Alonso pits and returns to the action in P9, still ahead of his Alpine team-mate Ocon.
"We don't need to kill the tyres but we need to close this window," Bottas is told, as Mercedes tries to deny Verstappen an auxiliary stop.
Russell has been given a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pitlane. That'll wreck his hopes of fighting for points.
A lap later Ocon and Tsunoda pit. Ocon comes out in P10 ahead of Ricciardo, with Tsunoda now P17 behind both Aston Martins.
Hard tyres for Sainz too, suggesting Ferrari's going for the one-stop.
Sainz now pits too, and will rejoin behind Alonso in seventh place.
Bottas finally pits, having played his part in the production.
At the end of lap 30 Ricciardo is the next to pit, coming back out in P12, but more importantly ahead of those behind him who had already pitted.
"That's mega, let's go", Verstappen's engineer says. Can't argue with that.
Bottas also lets Hamilton through, allowing the lead battle to resume.
But although Hamilton has closed in on the pair, Verstappen gets a lovely tow along the final corner and retakes the lead, relegating Bottas down a spot.
Verstappen has now caught Bottas - and at a good time, as he's been able to drop Hamilton to buy some time.
Gasly has returned to the top six after cruising around the outside of Alonso at Turn 1, so he'll be putting the Ferraris under pressure once more in short order.
Pitstop time! Giovinazzi, Russell and Stroll all come in together. Russell comes within a car length of jumping Giovinazzi in the pits but just misses out on a net P10.
"It's going to be absolutely critical to catch and pass if we can," Verstappen is told as Bottas is over a second a lap slower out front.
Hamilton has chipped another two-tenths out of Verstappen now, as Bottas is struggling out front on his tyres.
Gasly now makes his first stop as Leclerc has homed in on the AlphaTauri driver, taking on the mediums.
Perez is keeping things entertaining though, as he gets by Tsunoda up the inside at Turn 11 to take P14. He likes that corner.
All calm in the midfield fight, for now, with nobody looking to pit just yet. So expect them all to opt for the one-stop strategy.
After the outlaps, Hamilton has cut the gap by about 2s as Verstappen gets his new mediums up to temperature.
Verstappen responds, coming into the pits for mediums as well. He covers off Hamilton, rejoining in second.

By: autosport.com staff

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