1 Racing Mind’s Formula 1 Season Ending Team Report Card: Alfa Romeo Racing

Photo Credit: Charles Coates/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

 

Team Grade: C-

Overall Season: 

The former Sauber Formula 1 team’s second year operating under the persona of Alfa Romeo Racing has been deep disappointment. Scoring 57 points in the Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship for the 2019 season after 13 top-10 finishes, the squad collected just 8 points 2020 in 5 top-10 results. Although the 2020 schedule contained four fewer events than the previous season’s calendar, Alfa Romeo Racing’s deteriorating performance this past season was also clear on the track. In qualifying, team drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi settled with an average placement of 16.8 before accounting for grid penalties.

Alfa Romeo Racing’s partnership with Ferrari has been alluded to by observers as the reason for the lackluster 2020 campaign. The Ferrari power unit performance deficit in competition was viewed as an anchor to Alfa Romeo Racing as well as Haas F1 Team and specifically Scuderia Ferrari throughout the year. 

The driver lineup for the team consisting of 2007 Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen and Italian Antonio Giovinazzi performed decently throughout the 2020 season with the failings of the Ferrari-powered C39 race car. By the end of the year, both the highly-experienced Raikkonen and Giovinazzi who were running in his second full-time Formula 1 campaign gathered four points apiece. 

 

Achievements During 2020 Season:

Gaining points in just 4 of the 17 grand prix events on the 2020 Formula 1 calendar, Alfa Romeo Racing team’s top 10 result at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was a particular high moment in a fairly lowly season. At the end of the 63-lap event on Italy’s Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari commonly recognized as Imola, the cars draped in Alfa Romeo colours flew to a double-point scoring finish. Electing to use a single pit stop plan for both cars, the execution involved contrasting strategies. Finishing ninth, Kimi Raikkonen’s #7 machine started on medium compound tires and waited until lap 48 to take on soft compound Pirelli rubber. The #99 car of Antonio Giovinazzi left the race grid on soft compound Pirelli tires but pitted to receive medium compound tires on lap 10. 

Though the team technically competes under Sauber’s Swiss flag, Alfa Romeo Racing’s most successful run for the 2020 season coming at an Italian race would have provided an extra sense of thrill with the accomplishment. 

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

Lacking engine power and finding no other significant advantage to overcome it, Alfa Romeo Racing faced trouble scoring top 10 finishes throughout 2020. Although the team’s C39 race cars were mechanically reliable with a total of five race retirements between their two entrants, they were non-factors in a number of grand prix events. 

While Alfa Romeo Racing’s pit road strategy call paid off with points at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, their plan at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza was a major miss. For what was a chaotic event, both Alfa Romeo cars were running in the top-five aided by the opportune deployment of a safety car early in the event. Another safety car quickly turning into a red flag period brought forth after Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari crashed proved costly for Antonio Giovinazzi when the team pitted the #99 while the pit road was closed. Running second for a brief time when racing resumed after the red flag, Kimi Raikkonen faded as his soft compound tires wore falling to what would be a 13th place finish.  

Team Drivers

#7 Kimi Raikkonen: B-

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

Turning 41 years old in October of 2020, Kimi Raikkonen is defying conventions in modern Formula 1 that favours younger pilots. As the 2007 Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champion, the Finnish competitor first competed in the series in 2001 after barely qualifying for the sport’s Super License due to limited car racing experience. Raikkonen suited up to run his 18th season on the tour competing for a second season with the Alfa Romeo Racing team realizing that the squad may lack race-winning prowess of previous teams such as Ferrari and McLaren but eager to keep fighting for grand prix honours. 

In 2020, Kimi Raikkonen claimed a pair of Formula 1 records related to his endurance in the sport. Raikkonen’s 323rd start in the series the Eifel Grand Prix game him the recognition for being the driver with the most Formula 1 starts. The Finnish driver also gained the top honour for having the most grand prix entries. Secured to race for Alfa Romeo Racing for 2021, Kimi Raikkonen is set to place the mark higher. 

On a competitive front, the Finnish endured a rather difficult 2020 season with an outmatched race car. Raikkonen accomplished scoring points in his #7 Alfa Romeo Racing car twice over the course of 17 races.

Achievements During 2020 Season:

Though the season was limited in success, Kimi Raikkonen was provided with a few opportunities to remind his fellow competitors as well as other race observers that he still has hunger that led to his 2007 Formula 1 championship. 

The veteran Finnish pilot for Alfa Romeo Racing would end two grand prix events in ninth place. The first came as Raikkonen survived the Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello slotting between the Ferraris driven by Charles Leclerc and former teammate Sebastian Vettel. His second point-scoring finish was part of a double-point scoring effort by his race team at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. In the second effort, Raikkonen ran until lap 48 on medium compound tires before making his one and only pit stop in the event.

Raikkonen would crack the top-10 in qualifying once during the 2020 season under tricky driving conditions on the weekend of the Turkish Grand Prix. The #7 car would place 8th on the grid after the Q3 session concluded.

Although he would ultimately finish an unremarkable 13th place, Kimi Raikkonen and his Alfa Romeo Racing team staged an amusing showing during the middle stage of the Italian Grand Prix on the Monza track. Following the second standing start in the race, the Finnish driver and his #7 Alfa Romeo C39 race car ran in second place for several laps before his soft compound Pirelli tires wore out.  

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:  

Though Kimi Raikkonen competed valiantly in 2020, the year on the track was a mostly miserable outing. Scoring just four points in the drivers’ standings after 17 races, Raikkonen’s season-ending tally is the worst in his Formula 1 career (this includes the Finnish driver entered Formula 1 in 2001 when only the top-six finishers in a grand prix received points).

Suffering only one retirement during the season in the opening round in Austria, Kimi Raikkonen spent the large portion of the year finishing well out of the points in a lackluster C39 race car. Qualifying was particularly dreadful for the driver of the #7 Alfa Romeo Racing entry concluding three events as the slowest driver in the initial Q1 session. Though comparing relatively equally to teammate Antonio Giovinazzi’s time trial performances throughout 2020, Raikkonen was out-qualified by the Italian driver of the #99 car 9 times in 17 grand prix events.

#99 Antonio Giovinazzi: C+

Photo Credit: Zak Mauger/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

For Italy’s Antonio Giovinazzi, 2020 was the sophomore driver’s second full-time season of competition with Alfa Romeo Racing. Giovinazzi entered Formula 1 after climbing the motorsport ladder through junior open wheel series and the occasional sports car start. In 2015, he finished runner-up in the drivers’ standings to current IndyCar driver Felix Rosenqvist in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. The next year, Giovinazzi ran in the GP2 Series and came eight points short of the drivers’ title scored by Pierre Gasly. One of the greatest honours earned by Antonio Giovinazzi was claiming victory at the 2015 Masters of Formula 3 event taking pole and winning ahead of current Williams Racing driver George Russell. 

The Italian’s tenure in Formula 1 has been a mixed affair. Debut for a two-race stint with the Sauber F1 Team in 2017, Giovinazzi’s only full season in the sport prior to the 2020 season concluded with just four top-10 finishes over 21 races last year. A fifth place scored in the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix remains his best result in the series. The 2020 season was a struggle for the 27-year-old Italian as he competed with the Alfa Romeo Racing team’s uncompetitive race car.  

Achievements During 2020 Season:

Finishing in the points in three grand prix events during the 2020 season, Antonio Giovinazzi’s best result was ninth place at the Austrian Grand Prix. 

However, as a driver competing under the Italian flag, Giovinazzi’s tenth place finish at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola likely served as a great moment over the 17-round Formula 1 calendar. “I am really happy for the team’s result and, of course, for scoring points in my home Grand Prix. It has been a very strong race, especially starting from last place, and finishing in the top ten really was the most we could do.” said Giovinazzi in a post-race Alfa Romeo press release following the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. 

Advancing into the Q3 session in qualifying one time at the Turkish Grand Prix, Antonio Giovinazzi’s performance in Saturday time trials often outpaced his more experienced teammate Kimi Raikkonen.

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

In what is a relatively short Formula 1 career, Antonio Giovinazzi has been involved in some spectacular crashes. In his second-ever time behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car for the 2017 Chinese Grand Prix weekend, Giovinazzi crashed twice in qualifying and during the race. The Italian driver fortunately walked away from both accidents on that weekend in China.

At the 2020 Belgian Grand Prix, Antonio Giovinazzi experienced another hard wreck in his career. During the race on the fast Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the driver of the #99 Alfa Romeo Racing C39 race car slipped exiting turn 14 on lap 10 crashing into track retaining wall. A wheel/tire assembly from Giovinazzi’s car flew into the path of Williams Racing entrant George Russell leading to his race retirement. Both drivers were unhurt and walked out of their machines. 

1 Racing Mind’s Formula 1 Season Ending Team Report Card: Haas F1 Team

Photo Credit: Andy Hone/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

 

Team Grade: D+

Overall Season: 

An organization that seemingly avoided the growing pains of building a competitive squad in Formula 1 when they scored points in three of their first four grand prix event in 2016, some could argue the Haas F1 Team’s fortunes acted in reverse following their 2019 and 2020 outings. For the fourth season returning with veteran drivers Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean, the American-owned race team struggled throughout the 2020 season with a slow Ferrari-powered VF-20 machine. Along with experiencing the same performance issues from their powertrain as other Ferrari entrants, other flaws with the VF-20 design caused drivers to cite the race car as lacking balance and grip.  

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

To start, a highlight of the Haas F1 Team’s season and underperforming VF-20 race car was not based on its competition. The first lap crash of Romain Grosjean at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix was visually one of the scariest impacts seen in modern Formula 1. The impact caused the Haas F1 Team’s vehicle to sheer into two and erupt in a fiery explosion. However, even as the cockpit portion of the race car had jammed into the track’s metal retaining barrier, Grosjean was able climbed out with assistance from emergency workers. While the French driver suffered severe burns to his hands and ankles, the injuries were fortunately minor compared to the scope of the crash. The halo structure as well as the safety engineering built into Formula 1 cars including the VF-20 provided an astonishing result equal to a race victory. 

Knowing that their VF-20 race car lacked the pace to competently contend for top 10 finishes, the Haas F1 Team undertook some inventive tactics to gain the three points they received in 2020. During the Hungarian Grand Prix as most of the field started on intermediate tires, both team cars were brought to the pits on the formation lap for slick tires noticing the drying Hungaroring circuit. Although the team was penalized for the manner they performed the tire change, Kevin Magnussen was able to capture a tenth place finish. At the Eifel Grand Prix on German’s Nurburgring race track, the Haas F1 Team kept Romain Grosjean on track as many racers pitted under a safety car and ultimately crossed the finish line in ninth place. 

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:  

The season was overall ugly for the Haas F1 Team. Not as embarrassing as last year when a very public sponsorship dilemma served as a distraction, Haas F1 Team’s 2020 campaign resulted in even fewer points. Ending the 2020 season, the Haas F1 Team vehicles recorded the most retirements in Formula 1 with nine (Kevin Magnussen also withdrew from the Turkish Grand Prix after 55 laps but was classified for the event). 

The VF-20 race car as well as its Ferrari powertrain is cited as a leading culprit to the Haas F1 Team’s dismal performance in 2020. Lacking grip and usable power, the pace of the squad’s vehicles was hindered at every track on the tour. During the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, the Haas F1 Team entered Saturday qualifying on an optimistic tone after Friday practice but ended the time trial promptly with 16th and 17th place starting spots. The team’s only double race retirement for the 2020 season came at the opening round in Austria where both cars dropped out of the event due to brake issues. 

Team's Drivers: 

#8 Romain Grosjean: C

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

Romain Grosjean joined the Haas F1 Team during the organization’s opening season in the sport in 2016. Competing in his fifth and final year with the American-based team, the French driver has endured the most turbulent run. After a 2019 Formula 1 season where Grosjean struggled to capture eight points with the Haas F1 Team, 2020 was a bitter disappointment. In his 15 races for during this past season, he was only able to finish a single event in the top 10. While the performance deficit with the Haas VF-20 race car was evident, Grosjean would be more open with the issues of the 2020 machine when it became clear he would not be returning to the team for 2021. Grosjean’s career in Formula 1 has come to a less than ceremonious end being forced sit out the final two races after surviving a scary crash in the opening lap of the Bahrain Grand Prix. 

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

Running the 2020 season with a vehicle that has noted issues, Romain Grosjean had few opportunities to make his veteran experience behind the wheel count. Grosjean’s best start in the 2020 Formula 1 season was a 14th place at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix on the Silverstone Circuit being one of three occasions the Frenchman left the Q1 session in the year. The highest finish for Romain Grosjean in 2020 came at the Eifel Grand Prix where he crossed the line in ninth and grabbed two championship points.

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:  

The foreseeable conclusion of a Formula 1 career started in 2009 and involved many podium finishes in 2012 and 2013, Romain Grosjean’s 2020 campaign on the track was less than glorious. Not only did Grosjean miss out on points in 14 of 15 races, he wasn’t even close to competing for a top 10 finish. One of the most difficult races for Grosjean’s 2020 campaign was the Haas F1 Team’s disastrous outing at the Spanish Grand Prix. After finishing the weekend’s first two practice sessions in the top-6, the #8 car qualified 17th and would the main event in finish 19th place.  

#20 Kevin Magnussen: C-

Photo Credit: Charles Coates/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

Making his debut in Formula 1 with McLaren 2014, Denmark’s Kevin Magnussen closed out his career in the series with the conclusion of the 2020. Son of Jan Magnussen who had 24 career starts in Formula 1 wrapped up by a career-best sixth place finish at the 1998 Canadian Grand Prix, 28-year-old Kevin enjoyed 119 starts in the series with his best race result coming in his debut in the 2014 Australian Grand Prix with a runner-up finish. Unfortunately for Magnussen, the second place result in his first Formula 1 event would be his only podium result after six full seasons on the tour. Competing with the Haas F1 Team for the fourth year in 2020 netted Kevin Magnussen one of the worst overall seasonal campaign scoring just one point. In 2021, the Danish driver will follow his father’s career footsteps into sports car racing.   

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

Set to be Kevin Magnussen’s final Formula 1 points-paying finish in his career came at the 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix. Owed largely due to the Haas F1 Team choosing to pit both of their cars for slick Pirelli tires at the start of the race, Magnussen finished event in ninth place. He was demoted to tenth after receiving a 10-second time penalty resulting for his team aiding their driver on a formation lap breaching sporting regulations for radio communications. 

In three grand prix events, Kevin Magnussen and his Haas F1 Team’s #20 race car were able to escape the first round of qualifying ultimately gaining a 15th place result in qualifying results.

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:  

Similar to his teammate Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen had to compete with a less than stellar VF-20 race car that was often found near the back of the Formula 1 grid. During the Belgian Grand Prix and Tuscan Grand Prix weekends, Magnussen’s #20 machine was the slowest vehicle in qualifying. In addition to driving a disappointing competition car, the 2020 season for the Danish driver was also marked by several retirements. Kevin Magnussen failed to be running at the finish of 7 of the 17 races with reasons for retirement consisting of mechanical issues, being caught in a multi-car wreck at the Tuscan Grand Prix and a tire shortage at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix. 

#51 Pietro Fittipaldi (Round 16 & 17): C

Photo Credit: Andy Hone/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

With regular driver Romain Grosjean sidelined due to injuries suffered the lap one crash in the Bahrain Grand Prix, the Haas F1 Team called up their test driver Pietro Fittipaldi to complete the final two races in the 2020 season in the open seat. The grandson of two-time Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champion Emerson Fittipaldi and nephew of racer Max Papis, the 24-year-old driver is American born but competes under the Brazilian flag winning several titles open wheel-style feeder series. With a strong racing pedigree, Pietro Fittipaldi debut in Formula 1 came with the Sakhir Grand Prix finishing in 17th place. Fittipaldi also completed with the team for the 2020 series finale.   

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

Though finishes of 17th and 19th place in two grand prix events are not generally worth accolades on the surface, Pietro Fittipaldi performed admirably for the circumstances presented to him. Added to the driving lineup of the Haas F1 Team within a week as a substitute entrant for the Sakhir Grand Prix, Fittipaldi’s expectations were kept modest with finishes in both races proving to be an achievement when looking at the broader picture. Team Principal for the race squad Guenther Steiner expressed satisfaction for “Pietro (Fittipaldi) did a good job in his first race having not driven a Formula 1 car in a year.”

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:

Pietro Fittipaldi’s second race at the 2020 Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi proved slightly more disappointing than the Sakhir Grand Prix due to issues with his #51 machine. Ending qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix one step up from his debut one week earlier Bahrain International Circuit but starting 17th due to other opponents’ grid penalties, Fittipaldi Haas F1 Team VF-20 race car was able to run ahead of teammate Kevin Magnussen during the early part of the race on the Yas Marina Circuit but encountered an overheating problem that required an added pit stop dropping him to finish at the last car running on the race.

1 Racing Mind’s Formula 1 Season Ending Team Report Card: Williams Racing

Photo Credit: Steven Tee/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

 

Team Grade: C-

Overall Season: 

With the year of 2020 has been tough time for almost everyone, the Williams Racing team and its personnel were almost a financial casualty what ended up being a more than three-month delay in the Formula 1 season. With a sale of the team in August securing at least the short-term future of the organization, founder Sir Frank Williams as well as his daughter and deputy team principal Claire Williams left the team ahead of the middle of the season. The new Dorilton Capital ownership will continue to use the Williams team name as well as the FW designation for race cars. 

As off-track issues for the team were in the process of being resolved, the team arrived at the season opener in Austria with sophomore Formula 1 driver George Russell paired Canadian Nicholas Latifi who finished runner-up in the Formula 2 championship in 2019. For the first time since the team’s opening season in 1977, Williams Racing finished a Formula 1 season without a constructors’ championship point. Despite the fact Williams Racing finished 2019 with a point, this year’s on-track performance appeared more improved.

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

Although Williams Racing failed to score championship points during the 2020 calendar, the team did come close to a coveted top-10 finish. The organization’s drivers finished in 11th place in four grand prix events (three times by Latifi and once by Russell). A major shining moment for Williams Racing and their FW43 race car was George Russell in qualifying. In 9 of 17 grand prix events, Russell escaped the initial Q1 session in qualifying often outrunning Alfa Romeo Racing and Haas F1 Team vehicles for the short, timed outings on Saturday.

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:  

Although the 2020 performance by the team showed improvements on-track compared to the 2019 season, Williams Racing’s best efforts were still well off the pace of the team’s efforts five years ago. The main reason for the team’s finishes of 11th place were race retirements of fellow competitors. With close not being close enough to gain constructors’ points this year as neither George Russell or Nicholas Latifi were given a chance to mount a true fight against on-track competition.

Team's Drivers

#63 George Russell: B+

Photo Credit: Glenn Dunbar/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season:

 In his second full year of competition in the top open wheel racing series, 2018 Formula 2 champion George Russell spent much of the 2020 season in the latter half of the race field. Despite not being within the top 10 for the majority of the year, Russell garnered a great deal of attention for his ability behind the wheel of a lower tier race car. His expertise has been on full display during qualifying for several grand prix events successfully mustering runs in the FW43 race car that allowed him to escape the Q1 session. 

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

The best qualifying placement for George Russell for 2020 came at the Hungarian Grand Prix where he and his Williams Racing team claimed 12th place. The Brit’s best finish of the year came at the one-off Tuscan Grand Prix at the 5.245-kilometer Mugello circuit where he was behind the 10th place Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel late but lost ground as the 59-lap race concluded. George Russell’s season performance with Williams Racing has been overshadowed by his effort with the Mercedes-AMG team.

Shortcomings During 2020 Season: 

Though George Russell displayed a remarkable amount of competence in his sophomore year, his 2020 campaign with Williams was not without a few follies. The most unfortunate mishap for Russell came at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix held on Italy’s Imola circuit. During a safety car period in the latter stage of the event caused by a tire failure on Max Verstappen’s Honda-powered Red Bull race car, Russell was running in 10th place. As Russell was waiving his vehicle in order to warm his tires, the British driver spun and crashed into the track barrier. Potentially the best chance for a Williams point finish in 2020, the effort ended in an embarrassing retirement. 

#6 Nicholas Latifi: C+

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/ LAT Images/ Pirelli

Overall Season: 

Representing one of two driver changes for the 2020 Formula 1 season, Canada’s Nicholas Latifi was the only rookie competitor to take the grid for the 17-race schedule. Combining factors such as his rookie status in general, the complications of COVID-19 in starting this year’s race season and the instability of Williams Racing earlier this year, it could be argued Latifi faced a more difficult than normal freshman start in Formula 1 competition. Although the 2019 runner-up in Formula 2 appeared to struggle to match pace in qualifying with teammate George Russell, race results were respectable considering the situation. Latifi finished 11th on three occasions and failed to finish in only three races.  

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

The only rookie involved in the 2020 Formula 1 tour, Nicholas Latifi had a rough initial outing as a new pilot installed in a struggling team during an uncertain year. Latifi’s first season in the series involved starting around the back of the grid for almost every event but also contained some steady race performances. Incredibly, three of the four 11th place finishes by Williams Racing were achieved by the Canadian. 

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:  

Latifi’s overall performance in qualifying lagged behind his teammate George Russell in every event in the season. The Turkish Grand Prix was one of the more miserable outings for Nicholas Latifi. After a Saturday qualifying that started with a wet and slippery Q1 session where many drivers struggled, Latifi was unable to record a clean timed lap. Allowed by the race stewards to start the 58-lap main feature from pit lane, the Canadian was finished Sunday's event in 19th place retiring due to crash damage.

#89 Jack Aitken (Round 16): C+ 

Overall Season: 

A 25-year-old British-Korean driver with career accolades including the 2015 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 championship and a second-place overall result in the 2017 GP3 Series, Jack Aitken has spent the past three years as a Formula 1 reserve driver. After two years as a back-up and test driver with Renault, Aitken joined the Williams Racing team in 2020 and would be granted his first Formula 1 series start at the Sakhir Grand Prix as George Russell was called over to the Mercedes-AMG race team. Jack Aitken’s debut outing went as expected with a lower-tier team but also contained an unexpected element. 

Achievements During 2020 Season: 

In his first Formula 1 start, Jack Aitken ran admirably for a driver called up from the Williams Racing reserve role to race with less than a week’s notice at a largely unfamiliar track 3.543-kilometer ‘Outer Circuit’ at the Bahrain International Circuit. In qualifying for the Sakhir Grand Prix, Aitken was less than a tenth of a second slower than Nicholas Latifi. Completing all 87 laps of the race in Bahrain, the driver piloting the #89 car crossed the finish line in 16th place. 

Shortcomings During 2020 Season:  

Although Jack Aitken’s first start ended with the a finish, his debut with Williams Racing did ultimately have an unperceived impact one of the race team’s regular drivers. On lap 61 of the Sakhir Grand Prix, Aitken spun his Williams on the circuit’s 11th turn and lost his front wing colliding with a barrier. Though Aitken continued to the pit for a new front component, the debris of the incident drew a virtual safety car that would later become a full safety car. Williams Racing’s season-long driver George Russell was leading the event in a Mercedes-AMG race car at the moment of the changing race condition. While by no means intended and certainly also not to blame for the Mercedes-AMG’s pit stop disaster that happened two laps later, the aftermath of Jack Aitken’s spin created circumstances contributing to Russell missing out on a Formula 1 victory.