The race was supposed to be dry at the start and then rain later during the event but the rain came down quite heavily as the drivers took to the track to drive round to their start positions.
LeClerc made a better start than Verstappen (who couldn't go diagonally quick enough to cover off the Ferrari) and clearly thought that in the wet, his rival wouldn't push too hard. He was wrong and he did. Verstappen took a risky pass and made it stick. He was clearly out to race and not play it safe for the mathematically-possible championship.
The rain was coming down hard and the on-board shots showed how little the drivers could see. One world champion, Alonso, hit another, Vettel. This was not the biggest event of the first lap, as we were watching Alonso try and take Hamilton, we saw a flash of scarlet at the side...was LeClerc out of the race? No, it was his team mate Sainz. The Safety Car was out and we saw Albon pull to the side of the track with car failure and Gasly push a huge piece of hoarding around the track like a snow plough.
The race was then Red Flagged and we fast-forwarded through a lot of the coverage. The drivers got back in the car and then the restart was suspended and I went back to fast-forwarding. I think the FIA needs to consider how racing can happen in wet weather conditions. Eventually, the cars set off for a rolling start and the rain started to get heavier. Drivers were asked on the radio what the visibility was like.
Despite the plumes of water behind the drivers, Latifi and Vettel came in for Intermediate tyres. After a very brief period of analysis most of the rest of the pack came in too. Russell decried the choice immediately and Schumacher was told that they would change to Inters when there was a Safety Car. Schumacher led the race for a few metres and can now retire having fulfilled his father's legacy.
The race continued a little damp, with Hamilton and Ocon being the biggest battle on track. Latifi, miraculously stayed in the points.
The clock counted down to the end of the race. When it went red and the last lap occurred, Verstappen was in the lead and LeClerc in second and defending fiercely from Perez. To win the championship, Verstappen had to win and have the point for fastest lap if LeClerc was in second. Zho though, held that prize. Alpine finished a sterling 4th for Ocon and 7th for Alonso. Latifi scored points for Williams and the McLarens finished exactly where they started. Gasly, finishing last, will be glad with his new job at Alpine.
However, the eagle-eyed spotted that LeClerc went off the track and came back on holding his place against Perez. Race Control also saw this and investigated and put the championship contender back a place, giving Verstappen the World Champion title. So that's that. At least someone told Johnny Herbert so he could tell Verstappen. Probably not how Max dreamed it would be.
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