To the surprise of no one that follows Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton has won yet another race. Formula 1 returned to the Italian town of Imola to race at the Autodromo Internzionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari. This race was added to the 2020 calendar in order to replace cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The most recent running of this track was named the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in honor of the region where the track was built. This is the third time F1 has changed the name of races taking place in Imola, with it being known as the Italian Grand Prix in 1980 and the San Marino Grand Prix between 1981 and 2006.
The podium at the end of this race was topped by Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas taking positions one and two, respectively. Bottas was expected to take P1 for the race, as he started at pole position after a very successful qualifying performance, but Hamilton drove almost perfectly. The podium was rounded out by Daniel Ricciardo of Renault, who pulled an amazing performance out of one of the worst cars on the circuit. This is Ricciardo’s second podium of the season, which is very exciting. Riccardo has been able to push a terrible car to the top of the lists through sheer driving ability, so seeing that he is rewarded for the effort is great.
With this win from Hamilton, Mercedes has won its seventh consecutive Constructors’ Championship. The Formula One World Constructors’ Championship is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile to the Formula One chassis constructor that scored the most points during a season. Previously tied with Scuderia Ferrari at six wins each, Mercedes now also holds the longest consecutive streak of Constructors’ Championship wins. At seven wins, this now has Mercedes tied with the now defunct Team Lotus for fourth most wins overall.
“I am incredibly proud of this team,” Hamilton said. “To be a part of it is quite phenomenal, it is a real honor. To work with all the people at Brixworth and Brackley. They are the unsung heroes, they are the guys working flat out every day, doing crazy hours to raise the bar so that we can come here and do what we have done today.”
