F1 2020: Max Verstappen wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

 An imperious display from Max Verstappen saw him breeze to his second victory of 2020 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale, leading home the Mercedes duo of Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton, who had no answer to the Red Bull’s pace around the Yas Marina Circuit.

With Mercedes having taken every pole and race win in Abu Dhabi since 2014, Verstappen reversed that trend with pole on Saturday, before converting it with a dominant performance under the floodlights, as he led home Bottas by 15 seconds, with Hamilton coming home just behind his teammate on his first race back since contracting Covid-19.

Verstappen’s teammate Alex Albon supported Red Bull’s cause by coming home P4, although having lacked the pace to really challenge the Mercedes in front of him. Meanwhile, in a fantastic evening for McLaren, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz finished P5 and P6 to claim third in the constructors’, leap-frogging Racing Point who scored just one point.

That was partly due to Sergio Perez retiring with a suspected transmission issue on Lap 10 of the race, an unfortunate end to the Racing Point career of last week’s race winner. Daniel Ricciardo came home seventh on his final outing for Renault, ahead of the AlphaTauri of Pierre Gasly, while behind Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll took the final points-paying position in P10 having been passed on the final lap, Ocon cementing Renault’s fifth in the constructors’.

Meanwhile, on his final race for Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel finished P14, behind teammate Charles Leclerc, while in what looks to be his last race in F1, Kevin Magnussen finished P18 for Haas. But as a dominant season for Mercedes draws to a close, it’s Verstappen with the advantage heading into the winter, after a fantastic race for the Dutchman - and at the end of a fast and furious 2020.

F1 2020: Sergio Perez wins Sakhir Grand Prix

Sergio Perez’s F1 future may be uncertain but whatever happens, the Mexican is now an F1 winner, after he benefited from a nightmare Sakhir Grand Prix for Mercedes to claim his first-ever Formula 1 victory, as Renault’s Esteban Ocon and Racing point’s Lance Stroll completed the podium on a wild evening in Bahrain.

It had initially looked as though George Russell was set to pull off an incredible maiden victory on his first outing for Mercedes, having aced the start to lead pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas for the majority of the Grand Prix. But Mercedes gave Russell the wrong tyres when he was pitted under a Safety Car on Lap 62 of 87, forcing another pit stop to correct the error – while Russell then suffered a puncture that left him P9 at the flag for what was at least his first-ever F1 points finish.

On his 190th F1 start, Perez had been forced to pit at the end of Lap 1, dropping to the last place after getting caught up in a Turn 4 crash that eliminated Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, and was due to be investigated after the race.

But an incredible turn of pace from the Mexican allowed him to benefit from Mercedes’ pit error – which also left Valtteri Bottas on old hard tyres, the Finn coming home P8 – to sensationally claim his and Racing Point’s first-ever victory, a week after an MGU-K failure had robbed him of a podium.

After a difficult return to F1, Renault’s Ocon claimed his first-ever podium finish in the sport, with Stroll holding off a charging Carlos Sainz to take his second rostrum of the year, ahead of the McLaren driver and Renault's Daniel Ricciardo in P5. Alex Albon was P6 in the sole surviving Red Bull, ahead of the AlphaTauri of Daniil Kvyat. The Mercedes pair of Bottas and Russell in their P8 and P9 positions led home the second McLaren of Lando Norris, who took the final point of what was a stunning evening in Sakhir.

 

F1 2020: Lewis Hamilton wins Bahrain Grand Prix

Newly crowned seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton has taken his 11th victory of the 2020 season, winning out over the Red Bull pair of Max Verstappen and Alex Albon at the Bahrain Grand Prix in a race whose start was overshadowed by a horror crash for Haas Romain Grosjean.

Behind the leading pair, it looked for much of the Bahrain race as though Sergio Perez was set to claim his second podium in as many races before the Mexican’s Racing Point expired with a suspected power unit issue three laps from the end. That promoted Albon up to third, giving the Thai driver his second career podium as the race finished behind a Safety Car brought out as Perez’s car was recovered.

Perez’s retirement was great news for McLaren, who claimed fourth and fifth, Lando Norris leading home Carlos Sainz, while their 22-point haul saw them move ahead of the point-less Racing Point to P3 in the constructors’ standings. 

A one-stop race for AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly gave him a well-deserved P6, ahead of the Renault of Daniel Ricciardo and Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas – who suffered a puncture at the race restart on Lap 3, leaving him with a recovery drive to P8. The top 10 was rounded out by the second Renault of Esteban Ocon and the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc in P10.

 

MotoGP 2020: Miguel Oliveira wins Portugal Grand Prix

Miguel Oliveira produced a fairy tale end to his 2020 MotoGP season with a dominant Portuguese Grand Prix victory as World Champion Joan Mir retired after a disastrous race. Tech3 rider Oliveira had never led a lap in MotoGP until dominating all 25 at the Algarve Circuit on Sunday to sign off his career with the French outfit with his second victory ahead of his factory KTM debut in 2021.

A podium for Pramac's Jack Miller secured Ducati its first constructors' championship since 2007, capitalising on a miserable day for Suzuki. Oliveira grabbed the holeshot from pole position ahead of Franco Morbidelli and Miller, while world champion Mir was involved in a collision with Francesco Bagnaia.

Pol Espargaro ended his KTM career in fourth, which vaulted him to fifth in the riders' championship, with LCR's Takaaki Nakagami the top Honda runner at the chequered flag in sixth. Andrea Dovizioso recovered from 12th on the grid to end his final Ducati appearance in sixth, with Honda's Stefan Bradl heading Aleix Espargaro on the Aprilia and the sister works Honda of Alex Marquez.

Johann Zarco completed the top 10 following his early contact with Mir, with Maverick Vinales the top 2020 Yamaha rider in 11th on a woeful day for the Japanese marque outside of Morbidelli podium. Valentino Rossi signed off his factory Yamaha career in 12th, heading Cal Crutchlow as he bids farewell to MotoGP as a full-time racer on his LCR Honda.

MotoGP 2020: Franco Morbidelli wins Valencia Grand Prix

Joan Mir has clinched the 2020 MotoGP championship, ending a 20-year wait for Suzuki as Franco Morbidelli won a last-lap Valencia Grand Prix thriller from Jack Miller. Mir is the first new MotoGP champion since Marc Marquez in 2013 and becomes the first rider to win the world crown in Moto3 and the premier class, after coming home a safe seventh place in the Valencia GP.

Miller got the better run into Turn 1 off the line but ran wide and allowed Morbidelli to come back through, while his SRT team-mate Fabio Quartararo went off at Turn 2 after running out of room in the braking zone.

This dropped Quartararo down the order, with his race lasting until lap nine when he crashed at Turn 6 having once again dropped out of the points, completely ending his championship hopes. Mir navigated the opening lap safely, putting his Suzuki into 10th while Suzuki team-mate Alex Rins had leaped up from 14th to seventh.

Alex Rins was fourth on his Suzuki, but it wasn't enough to delay Mir's coronation. Rins beat Brad Binder (KTM) and the Tech3 of Miguel Oliveira. Mir pipped Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso to seventh, with Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro and Yamaha's Maverick Vinales rounding out the top 10.

F1 2020: Lewis Hamilton wins Turkey Grand Prix

A stunning drive from Mercedes Lewis Hamilton in the Turkish Grand Prix gave him his 10th victory of the season and more crucially, saw him claim the seventh driver's title of his career, to equal the record of Michael Schumacher as Racing point’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel completed the podium after a thrilling race in Istanbul.

Hamilton had started the race in sixth, risen to third midway through the first lap, and then dropped back to sixth by the end of Lap 1 after an error at Turn 9. But a decision to change his intermediate tyres just once saw Hamilton drive a masterful race to claim victory by over 25 seconds from Perez.

The win alone was enough to claim championship #7, but it was even more assured after a disastrous race for Valtteri Bottas - the only man who could have stopped Hamilton from winning the title today - who spun six times en route to a P14 finish. Behind Hamilton, a dramatic last-lap saw Sergio Perez overtaken by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for P2, only for Leclerc to overcook it at Turn 12, with Perez retaking second as Vettel made it through on his teammate to claim a first podium of the season. 

Leclerc was left to cross the line P4 ahead of the McLaren of Carlos Sainz, while a spin-filled afternoon for the Red Bull pair left Max Verstappen and Alex Albon P6 and P7 at the flag, ahead of the second McLaren of Lando Norris. Norris had claimed that place after a late pass on the second Racing Point of Lance Stroll, who’d secured a brilliant maiden pole position and Saturday and led much of the early part of the Grand Prix, only for his race to unravel after a difficult third stint on intermediate tyres. That left him ninth at the flag, as Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo completed the podium.

MotoGP 2020: Joan Mir wins European Grand Prix

 Joan Mir claimed his maiden MotoGP race win at the European Grand Prix to strengthen his position at the top of the championship standings. Having gone into the weekend with a 14-point lead over Fabio Quartararo, the Spaniard extended his advantage as he finally ended his wait for success in the premier class.

The Suzuki Ecstar rider ducked inside team-mate Alex Rins with 11 laps remaining and went on to pull clear in the closing stages, allowing him to coast over the finishing line. His triumph, coupled with a disastrous outing for Quartararo, could be pivotal in the title race. Mir now sits 37 points clear of the Frenchman, who is tied with Rins, with just two rounds remaining.

Quartararo's hopes of closing the gap disappeared when he came off his bike at Turn 8 - the same spot where Mir would later claim the lead. While able to get going again, the Petronas Yamaha rider finished up in 14th place to pick up just two points. Mir is the ninth different race winner in a 2020 season disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and also without reigning champion Marc Marquez, who remains sidelined through injury. 

Rins had passed polesitter Pol Espargaro in the early stages but was runner-up for a second successive race, giving Suzuki their first 1-2 result since 1982. Espargaro had to settle for third, putting him on the podium for the fourth time this year, with Takaaki Nakagami in fourth. As for Valentino Rossi, his return was cut short by a technical issue. The Italian was cleared to race again on Saturday having missed the previous two races after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

F1 2020: Lewis Hamilton wins Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

 Lewis Hamilton spearheaded Mercedes claiming their record seventh consecutive constructors title at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, leading home team mate Valtteri Bottas and a delighted Daniel Ricciardo but there was late race drama as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen retired from P2 after appearing to suffer a tyre issue, bringing out a safety car that led to a climactic race ending.

Bottas had enjoyed a strong start to the Imola race from pole position, leading into Turn 2 as Hamilton lost out to Verstappen on the run down to Tamburello on Lap 1 and moved to third.

But Mercedes’ decision to give Hamilton a long first stint paid dividends when Renault’s Esteban Ocon retired at the side of the track on Lap 29, the resultant Virtual Safety Car allowing Hamilton to pit from the lead – Bottas and Verstappen having boxed earlier in the race – and retain P1.

But with 12 laps to go, Verstappen’s retirement at Villeneuve led to a full Safety Car, setting up a breathless final few laps of the race, which ultimately saw Hamilton hold on to win out from Bottas, while Ricciardo secured his second podium of the season for Renault after holding off a late charge from AlphaTauri’s Daniil Kvyat, who finished a brilliant fourth as he fights for his F1 future.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc came home fifth, holding off the Racing Point of Sergio Perez, who’d gambled with a late stop under the Safety Car. The McLaren duo of Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris claimed P7 and P8, while it was a fantastic day for Alfa Romeo, who took their first double points finish of the year, Kimi Raikkonen leading Antonio Giovinazzi in P9 and P10, the Finn having made a 49-lap stint work to his advantage.

MotoGP 2020: Franco Morbidelli wins Teruel MotoGP

Franco Morbidelli won the Teruel MotoGP for his second win of the season after pole-sitter Takaaki Nakagami crashed on the first lap. Morbidelli crossed the finish line more than two seconds ahead of Alex Rins, with Joan Mir coming in third place after starting 12th.

Mir extended his championship lead to 14 points over Fabio Quartararo, who finished eighth. Maverick Vinales was five points further back after finishing seventh. Morbidelli moved to fourth in the standings with the victory, staying 25 points off the lead. He had won his maiden career MotoGP race at the San Marino GP in September.

Rins was the winner last weekend at the same MotorLand track. Mir was coming off a third-place finish last weekend. Nakagami, the 28-year-old Japanese rider looking for his first MotoGP win, lost control of his bike shortly after the start while leading the race. Brad Binder and Jack Miller also crashed on the first lap.

Alex Marquez, who was second in the last two races, crashed with 10 laps to go while in fourth place. Veteran Italian rider Valentino Rossi did not race again because of a recent COVID-19 positive test result. He had already missed last weekend’s race. Defending champion Marc Márquez also hasn't been racing because of an injury.

 

MotoGP 2020: Alex Rins wins Aragon MotoGP

Suzuki’s GSX-RR may be down on top speed at Aragon but the bike is the current master of Michelin’s MotoGP tyres. Plus Fabio Quartararo’s pressure disaster and Alex Marquez’s insight into the mysteries of Honda’s RC213V.

Suzuki's Rins became the eighth winner in this season's ten races as the vacuum created by the early season injury to reigning champion Marc Marquez has created a volatile and unpredictable title race. This is the third victory for the 24-year-old Rins who won twice last year but was injured at the beginning of this season.

The other Suzuki factory rider Mir takes over the championship lead even though he has not won a MotoGP race. He has 121 points in the championship ahead of Quartararo (115), Spaniard Maverick Vinales (109), and Italian Andrea Dovizioso (106).

Frenchman Quartararo, who started from pole, struggled and finished down in 18th place. One of the riders attempting to fill the void left by Marquez is his younger brother and Honda teammate Alex Marquez who, after a slow start to his rookie season, has finished second in two straight races. Six-time champion Marc Marquez was overjoyed.

Meanwhile, seven-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi's quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 means he will also have to miss next weekend's Grand Prix of Teruel at the same Aragon circuit.

MotoGP 2020: Danilo Petrucci wins French MotoGP

 A wet race at Le Mans saw Danilo Petrucci take the top spot. He finished 2.1 seconds ahead of Moto2 World Champion Alex Marquez, who delivered a wonderful ride to finish P2 having started from P18 on the grid. The final podium spot was taken by Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), followed by Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team). Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), and Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) finished P9 and lower.

The race was delayed due to the thick grey clouds over the track and tensions climbed in the time between the sighting lap and the race being declared wet, which made it a completely unfamiliar territory for two top riders – Quartararo and Mir. The riders could come at any time to swap to their dry-weather bikes. Miller and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) had a lightning start but it was an early end for Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) as he crashed at Turn 3. The front was soon a Ducati 1-2-3.

Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was battling with Quartararo and eventually found a way past, with the Frenchman dropping back down the order at a rate of knots. Crutchlow and Bradley Smith maneuvered their way past Quartararo before Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech3) was through at Turn 13. Oliveira and Quartararo were wide though and shooting through was Alex Marquez, the Repsol Honda Team rider producing a stunning first opening few laps in his first wet MotoGP race to get into P8. 

A quick Championship check with 18 laps to go saw Quartararo in P11 and Mir sitting P19, with Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) also outside the points – a golden opportunity for Dovizioso and Miller, as well as the rest to get themselves right back in the 2020 title hunt.

F1 2020: Lewis Hamilton wins Portugal Grand Prix

Mercedes Lewis Hamilton has become the most successful driver in terms of victories in Formula 1 history, after a dominant display at the Portuguese Grand prix saw him claim his 92nd victory from teammate Valtteri Bottas and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen.

Having started from pole position, Hamilton’s victory looked in serious doubt after a dramatic opening lap that saw him get passed by both Bottas and the McLaren of Carlos Sainz – Sainz then taking the lead from Bottas a lap later, as the Mercedes pair struggled to get their medium tyres fired up.

Verstappen had had his own dramatic first lap, connecting with Sergio Perez and sending the Mexican spinning, forcing Racing Point into an early pit stop. Both drivers had a strong recovery though, Verstappen eventually climbing back into a comfortable third, while Perez made it up to P7 – the Mexican passed in the latter stages by Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc backed up his stunning P4 in qualifying with the same position in the race, Ferrari appearing to have cracked their recent race pace issues with a strong performance from the Monegasque. He finished ahead of the AlphaTauri of Gasly – the Frenchman driving an excellent race to take fifth – and one-time race leader Sainz in sixth.

Despite all that, the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix will be remembered most of all for the moment where Lewis Hamilton became Formula 1’s most successful driver of all time in terms of victories – a mighty record that came after yet another mighty drive from the six-time World Champion.

 

NBA 2020: Los Angeles Lakers beat Miami Heat to win title

The Los Angeles Lakers, fueled by superstar LeBron James triple-double, dominated the Miami Heat 106-93 to win a record-equaling 17th NBA Championship but their first in a decade.

James added another chapter to an epic career, delivering 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists as he captured his fourth NBA title with a third different team as well as earning NBA Finals Most Valuable Player honors for the fourth time.

Anthony Davis, playing in his first title series after years of frustration in New Orleans, added 19 points and 15 rebounds as the Lakers completed a four-games-to-two triumph in the best-of-seven championship series more than eight months after the death in a helicopter crash of team legend Kobe Bryant – who led the Lakers to their last title in 2010.

The series in the NBA’s quarantine bubble in Orlando, Florida, capped not only an emotional season for the Lakers with the loss of talisman Bryant but a season of uncertainty and upheaval for the NBA as players grappled with the coronavirus pandemic and the demands for social and racial justice sweeping across the United States. 

The Heat, who had stunned the Lakers on Friday on the back of Jimmy Butler’s gritty triple-double, couldn’t produce another miracle in the face of Los Angeles’ stifling defense. Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 25 points and 10 rebounds and Butler and Jae Crowder added 12 apiece, but Miami simply had no answer for the knockout blow Los Angeles delivered in the first half.

 

F1 2020: Lewis Hamilton wins Germany Grand Prix

Mercedes Lewis Hamilton has matched the career win record of Michael Schumacher with this 91st F1 Victory at the Eifel GP, triumphing over the Red Bull of Max Verstappen at the Nürburgring, as Daniel Ricciardo secured his first podium for the Renault squad.

Hamilton had been outmuscled by his pole-sitting teammate Valtteri Bottas at the start of the race but passed the Finn on Lap 13 of 60 after Bottas locked up at Turn 1 – before a loss of power forced Bottas into retirement six laps later, Mercedes’s first DNF of 2020.

From there, Hamilton then had a relatively comfortable run to his record-equalling win #91, overcoming a Safety Car restart – coming after McLaren’s Lando Norris had retired on Lap 44 – to win from Verstappen by 4s, Hamilton’s victory poignantly coming in front of Schumacher’s son Mick, who was due to drive in Friday practice for Alfa Romeo this weekend, and on Schumacher’s home turf to boot.

Ricciardo headed off the Racing Point of Sergio Perez, who came home P4, ahead of the sole remaining McLaren of Carlos Sainz – while a stealthily brilliant race from AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly saw him take P6 after a late pass on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque just managed to hold off the second Racing Point of super-sub Nico Hulkenberg, who did a fine cameo job in place of Lance Stroll to jump from P20 to P8. 

The top 10 was rounded out by the Haas of Romain Grosjean in P9, taking his first points of the season, while Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi claimed the final points-paying position, just holding off the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel.

Rafael Nadal won French Open 2020

Rafael Nadal tied Roger Federer with 20 Grand Slam titles by producing a nearly perfect performance against Novak Djokovic in the French Open Final. Nadal is the oldest French Open champion since 1972 and the more than 15 years between his first and most recent Grand Slam titles is the longest such span for a man.

Nadal equaled long-time rival Federer for the most major singles tennis championships won by a man and added to his own record at Roland Garros with No. 13 on the red clay, courtesy of a surprisingly dominant 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 victory over the No. 1-ranked Djokovic. 

When Nadal ended it with an ace, he dropped to his knees, smiled widely and pumped his arms. Nadal, No. 2 in the rankings, improved to 100-2 at the French Open, including a combined 26-0 in semi-finals and finals, and picked up his fourth consecutive title in Paris. The 34-year-old left-hander from Spain previously put together streaks of four French Open championships from 2005-08, then five in a row from 2010-14, to go alongside his four trophies at the US Open, two at Wimbledon and one at the Australian Open.

Nadal is now even with Federer for the first time since each man had zero Slams to his name in 2003. Federer's first arrived at Wimbledon that year; Nadal, naturally, earned his first in France in 2005, by which point he trailed 4-0. Djokovic's loss left him at 17 majors; had he won, the trio's standings would have read 20-19-18. Djokovic had won 14 of the last 18 matchups against Nadal, and led 29-26 overall, including a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win at the 2019 Australian Open final.

MotoGP 2020: Fabio Quartararo wins Catalan MotoGP

France’s Fabio Quartararo produced a thrilling and perfect ride to claim a resounding victory at the Catalan MotoGP, his third of the season which sends him top of the World Championships standings. Joan Mir came through to take second and is now eight points behind Quartararo in the standings while Alex Rins completed the podium.

The race began in dramatic fashion with Andrea Dovizioso, who led the title race by a single point from the Frenchman and Maverick Vinales, taken out in the opening lap after tangling with Johann Zarcho.

Quartararo, on a Yamaha, won the opening two races of the season but has struggled since then, failing to reach the podium in the last five races. But the Frenchman, who showed signs of a return to form in the last race at Emilia Romagna when he came fourth, was back to his best in Barcelona.

Starting from pole, alongside the fellow Yamahas of Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi, he set a fierce pace which put the pressure on the field, especially those trying to close him down. One who suffered was Rossi who had taken advantage of a wobble by Morbidelli with 11 laps to go to move into second spot. Two laps later, however, trying to make up ground on the flying Quartararo, the 41-year-old slid into the gravel on turn two, his race over.

Morbidelli, who won in San Marino two races ago, looked good to take second but could not hold off Mir who swept past him with two laps to go. He then lost a place on the podium as Rins, who started down in 13th, put the gloss on an excellent race. Quartararo heads the standings with 108 points, eight clear of Mir.

F1 2020: Valtteri Bottas wins Russian Grand Prix

Mercedes Valtteri Bottas scored his second win of 2020 at the Russian Grand Prix, benefitting from a penalty for his pole-sitting teammate Lewis Hamilton that left the six-time champion third at the flag, as Max Verstappen claimed Red Bull’s first-ever podium at Sochi.

Hamilton began the race on the back foot, after a pair of practice start infringements on his laps to the grid led to him being handed a 10s penalty mid-race, ruling him out of contention for the win, as he came home in P3.

Bottas, meanwhile, had passed Verstappen for second at the race start, before benefitting from Hamilton’s penalty to enjoy an untroubled run to the chequered flag for the ninth win of his career, at the venue where he scored his first back in 2017. It would have been an important confidence booster for Bottas, too, with Finn’s previous victory having come at the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix back in July.

Behind the podium positions, a quiet but effective race for Racing Point’s Sergio Perez saw him come home fourth, while despite having a five-second penalty hanging over him for not running through the Turn 3 rejoining bollards after going off the track, Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo had enough pace in hand to maintain P5 at the flag, ahead of the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc in sixth. 

Esteban Ocon passed his Renault teammate at the start for P4 but eventually fell back to the seventh place he started the race in at the chequered flag, ahead of home hero Daniil Kvyat. Rounding out the top 10, a late stop from the second AlphaTauri of Pierre Gasly allowed him to battle through to P9, the Frenchman passing the Red Bull of Alex Albon, who came home P10, having started P15 after receiving a five-race penalty for changing his gearbox.

 

Tadej Pogacar wins Tour De France 2020

Tadej Pogacar became the first Slovenian to win the Tour de France as the famous three-week race ended on the Champs-Elysees in Paris. Pogacar, who celebrates his 22nd birthday on Monday, is the youngest winner since 1904, sealing his triumph with a sensational performance in the mountain time trial on the penultimate stage.

Until then it had looked as if his compatriot and long-time leader Primoz Roglic would claim the yellow jersey, but in a remarkable reversal it was Pogacar who won the stage and took the race lead by 59 seconds. Sunday's 21st stage is by tradition a processional affair, with no attempts at breakaways until the concluding eight circuits around the French capital commence.

Pogacar stayed safely on his bike to cross the line in triumph with his UAE Team Emirates teammates as the stage was brilliantly won by green jersey winner Sam Bennett of Ireland, his second stage win of the 2020 Tour. Bennett usurped Slovakia's Peter Sagan, a seven-time winner, to top the points classification and did so in some style, relegating world champion Mads Pedersen to second place on the stage, with Sagan in third. 

Roglic, who had led since the ninth stage with his powerful Jumbo-Visma team in support, had to settle for second overall, with Australian veteran Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo) taking the final place on the podium. Pogacar has found his unexpected triumph hard to take in, recovering from losing over a minute in crosswinds on the seventh stage to claw his way back into contention and ultimately claim yellow. Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey celebrates on the podium after winning the 107th edition of the Tour de France cycling race.

Bayern Munich won UEFA Super Cup 2020

Bayern Munich won the UEFA Super Cup after beating a resilient Sevilla in extra time in Budapest. 15,180 fans witnessed the action between Champions League winners Bayern and Europa League winners Sevilla. Bayern, who won the treble last season, got the job done in a 2-1 victory. This was their fourth trophy in 2020.

In this hard-fought encounter, Sevilla took the lead from the penalty spot on 13 minutes when Lucas Ocampos scored an outrageous "no look" penalty. Bayern equalized before the break, with Leon Goretzka scoring from Robert Lewandowski's superb touch. Both teams had chances to seal the deal but things went into extra time. Substitute Javi Martinez scored a header in the 104th minute.

Bayern are now 32 games unbeaten in all competitions as they ended Sevilla's own 21-game unbeaten run. The Bavarians have extended their 100% win record to 23 games in all competitions. Since their last defeat in any competition on December 7, Bayern have recorded 31 wins and one draw so far. In this unbeaten phase, they have won the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and UCL trophies.

Hansi Flick had joined the club as an assistant manager in July 2019. In November, Flick was promoted to the interim manager position and then became permanent in December. In 38 games managed across competitions, Flick has won 35, besides losing only twice. He has win percentage of 92.11. Under him, Bayern have a goal difference of +99. Bayern talisman Robert Lewandowski has been involved in 11 goals in the last 6 games in all competitions, scoring five and assisting six.

 

Dominic Thiem won US Open 2020

 At a US Open unlike any other, Dominic Thiem constructed a comeback the likes of which hadn’t been in 71 years.

After dropping the opening two sets against Alexander Zverev at a nearly empty Arthur Ashe Stadium — fans were banned because of the coronavirus pandemic — Thiem slowly but surely turned things around for a 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory across more than four hours to earn his first major championship.

The 27-year-old from Austria is the first man to win the American Grand Slam tournament after trailing 2-0 in sets in the final since Pancho Gonzales did it against Ted Schroeder in 1949 at an event then known as the US Championships. Not only that, but in a fitting finish to an unprecedented two weeks, this match was decided by a fifth-set tiebreaker, something that had never happened in the final. 

Dominic Thiem is the first player since 1949 to win the US Open men's singles title having dropped the first two sets. The last was Pancho Gonzales. Thiem is the fifth in Open Era to come from two sets down to win a Grand Slam final. Bjorn Borg (1974), Ivan Lendl (1984), Andre Agassi (1999) and Gaston Gaudio (2004) have done it earlier and all at Roland Garros.

MotoGP 2020: Maverick Vinales wins Emilia Romagna MotoGP

Spaniard Maverick Vinales on a Yamaha won the Emilia Romagna MotoGP to move up to within the one point of the Championship lead.

Joan Mir was second on a Suzuki and another Spaniard Pol Espargaro (KTM) promoted a place to third after Frenchman Fabio Quartararo of the Yamaha-SRT satellite team crossed the line behind Mir but was penalised for straying off the track.

Andrea Dovizioso finished eighth to cling to the championship lead, one point ahead of Quartararo and Vinales. Vinales started from pole but soon lost the lead to Francesco Bagnaia. The young Italian led by a second and a half at one stage and was still on course for a first victory for himself and Ducati-Pramac when he leant a bit too far unto a corner with seven laps to go and slid off.

Vinales grabbed his chance to become the sixth winner in seven MotoGP races this season. Vinales was able to defend the lead comfortably, finishing more than four seconds clear, because Espargaro and Quartararo had tyre troubles which allowed Mir to pass both. The big disappointment of the day at the Italian track was local hero Valentino Rossi who crashed at the beginning of the race and retired.

 

MotoGP 2020: Franco Morbidelli wins Maiden Race

 Franco Morbidelli charged to his first ever MotoGP win as Andrea Dovizioso capitalized on Fabio Quartararo crashing out of the San Marino race to take the championship lead. Italian Morbidelli dominated at Misano Adriatico and finished ahead of countryman Francesco Bagnaia, riding for Ducati-Pramac, and Suzuki's Spanish rider Joan Mir in his maiden victory in motorcycling's elite class.

Yamaha SRT's Morbidelli, 25, who started second on the grid, overtook pole sitter Maverick Vinales on the first lap and never relinquished his lead, finishing over two seconds ahead of Bagnaia on a great day for Italian riders in front of a limited crowd on home soil. Fellow Italian Dovizioso finished back in seventh but his nine points put him six ahead of Frenchman and pre-race leader Quartararo, who scored nothing after first coming off the track on lap eight and again later in the race when already well off the pace.

Dovizioso is also 12 points ahead of Australian Jack Miller, who finished a place behind the Ducati rider, after six Grands Prix. The 34-year-old will now be eyeing his first MotoGP championship after finishing behind six-time champ Marc Marquez, who is out for the rest of the 2020 campaign due to breaking his arm in the opening race, in each of the last three seasons.

The only negative for the home crowd, the first to be allowed to watching racing live this season due to the coronavirus pandemic, was Valentino Rossi failing to grab his 200th MotoGP podium after he was overtaken by Mir on the final lap to finish in fourth.

F1 2020: Lewis Hamilton wins Tuscan Grand Prix

Mugello served up as an absolute thriller in its first ever Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton taking victory from Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas in an action packed race that saw dramatic multi-car crashes within the first nine laps, two red flags stoppages and an exciting finale that culminated in Alex Albon scoring his first F1 Podium.

A late red flag, the second of the race – after Racing Point’s Lance Stroll went off at Arrabbiata 2 while holding fourth place – set up a dramatic finish to the first Grand Prix to be held at Mugello, with Hamilton holding on to take his 90th career win from Bottas, as behind, Albon pulled off a fantastic move on Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo to claim an important third with eight laps of the race to go.

Ricciardo was left to come home fourth, tantalisingly close to his first podium with Renault, as Sergio Perez finished fifth for Racing Point. With just 12 runners classified at the finish, Lando Norris was sixth for McLaren, ahead of the AlphaTauri of Daniil Kvyat, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc classified eighth at the team’s 1,000th Grand Prix.

Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen was ninth after receiving a five-second race penalty, with the second Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel rounding out the top 10. That left Williams’ George Russell 11th, agonisingly close to the team’s first points of the year, while Haas Romain Grosjean finished 12th of 12.

Caribbean Premier League 2020

Trinbago Knight Riders defeated St Lucia Zouks by 8 wickets to win the 2020 edition of the Caribbean Premier League. This was a season to remember for the Keiron Pollard led side as they did not lose even a single match this season. 

Pollard led from the front as he picked up 4 wickets to restrict St Lucia Zouks to a score of 154. Andre Fletcher top-scored for the Zouks with 39 runs with Fawad Ahmed also picking up 2 wickets for TKR. The chase was made easy by Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo as they hit an unbeaten 138-run partnership to take the Knight Riders to an eight-wicket win in the final. Simmons top-scored with 84 runs with Bravo hitting 58.

TKR became the first team in the history of CPL to win all matches in the tournament. The final victory was achieved without one of their premier players Sunil Narine being dropped from the XI.

The turning point certainly was the 17th over bowled by inexperienced Afghan left-arm wrist spinner Zahir Khan, which went for 23 runs. From 41 required off 24 balls, it came down to run a ball as Simmons hit a six and Bravo hit a couple of biggies. Down to run-a-ball, Scott Kuggeleijn, Zouks’ most effective fast bowler lost his length against a rampaging Simmons, who hit a six and a four to effectively finish the contest as 16 came from the over.

F1 2020: Pierre Gasly wins Italian Grand Prix

An incredible 2020 Italian Grand Prix saw AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly claim a maiden Formula 1 win from the McLaren of Carlos Sainz and the Racing point of Lance Stroll, as a transgression under the Safety Car saw polesitter Mercedes Lewis Hamilton forced to serve a 10-second stop/go penalty, leaving him seventh at the flag. 

The race was turned on its head by a Safety Car brought out as Kevin Magnussen’s stricken Haas had to be recovered. But with Hamilton diving into the pit lane when it was closed (as did Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi), he was handed his penalty – which he served after the race was restarted on Lap 28 of 53, following a 25-minute red flag period after Charles Leclerc crashed heavily at the Parabolica.

That left Gasly at the head of the field, after he’d pitted before the Safety Car was brought out, with the Frenchman holding on brilliantly to take a sensational maiden win in Formula 1 at AlphaTauri’s home race, as McLaren’s Carlos Sainz finished second, with Racing Point’s Lance Stroll completing the podium.

 

Lando Norris was fourth for McLaren, holding off the leading Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas in P5, after the Finn had suffered a poor start that left him sixth at the end of Lap 1. Ricciardo took sixth ahead of Hamilton, who recovered well from his penalty to take P7, with the Renault of Esteban Ocon, the second AlphaTauri of Daniil Kvyat and the Racing Point of Sergio Perez rounding out the top 10.

F1 2020: Lewis Hamilton wins Belgium Grand Prix

Mercedes Lewis Hamilton swept to his fourth victory at the Belgium Grand Prix, leading home his teammate Valtteri Bottas as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took third to maintain his record of finishing on the podium at every race he’s been classified in this year.

Following his dominant pole on Saturday, Hamilton resisted the first lap slipstreaming contest down to Les Combes to hold onto the lead, before retaining it for all 44 laps to close out his fifth victory out of seven races this year. Bottas came home around eight seconds behind his teammate, with Verstappen a further seven seconds down the road.

Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo led home the team’s best finish of the year in fourth, crossing the line under four seconds behind Verstappen after some rapid final laps, with Esteban Ocon overtaking the Red Bull of Alex Albon on the final tour to take fifth, Albon just holding onto sixth from the McLaren of Lando Norris.

An impressive drive from Pierre Gasly saw him take eighth for AlphaTauri, while the final points were taken by the Racing Point pair of Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez in P9 and P10 – with the Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc finishing out of the points in P13 and P14 respectively. Meanwhile, Hamilton’s fourth Belgian Grand Prix win sees him draw equal with Jim Clark and Kimi Raikkonen on third in the all-time list for Spa victories, behind Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna.

Bayern Munich won UEFA Champions League 2020

Bayern Munich won the UEFA Champions League for the sixth time after beating first-time finalists Paris-Saint-Germain 1-0 in a spectacular-less final at the Estadio da Luz, Lisbon. 

In front of just a few hundred people, including the coronavirus-checked players and officials, it was the Paris-born Kingsley Coman who scored the only goal of the match as the Bavarians won the premier competition after seven years.

After a feisty first half involving shots off the woodwork for Robert Lewandowski and two saves from Manuel Neuer against Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, Coman scored the only goal of the game when he glanced home a cross from Joshua Kimmich in the 59th minute.

PSG substitute Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting missed two late opportunities to level for the French side, who are still waiting to win their first Champions League title after billions of euros of investment from the Qatar royal family.

 

With this win, Bayern Munich is the first side in European Cup/Champions League history to win 100 percent of their games in a single campaign en route to lifting the trophy (11 wins). Bayern joins deposed champion Liverpool as six-time champions of Europe, only behind AC Milan (7) and Real Madrid (13).

MotoGP 2020: Miguel Oliveira wins Styria Grand Prix

Oliveira and Tech3 KTM take a shock victory in a 12-lap Styrian MotoGP sprint at the Red Bull Ring, Oliveira sweeping past both the Ducati of Miller and KTM of Espargaro as they fought at the final corner.

Miller held Espargaro at bay for a second, with Mir fourth at the chequered flag ahead of Andrea Dovizioso - the Ducati rider dropping out of podium contention after running wide on the last lap.

Alex Rins was sixth on the Suzuki, while Nakagami's podium hopes faded in the second race and he was seventh in the end, with Brad Binder (KTM), Valentino Rossi on the Yamaha and Tech3's Iker Lecuona completing the top 10.

Danilo Petrucci grabbed 11th on the works team Ducati ahead of Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro, while a struggling Fabio Quartararo on the Petronas SRT Yamaha maintains a slender three-point lead over Dovizioso after finishing 13th.

Johann Zarco came from the pitlane in the first race to score two points with 14th on the Avintia Ducati, with Franco Morbidelli completing the top 15 on the SRT Yamaha.

MotoGP 2020: Andrea Dovizioso wins Austrian Grand Prix

Andrea Dovizioso won an eventful Austrian MotoGP for Ducati just 24 hours after revealing he would leave the Italian team at the end of the season. Spain’s Joan Mir on a Suzuki robbed Ducati of a one-two by clinching the second spot from Australian Jack Miller with a single corner to spare. 

In a two way tangle on lap eight at the empty Spielberg circuit, Yamaha's Morbidelli and Zarco hit the deck at high speed. Zarco's Ducati carried on without him, cut a corner and narrowly missed the veteran Valentino Rossi, who was clearly shaken by the close shave and who went on to take fifth. The riderless bike exploded into pieces at a safety barrier scattering debris through the air as the race was red-flagged.

This was Ducati's fifth consecutive MotoGP success at Spielberg and their 50th in the elite division. The MotoGP standings continue to be led by Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha's satellite SRT team rider and winner of the coronavirus-curtailed season's first two races in Jerez. The Frenchman finished eighth in this fourth leg of the campaign.

 

The day's big loser was Maverick Vinales, who had started from pole on his Yamaha only to trail in 10th and lose his second position in the championship to Dovizioso. South African Brad Binder, who celebrated his breakthrough MotoGP win last weekend in Brno, took fourth for home team KTM. Defending champion Marc Marquez was missing for the third race in a row following surgery on a broken arm sustained in a crash in the season-opening Spanish Grand Prix.

F1 2020: Lewis Hamilton wins Spanish Grand Prix

Mercedes Lewis Hamilton executed a near-perfect race at the Spanish Grand Prix, leading every lap from pole to record his fifth Spanish Grand Prix win, his fourth victory of the season, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen coming home ahead of the sister Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas.

The seeds of Hamilton’s victory were sown by a strong start for him, as Bottas dropped from P2 to P4 off the line, before eventually recovering to third, while Verstappen jumped to second at the getaway, but ultimately wasn’t able to make any in-roads into Hamilton’s lead, as he finished 24s adrift.

Racing Point’s Sergio Perez crossed the line in fourth but dropped to fifth thanks to a five-second penalty for ignoring blue flags, allowing Lance Stroll to claim P4. Perez eventually slotted into fifth, ahead of the McLaren of Carlos Sainz – who maintained his 100% record of finishing in the points at his home race – and the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel, who benefitted from a late decision to switch him onto a one-stop strategy to come home in seventh.

 

He finished ahead of the second Red Bull of Alex Albon, the Thai driver hurt by having had to switch early to a set of hards, while the AlphaTauri of Pierre Gasly and the second McLaren of Lando Norris rounded out the top 10 – the expected strong race pace from Renault having failed to materialize on race day, as Daniel Ricciardo wound up 11th, with Esteban Ocon 13^th.

MotoGP 2020: Brad Binder wins Czech Republic Grand Prix

Brad Binder dominated the Czech Republic Grand Prix at claim a maiden win for him and KTM in MotoGP, while points leaders Fabio Quartararo, Maverick Vinales, and Andrea Dovizioso struggled.

Binder, the 2016 Moto3 champion, was promoted to the factory KTM team for 2020 after Johann Zarco's exit from the squad and eased to the chequered flag for a historic victory in just his third race in the premier class. Poleman Zarco (Avintia Ducati) botched his launch off the line at the start and dropped to sixth, while Franco Morbidelli put his Petronas SRT Yamaha into the lead having been tipped by many pre-races as the favorite for victory.

Morbidelli began to drop pace in the latter stages but held on to claim a maiden MotoGP podium in second. Zarco held third after expertly taking the long lap penalty, keeping the fading Quartararo at bay, but came under massive attack from the charging Suzuki of Alex Rins he began to struggle with rear grip issues.

 

Rins couldn't find a way through, as Zarco pinched his first podium since Malaysia 2018 and the first for Avintia. Rins' fourth came as he continues to recover from a fractured arm suffered at Jerez last month, with Valentino Rossi rising to fifth from 10th as the top factory Yamaha runner.

 

Miguel Oliveira took his best MotoGP result in sixth on the Tech3 KTM, heading Quartararo, Takaaki Nakagami (LCR), Pramac's Jack Miller, and Aprilia's Espargaro. In a woeful day for the factory Ducati team, Dovizioso was 15s from the win in 11th ahead of Danilo Petrucci, while Maverick Vinales plummeted to a mystifying 14th on the second factory Yamaha.

 

Alex Marquez took the last point on the works Honda. Vinales' miserable afternoon means Quartararo extends his championship lead to 17 points over his Yamaha stablemate, with Morbidelli now third after ending Sunday's race as top Yamaha runner.

F1 2020: Max Verstappen wins 70th Anniversary Grand Prix

Max Verstappen has become the first non-Mercedes driver to win a race in 2020, the Red Bull racer winning out in the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix from the Mercedes pairing of Lewis Hamilton and polesitter Valtteri Bottas after an incredible display at Silverstone.

 

Verstappen had been the only driver in the top 10 to begin the race on the hard tyres. And after starting P4 – which became P3 by Turn 1, after he quickly passed the Racing Point of Nico Hulkenberg – he managed his pace brilliantly throughout the race, pressuring the Mercedes early on before taking the lead from Bottas with a brilliant move around Luffield, before racing to the finish for his first victory since Brazil last year – and Red Bull’s first at Silverstone since 2012.

Hamilton enjoyed a late-race surge, passing his teammate with two laps to go into Brooklands to claim second place – equalling the number of podium finishes of Michael Schumacher in the process – while it was the second time in three years that Bottas has failed to convert a Silverstone pole into a win, as he came home third.

 

Charles Leclerc was another driver to manage his tyres well, making a one-stop work to claim a fine P4, while teammate Sebastian Vettel could only manage P12, having spun on his own at the first corner of the race. Alex Albon took fifth for the second Red Bull, passing the Racing Point of Lance Stroll with a lap to go, Stroll ending up P6 ahead of stand-in teammate Nico Hulkenberg, who stopped late on for soft tyres.

 

Rounding out the top 10, Esteban Ocon was P8, ahead of the McLaren of Lando Norris and the AlphaTauri of Daniil Kvyat, who despite his lower starting position, finished one spot ahead of teammate Pierre Gasly to take his second point of the season.

F1 2020: Lewis Hamilton wins British Grand Prix

An incredible final few laps of the 2020 British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton claim the seventh and possibly most dramatic Silverstone win of his career, despite his left-front tyre letting go with half a lap still to go.

 

Hamilton and teammate Valtteri Bottas had been formation flying for 50 of the 52 laps at Silverstone until tyre drama struck. Second-placed man Bottas was the first to suffer as his tyre deflated on Lap 50, costing him second place, before, on the very last lap, Hamilton suffered his own issue.

However, with Max Verstappen having opted to pit a few laps from the end to try and claim the fastest lap, Hamilton had enough time in hand to just cross the line first, five seconds ahead of Verstappen and the third-placed Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. McLaren’s Carlos Sainz had been set to finish fourth, but his own last lap tyre issue saw him eventually come home P13, allowing Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo to claim fourth, following a late pass on the sister McLaren of Lando Norris.

 

Renault’s Esteban Ocon finished sixth, having enjoyed a race-long battle with the Racing Point of Lance Stroll, with Pierre Gasly having enjoyed a fine race to finish seventh for AlphaTauri. Alex Albon finished eighth for Red Bull, having recovered from a Lap 1 tussle with the Haas of Kevin Magnussen that saw him fall to last, while Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel rounded out the top 10, Vettel holding off a late charge form the recovering Mercedes of Bottas.

MotoGP 2020: Fabio Quartararo wins Andalusia Grand Prix

Fabio Quartararo earned a dominant pole-to-flag victory to make it two wins from two to start the MotoGP World Championship season. A week on from securing a maiden premier class win, Quartararo doubled up in Jerez to earn maximum points at a swelteringly hot Andalusia Grand Prix, in a race where the action all took place behind the runaway leader.

 

With world champion Marc Marquez unable to race despite attempting to qualify a week on from sustaining a broken arm, the brilliant Francesco Bagnaia appeared on course for a maiden podium. However, the Pramac Racing rider's bike smoked up with six laps to go, leaving Bagnaia visibly frustrated at the trackside.

Maverick Vinales ultimately took a scarcely deserved second-place finish for the second week running in an error-strewn display, with the great Valentino Rossi completing the podium.

 

Vinales would have started the day with hopes of victory but paid the price for being too aggressive at the final turn of the opening lap when chasing Quartararo, going wide and allowing Monster Energy Yamaha team-mate Rossi to pass. The Spaniard was frustrated in his bid to pass Rossi and another mistake when going wide at Turn 6 with 16 laps to go allowed Bagnaia to slip by.

MotoGP 2020: Fabio Quartararo wins Spanish Grand Prix

Fabio Quartararo finally turned pole into victory as Marc Marquez was injured in the process of making a couple of uncharacteristic errors at MotoGP delayed season opener in Jerez. Frenchman Quartararo was named rookie of the year in 2019 but failed to register a victory despite qualifying first on six occasions.

 

But the Petronas Yamaha rider finally earned a maiden premier class triumph at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, the first race of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. It looked like being a familiar tale when Marquez passed race leader Maverick Vinales with 23 laps remaining after the duo thrillingly jostled for position.

However, the defending champion, racing on the brink as MotoGP fans have become accustomed to witnessing in his career, went far too wide at Turn 4 a couple of laps later and into the dirt - impressively holding the bike to continue in the race. The Spaniard valiantly fought back through the field and appeared on course to brilliantly finish second until losing the bike with a huge high side with four laps to go when chasing Vinales – his Repsol Honda smashing painfully into his arm. Images showed him on a stretcher later in the race.

 

Quartararo himself had made an inauspicious start, slipping from first to fifth in the opening laps as Vinales took ownership of top spot. Vinales had already made an error shortly prior to locking up at Turn 13 with 17 laps to go, though, and he ultimately had to settle for winning the battle for second.

 

Jack Miller of Pramac Racing had held a podium spot for much of the race but eventually slipped behind Andrea Dovizioso, who only underwent surgery on a broken collarbone last month. Valentino Rossi was among the retirees along with Joan Mir, whose team-mate Alex Rins did not race after sustaining a serious shoulder injury on Saturday. Cal Crutchlow was also inactive following a bad crash in Sunday's warm-up that left him with a concussion.

F1 2020: Lewis Hamilton wins Hungary Grand Prix

Mercedes Lewis Hamilton enjoyed a peerless run to his eighth Hungarian Grand Prix victory, winning out over the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, as he tied with Michael Schumacher’s record for the most number of wins at a single venue.

 

Starting from pole, Hamilton quickly surged into a comfortable lead in the early laps, before managing his pace over his rivals in the encounter at the Hungaroring, eventually taking the flag 8.7s ahead of Verstappen to seal his third win in a row at this race.

 

Verstappen himself overcame a poor qualifying that saw him start P7, and then an embarrassing crash into the Turn 12 wall on his lap to the grid that required some urgent repairs, to claim P2, the Dutchman holding off an attack by third-place Valtteri Bottas in the final stages of the race.

Racing Point’s Lance Stroll couldn’t convert his P3 grid position into the team’s first podium of the year as he came home a distant fourth. A late pass from Red Bull’s Alex Albon on the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel gave Albon – who started 13th – P5, although Red Bull was summoned to the stewards after the race for allegedly drying Albon’s grid spot ahead of the race start. Vettel held off the second Racing Point of Sergio Perez in the final laps of the race, as the Mexican finished seventh, having started fourth, while Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo made a monster 42-lap stint on mediums work to take eighth.

 

With the track greasy ahead of the race start but the rain had stopped falling, an inspired strategy from Haas helped Kevin Magnussen take the team’s first points of the year, with Magnussen and Romain Grosjean pitting for slicks at the end of the formation lap as their rivals started on intermediates on the drying track, with the Dane eventually taking P9 after a fine race. McLaren’s Carlos Sainz rounded out the top 10, thanks to a late-race pass on the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, who ended up 11th.