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Formula 1
Eifel GP
F1 Eifel GP Live Updates - race day
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Hamilton cements his advantage at the front with a 1m30.109s lap.
The podium looks to be a straight fight between Norris, Perez and Ricciardo - who looks to be two-stopping.
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A driver who is in trouble is Raikkonen who has a 10-second time penalty for causing his collision with Russell. Not the way he would want to celebrate becoming F1's most experienced driver.
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The Albon and Kvyat clash has duly been put under investigation. Albon might be in trouble for that.
Pit stop
Somehow Albon has avoided any serious damage in that clash with Kvyat, as the Russian completes a whole lap without his front wing before being able to return to the pits.
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Bottas is being told to box and retire. A huge shame for the polesitter.
Bottas is dropping, and Ocon's now bearing down on him.
Yellow flag
Not for long though as Albon and Kvyat have a coming together at Turn 14. The Russian driver locks up and misses the chicane apex under pressure from Albon, but the Thai driver clips the AlphaTauri on the way through which rips Kvyat's front wing off.
Radio Comms
Bottas has no power! He's been passed by Norris AND Perez.
Green flag
Track is clear, we go again.
Green flag
Within 60 seconds the Virtual Safety Car period is over so back to green flag conditions.
Hamilton and Verstappen are getting some cheap pit-stops under this VSC, so that's rather fortunate.
Yellow flag
We have a VSC to clear Russell's Williams.
Russell has duly parked up off of the track and stepped out of his badly damaged Williams. That incident is under investigation and you'd feel Raikkonen has no case for his defence for that one.
Bottas is now on Ricciardo's tail now his tyres are up to temperature. He gets past at the back chicane, nice and easy for Bottas.
Crash
Russell gets an almighty clatter from Raikkonen on the exit of Turn 1 which tips the Williams driver into the air and turned around. The clash has broken Russell's suspension and punctured his left-rear tyre which looks to have ended his afternoon early.
Bottas returns to the track on mediums, behind Ricciardo.
Bottas will need to stop, as Verstappen's on him like a rash now.
Out of nowhere, Hamilton absolutely steams around the outside of Bottas! Bottas locked up into turn 1, opening the door to Hamilton to grabs P1 in turn 2.
Pit stop
Vettel duly pits after that spin with his medium tyres wrecked. The Ferrari driver switches to the hard tyre which certainly isn't the fancied race tyre for this weekend so it looks like a tough afternoon ahead for the German driver.
Vettel spins at the first corner! Is that because of the rain in the air? He is OK to continue having avoided the barriers in the run-off area.
Pit stop
Leclerc retreats to the pits, freeing up Norris and Perez. Mediums for Leclerc.
Leclerc's absolutely dropped into the clutches of Norris and Perez, who are really battling hard for sixth. Perez tries to get the move on Norris but the McLaren holds on.
Ricciardo wrests fourth from Leclerc, taking the outside of turn 1 and carrying enough speed around into turn 2 to make the move stick.
Sainz has just run wide at Turn 4 and later in the lap missed the apex at Turn 14. Looks like it might be getting slippery for the Spaniard already.
Looks like there was damage to that front left, perhaps a legacy of that lap one lock-up.
Albon comes into the pits for mediums, perhaps to try and get track position over Leclerc and Ricciardo.
Radio Comms
"There could be a very small and very light rain shower in about five minutes," Sainz is told over his McLaren team radio. Is that 40% chance of rain about to become 100% true?
Stopwatch
Verstappen did a 1m31.938s last time around to prise the fastest lap from Hamilton. He's staying with the Merc pair.
Ricciardo has another tilt at Leclerc, but the Ferrari driver holds the line through the opening complex and keeps the Renault at bay.
Radio Comms
Grosjean is in some pain after the lap one action: "I got hint by some gravel from Kimi and it hit my finger. I don’t know if it is broken. I can't use my left index finger, basically."
Ricciardo has a look at Leclerc into turn 1, but can't make it happen. He's really close to the Ferrari though, so it's surely a matter of time.
Stopwatch
Bottas sets a 1m32.211s to set the fastest lap and open a 1.6s lead to Hamilton.
Leclerc, as predicted, has Ricciardo right on his tail. Albon has a chance to buy into this too if he can close in on the pair.
Vettel was so close to a jump start as the TV replays show the Ferrari driver moving in his grid slot before slamming on the brakes before the lights went out. He was stationary for the start so should avoid any punishment.
Leclerc's already dropped 4s to Verstappen, giving Ricciardo a chance to fight with the Ferrari. Verstappen's keeping pace with the two Mercedes.
Tough opening lap for Grosjean though, who has lost four places and is currently in last place.
Albon had a slightly sluggish getaway and lost fifth to Ricciardo, but the Australian braked early into T3 and meant Albon had to jump on the brakes quick-smart.
Smart start further back by Giovinazzi as he climbs up to 11th place, while super sub Hulkenberg is already up to 17th place having started last.
Hamilton had the inside for turn 1, but Bottas gets the switch back into turn 2 and keeps the lead!
By: Jake Boxall-Legge
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