Not to take anything away from Max, but...

Max very nearly got pole position yesterday, if he did, he would've been the first Dutchman to be on pole. But he lost out by 0.029secs.

However, he's done it, he won here last year, and he's just done it again.

Image source, Getty Images

I sense Toto's lovely dark locks might be going grey. What a rollercoaster of a day it's been for Mercedes... But the drivers championship could be in their house, but for now it doesn't look like the constructors is.

Listen as Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel overtakes his championship rival Lewis Hamilton, although the Briton is on course to win the world title.

Red Bull: "We have now turned the engine down, Max."

It's been a quiet day for Bottas. He started in fifth, and he's still there. But weirdly, he's now on the hypersofts and has made the most pitstops of the day... three.

Image source, Reuters

Ash Wilkinson: I don’t know what makes me feel for Danny Ricciardo more - that his Renault engines have contributed to 11 DNFs in 23 races or that he’s actually going to be a Renault driver next season

Thomas Haynes: That is heartbreaking

Tom: You wouldn't take Ricciardo gambling but you sure would love to buy him a drink!

Christian Horner has his head in his hands, but he says:

"We're absolutely gutted to lose him (Ricciardo), that issue could be mirrored on Max's car. We've turned everything down as best we can but he's continuing to circulate a pace so we want to get these remaining laps out now.

Until we get the car back and find out what it was we can't tell you what it was."

Verstappen: "Guys, if we need to turn it down, please do it."

Daniel Ricciardo's retirement means Vettel is now up to second, he's 14 seconds behind.

This race could be anyone's game if Verstappen has the same problem.

Right now, the championship is still Hamilton's as he's now in fourth, but he's not got enough left to attack.

Image source, F1 Twitter

• Lewis Hamilton is on course to win the world title
• Max Verstappen is leading after overtaking pole-sitter Daniel Ricciardo on the opening lap.
• Ricciardo was second when he suffered an engine failure on lap 61 and is out of the race.
• Sebastian Vettel is now second, Kimi Raikkonen third.
• Hamilton, who only needs to come seventh, is in fourth after going off the track when being overtaken by Ricciardo earlier on.
• Fernando Alonso was the first man out after hitting some debris after Nico Hulkenberg hit Esteban Ocon. Carlos Sainz then has to retire with a mechanical failure on lap 30.
• Home favourite Sergio Perez retires on lap 40 from seventh place.

Craig: The mercs are just burning through their tyres. I feel this has possibly been a fundamental issue since ‘14 but the huge performance gap meant it never showed as much till now. Something to definitely work on for the ‘19 car!

Dennis Sikazwe: Lewis is fuming, I feel his pain. But, as it stands, the championship is in the bag. Not a nice way of wrapping it up though.

1. Verstappen
2. Vettel
3. Raikkonen
4. Hamilton
5. Bottas

Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live

Daniel Ricciardo has just had such bad luck in the second half of the season, he has had such a torrid time. He just can't catch a break. It has been such a tough, tough season for him in terms of reliability.

Image source, F1 Twitter

I think Jolyon jinxed that one...

Our virtual safety car is ending.

Daniel Ricciardo gets onto the back of a motorbike.

Verstappen: "Check my engine if we need to turn it down."

Daniel Ricciardo makes it eight retirements. There's a puff of smoke from the back of his car. Heartbreaking since he was driving so beautifully.

Image source, F1 Twitter

Yellow flagpublished at 20:38 Greenwich Mean Time 28 October 2018

20:38 GMT 28 October 2018

Ricciardo's engineer: "Fail, 38 fail 38. We may have a bit of a problem."

Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live

So nice to see the Red Bulls back in play.