F1 Eifel GP Live Updates - race day | Live text

By: Jake Boxall-Legge

Summary


	Hamilton takes record-equalling 91st victory at the Eifel GP over Verstappen by 4.4s after Norris engine problem brings out late safety car
	Verstappen takes fastest lap on the final tour as Ricciardo scores Renault's first podium since its return to F1
	Bottas leads early stages until a massive lock-up allows Hamilton ahead and forces him into an early stop
	Virtual safety car for Russell's stranded Williams allows Hamilton and Verstappen to pit and gain a decisive advantage over Bottas before his Mercedes slows with no power and retires
	Hulkenberg returns to F1 grid in place of unwell Stroll, finishing creditable P8 from last on the grid
	Grosjean scores two points despite being hit by gravel thrown up by Raikkonen, who later gets 10s time penalty for contact with Russell at Turn 1
	Russell, Bottas, Ocon, Albon, Norris out of the race

Status: Stopped

17:07 We'll catch you in two weeks' time for the Portuguese Grand Prix. Bye for now!

17:05 Here's the report from a rather exciting Eifel GP!

F1 Eifel GP: Hamilton takes victory to equal Schumacher's win record

Lewis Hamilton equalled Michael Schumacher's all-time Formula 1 win record by taking victory in the Eifel Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen, while Valtteri Bottas retired with a mechanical problem

17:01 Mick Schumacher presents Hamilton with one of his father's Mercedes helmets to commemorate matching Michael's record. Hamilton also gets a mention of Grand Prix 2 in, which is an all-time classic.

16:59 Hamilton paid tribute to Bottas' defense at turn 1. "I remember coming out of that [first] corner thinking "good on ya man, good job!"

16:58 Ricciardo says the impending Abiteboul tattoo may "be something to do with me, but also have some German flavour".

16:58 Ricciardo: "It's been a while! To be honest, it feels like a first podium all over again - it's really nice and fresh. We've all waited a long time for this."

16:54 Next question: what tattoo will Abiteboul end up with?

16:53 Verstappen got the fastest lap point with a 1m28.139s.

16:52

16:52 That's a 91st win for Hamilton to equal Michael Schumacher's record. Our maths were a bit out earlier...

16:51 Gasly, Leclerc, Hulkenberg, Grosjean and Giovinazzi complete the top 10.

16:50 Perez is just 1.4s behind Ricciardo, as Sainz gets fifth for McLaren.

16:50 Max Verstappen gets second, as Daniel Ricciardo secures a long-awaited podium for Renault!

16:49 And Lewis Hamilton wins the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix!

16:49 Heading into the final lap the on-track tussles have quietened down so this could be it for the Eifel GP top 10 order.

16:48 Final lap! Verstappen's giving it the beans, but it might be too little too late...

16:47 It's the penultimate lap, which Hamilton begins having set a 1m28.145s.

16:46

16:45 The Vettel vs Magnussen incident has been noted by the race stewards but no investigation is pending.

16:45 Perez is starting to reel Ricciardo in a little bit, but he needs to find a few more tenths per lap to steal third.

16:44 Vettel takes 11th place off Magnussen, albeit with a couple of wheels off the track, and with the Haas driver losing momentum that invites Raikkonen through to double the frustration for the Dane.

16:43 Vettel gets punchy against Magnussen. The Danish driver missed the Turn 13-14 chicane and took the alternative route, which invited the Ferrari driver to close up on the main straight and attack between Turns 1-3. The pair rub wheels but avoid anything worse.

16:43 Verstappen's pulled a little closer to Hamilton after going 0.3s quicker on that previous lap, but Hamilton's responded this time around.

16:41 The tyre swaps appear to have neutralised this race a little bit, as everyone's got enough life to push.

16:40 After losing two places at the restart Grosjean is doing well to hold on to ninth place in front of Giovinazzi. Further back both Vettel and Raikkonen dart ahead of Latifi to see the German up to 12th and the Finn in 13th.

16:40 Ricciardo now opens the gap to Perez by half a second - which has given him a lot of comfort to secure that final podium place.

16:37 That's now a 1m28.335s for Hamilton, looking to cement this win after the late safety car.

16:36 Hamilton gets a 1m28.487s to take the fastest lap. His lead stands now at 2s.

16:36 Gasly is producing a mega restart as he gets ahead of Leclerc at Turn 1 a lap later to take sixth place.

16:35 Gasly steals sixth from Leclerc into turn 1, and he's going after Sainz now.

16:34 Grosjean on old hard tyres is being eaten up at the restart, with Gasly and Hulkenberg already ahead of him. Gasly is seventh, Hulkenberg eighth and Grosjean is ninth defending against Giovinazzi.

16:34 Ricciardo had a look at Verstappen on the restart, but the Renault held onto third.

16:32 Here we go again!

16:32 Leclerc, the leader of the un-lapped cars in sixth place, has just caught up the safety car train at the perfect moment with the race about to return to green flag conditions.

16:30 The safety car will now come in at the end of the lap.

16:30 The lapped cars have been instructed to overtake under the safety car - effectively everyone from Leclerc in P6 down - and the track is clear with the McLaren safely recovered.

16:30 Ricciardo, Perez and Sainz are up with the leaders for a possible shoot-out.

16:28 A flurry of pitstops by the midfield runners, all who have been lapped in this race, means they are taking quite a while to catch up the safety car train. Leclerc and Grosjean appear to be the highest placed drivers not to pit in this period.

16:27 Verstappen also has a moan about the safety car, worried about the cold temperatures having an effect on the tyres.

16:26 "You need to tell the safety car to speed up," Hamilton says. Get your bingo blotters at the ready - we've had a Seb spin earlier on, Hamilton ire at a safety car too...