With 2023 coming to an end, it is time for our last Flashback Friday of the year! Monza 2020 was an epic event with an unexpected podium after it was the first race since Hungry 2012 to not have a Mercedes, RedBull, or Ferrari on the podium! Pierre Gasly accomplished his first Formula 1 race win and emotions were high for everyone involved.
It was Mercedes teammates, Lewis Hamilton and Valteri Bottas who sat on the front row of the grid with eventual race winner Gasly starting in 10th for Alphatauri Honda. It was an exciting first lap with Hamilton getting a good start and heading into the lead of the race. Bottas on the other hand had an awful start letting both Mclaren’s of Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz past him.
Sebastian Vettel in his Ferrari had a break failure in lap 6 sending him through the polystyrene barriers but coming to a stop safely off the track. On lap 19 the Haas of Kevin Magnussen experienced engine issues, coming to a stop on the side of the tack. The safety car was brought out to allow for its safe removal. The pit lane was closed at the same time the safety car was deployed however Hamilton and Mercedes still came in to change tyres. On lap 22 the pit lane reopened with all cars except Hamilton coming in to change tyres and the green flag to go racing again came on lap 24.
Lap 25 saw Charles Leclerc send his Ferrari into the barriers at the Parabolica in a huge accident, bringing the safety car straight back out. Due to the immense damage to the tyre barriers, the race was red flagged to allow for necessary repairs. Hamilton received a 10-second stop-go penalty for entering the pitlane while closed.
The race resumed with a standing grid start on lap 28 with Hamilton still in the lead and Lance Stroll for Racing Point close behind him. Gasly restarted the race in third but overtook Stroll on the restart putting him into second place. When Hamilton pitted on lap 29 and served his penalty it sent him tumbling down to the back of the grid in 17th place. Lap 31 had Max Verstappen in the RedBull retire due to engine issues.
It was a close race the end end with Sainz and Stroll fighting hard against Kimi Raikkonen for podium places. Hamilton began to move back through the field, and it was close, tight racing all the way through. The battle for first was intense with only 0.3 seconds being between Gasly and Sainz during the final lap.
In the end it was Gasly who prevailed, finishing 0.4 seconds in front of Sainz. It was Stroll who took the last podium place of Monza 2020. Fastest lap went to Lewis Hamilton who had worked his way back up to 7thposition. It was an emotional day for the Gasly and the Alphtauri Honda team and not one they would forget any time soon.
Written by Cesca.
The Fastest Sector 