Two massive crashes in the first 10 laps Sunday eliminated nearly half of the field in the Tuscan Grand Prix, the first F1 race at the Mugello circuit.
On the initial start, a wreck collected Red Bull’s third-ranked Max Verstappen, who failed to finish for the second consecutive race, and Pierre Gasly, who broke through for his first Formula One victory last week at Monza.
After five laps following the safety car, the field made another attempt at restarting the race with a rolling start on Lap 6.
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But with leader Valtteri Bottas (who had taken the lead from teammate and pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap) deliberately slowing the pace, some drivers at the rear accelerated early.
That caused a chain reaction midpack that eliminated more drivers, including Kevin Magnussen and Carlos Sainz, leaving 13 of the 20 cars able to continue. The race was red-flagged for a frontstretch cleanup.
Lap 7 restart at Mugello = carnage 😮 💥
Four drivers = OUT
And all four walked away unscathed, thankfully 🙏#TuscanGP 🇮🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/d8crtpUa9H
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 13, 2020
The race finally was restarted with a standing start on Lap 10, nearly 45 minutes after the opening lap. Hamilton quickly retook the lead into the first turn from Bottas.
The race was red-flagged for a second time (the first time in four years that an F1 race was stopped twice) after Lance Stroll crashed on Lap 44 because of an apparent tire puncture.
Stroll is ok, and out of his car 👍
It looks like a rear left puncture caused him to come off track#TuscanGP 🇮🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/1jHlFhoMOi
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 13, 2020
No drivers were injured in the incidents. The seven eliminated from the race in the first two crashes were: Verstappen, Gasly, Sainz, Magnussen, Antonio Giovinazzi, Nicholas Latifi and Esteban Ocon.
AlphaTauri’s French driver Pierre Gasly lands in the gravel trap after crashing at the Mugello circuit (MIGUEL MEDINA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)