Summary

  • Verstappen wins Imola classic as Norris makes podium

  • Race suspended after Bottas & Russell suffer huge crash

  • Hamilton recovers to second after spin

  • Furious exchange between Russell and Bottas

  • Verstappen leads after robust overtake on Hamilton during wet start

  • Latifi crashes out, Schumacher crashes under safety car

  • Penalties for Perez and Vettel

  1. 'Uncharacteristic mistake from Hamilton'published at 15:02 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Jolyon Palmer
    Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    It was an uncharacteristic mistake from Hamilton. He was desperate to pass the back markers. He got on a wet patch and slithered off. He has had a reprieve with the red flag.

  2. Postpublished at 15:02 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Just to confirm, Lewis Hamilton is still in this race after going through the gravel and into the wall, but he managed to get out eventually and he is down in ninth.

    With that red flag, all the cars are back in the pits.

    When we start again, we will have 17 cars still in this incredible grand prix.

    It will be in this order...

    1. Verstappen, 2, Leclerc, 3. Norris, 4. Perez, 5. Sainz, 6. Ricciardo, 7. Stroll, 8. Raikkkonen, 9. Hamilton, 10. Tsunoda, 11. Giovinazzi, 12. Alonso, 13. Ocon, 14. Gasly, 15. Vettel, 16. Schumacher, 17. Mazepin.

    Out - Bottas, Russell, Latifi.

  3. Team radio - Russell to Williamspublished at 14:59 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    "What the xxxx was he doing?! Honestly is he a xxxx or what?!!!'

  4. Team radio - Bottas to Mercedespublished at 14:59 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Bottas: "What the xxxxx"

    Mercedes: "Are you OK?"

    Bottas: "That was a big one. All good."

  5. Russell at fault?published at 14:59 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Jolyon Palmer
    Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    I think Russell has lost that by himself and then gone into Bottas. Russell is furious and went down to remonstrate. It looked like he lost it on his own.

  6. red flag

    Red flagpublished at 14:58 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Stop!

    This might not be the worst news for Lewis Hamilton as his team get the chance to fix his Mercedes, which he has managed to limp back to the pits after going into the wall.

  7. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:58 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    #bbcf1

    Matthew: The Mercedes curse is real!

    Alex Withington: I can't actually remember the time when Lewis last made a mistake like that.

    Violet-Finn: Hamilton crash meaning a potential podium for Norris?

  8. Postpublished at 14:57 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    George Russell is angry at Bottas, with both cars in pieces on the grass, Russell storms over to the Finn, remonstrates with Bottas and then slaps him on the head, while he was still in his Mercedes.

  9. Postpublished at 14:56 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Jack Nicholls
    BBC Radio 5 Live F1 commentator

    Russell is absolutely furious. Huge crash!

  10. Postpublished at 14:56 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Lewis Hamilton managed to get the Mercedes going, but has massively dropped down the order and has to get into the pits quickly.

    We're under safety car conditions.

  11. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:55 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    #bbcf1

    Quixoticgeek: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

    TOQ: Hamilton off lets gooooo!!

  12. 'Big error from Hamilton'published at 14:54 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Jack Nicholls
    BBC Radio 5 Live F1 commentator

    Hamilton's battle for the win is done! Big error.

  13. Bottas and Russell are off - collisionpublished at 14:54 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    One-race team-mates last season, and they've collided today but Valtteri Bottas and George Russell are both out.

  14. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:54 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    #bbcf1

    Kayleigh: I know 4 seconds is so so fast, but it sounds like minutes in terms of pit stops.

  15. Hamilton into the gravelpublished at 14:53 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    He's clipped the wall. Disaster for Lewis Hamilton, as he slipped through the gravel.

    Will he get the car going again? This could be his race done!

  16. Postpublished at 14:53 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Sergio Perez has come in to the pits and served his 10-second penalty. Must be so strange when everything is so frantic all day and you have to wait and wait and wait.

  17. 'Perfect for Verstappen'published at 14:52 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Jolyon Palmer
    Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    It would have been so tight had Hamilton had a good pit stop. I think Mercedes could have been more aggressive in that pit window. Verstappen pitted at the perfect moment.

  18. Postpublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Lap 30/63

    Hamilton comes back out on track and is only in second as Verstappen, thanks to a better pit stop from his team, is ahead.

  19. Postpublished at 14:51 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    Jack Nicholls
    BBC Radio 5 Live F1 commentator

    The two-second delay on the pit stop was a huge issue for Hamilton.

  20. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:51 British Summer Time 18 April 2021

    #bbcf1

    Anime: Russell running behind Bottas like this has a 'changing of the guard' feel to it Hamilton in a damaged car keeping pace with Verstappen this race is separating the great from the exceptional.

    Turnit: Why doesn’t Danny Ric have any pace?

    loekieprivat: Looks like this race is separating the men from the boys. Some even with damage. Who said drivers are just robots executing the tactics?