2020 Portuguese Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Lewis Hamilton became Formula 1’s most successful driver by race victories at the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix, taking his 92nd win at Portimão. An entertaining opening spell briefly put Carlos Sainz in the lead, but Hamilton eventually asserted control and headed another Mercedes one-two.

Race Guide

Season: 2020 F1 World Championship
Race date: 25 October 2020
Race start time: 13:10 local time (UTC+00:00)
Circuit: Algarve International Circuit
Laps: 66 laps
Circuit length: 4.653 km
1996 winner: Jacques Villeneuve

Pole position
Driver	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Time	1:16.652
Fastest lap
Driver	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Time	1:18.750 on lap 63
Podium
First	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Second	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes
Third	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
23 October 2020	Practice 1	11:00 – 12:30
23 October 2020	Practice 2	15:00 – 16:30
24 October 2020	Practice 3	11:00 – 12:00
24 October 2020	Qualifying	14:00 – 15:00
25 October 2020	Race	13:10

All times are local. Friday and Saturday use UTC+01:00; Sunday uses UTC+00:00 after the clock change. The race time is the scheduled start.

Championship background

Portugal returned to the championship for the first time since 1996, with the Algarve International Circuit hosting its first Formula 1 Grand Prix. Hamilton had equalled Michael Schumacher‘s 91-win record at the Nürburgring and led Valtteri Bottas by 69 points. The unfamiliar, undulating circuit and a low-grip surface added fresh variables to the weekend.

Race entries

Lance Stroll returned to Racing Point after missing the Eifel Grand Prix, restoring the regular race line-up. There were no practice-only substitutes.

Free Practice

Valtteri Bottas led FP1 with a 1:18.410, followed by Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. The session gave the field its first sustained opportunity to learn the circuit in contemporary Formula 1 machinery.

Bottas remained quickest in FP2 on a 1:17.940, ahead of Verstappen and Lando Norris. Pierre Gasly‘s car fire and a collision between Stroll and Verstappen caused two red flags, reducing useful running.

Bottas completed a practice clean sweep with a 1:16.654 in FP3, just 0.026s ahead of Hamilton. A loose drain cover brought the session to an early end and repairs delayed qualifying.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2020 Portuguese Grand Prix FP1, 23 October 2020

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:18.410	35
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.339s	35
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.781s	32
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.899s	33
5	23	Alexander Albon	Red Bull Racing	+0.955s	34
6	55	Carlos Sainz	McLaren	+1.031s	42
7	11	Sergio Perez	Racing Point	+1.497s	31
8	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.544s	35
9	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Renault	+1.648s	27
10	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+1.714s	29
11	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	+1.790s	37
12	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.797s	29
13	26	Daniil Kvyat	AlphaTauri	+1.868s	32
14	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	+2.436s	28
15	18	Lance Stroll	Racing Point	+2.544s	32
16	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+2.599s	35
17	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas	+2.759s	31
18	63	George Russell	Williams	+2.964s	31
19	31	Esteban Ocon	Renault	+3.263s	31
20	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+3.644s	34

Free Practice 2 Classification

2020 Portuguese Grand Prix FP2, 23 October 2020

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:17.940	32
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.595s	34
3	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.803s	35
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.898s	34
5	55	Carlos Sainz	McLaren	+1.173s	32
6	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	+1.235s	34
7	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+1.238s	26
8	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+1.368s	27
9	31	Esteban Ocon	Renault	+1.556s	32
10	23	Alexander Albon	Red Bull Racing	+1.703s	37
11	63	George Russell	Williams	+1.881s	33
12	11	Sergio Perez	Racing Point	+1.961s	34
13	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Renault	+2.047s	28
14	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+2.525s	33
15	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+2.550s	34
16	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	+2.740s	29
17	26	Daniil Kvyat	AlphaTauri	+2.789s	33
18	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas	+2.927s	32
19	18	Lance Stroll	Racing Point	+3.043s	26
20	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+3.456s	34

Free Practice 3 Classification

2020 Portuguese Grand Prix FP3, 24 October 2020

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:16.654	27
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.026s	23
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.158s	21
4	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+0.276s	24
5	23	Alexander Albon	Red Bull Racing	+0.463s	25
6	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.575s	20
7	55	Carlos Sainz	McLaren	+0.584s	24
8	11	Sergio Perez	Racing Point	+0.643s	17
9	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.824s	22
10	31	Esteban Ocon	Renault	+1.012s	20
11	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	+1.031s	24
12	26	Daniil Kvyat	AlphaTauri	+1.066s	29
13	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.268s	20
14	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Renault	+1.281s	13
15	63	George Russell	Williams	+1.378s	20
16	18	Lance Stroll	Racing Point	+1.446s	17
17	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.547s	20
18	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	+1.633s	13
19	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+1.743s	20
20	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas	+1.800s	19

Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton took pole with a 1:16.652, beating Valtteri Bottas by 0.102s. Both Mercedes drivers used medium tyres for their decisive runs, with Hamilton finding the improvement that had eluded him during practice.

Max Verstappen qualified third, followed by Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez and Alexander Albon. Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris took seventh and eighth, while Pierre Gasly and Daniel Ricciardo completed Q3. The close contest at the front set up an intriguing race on the unfamiliar surface.

Qualifying Classification

2020 Portuguese Grand Prix Qualifying, 24 October 2020

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:16.828	1:16.824	1:16.652	21
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:16.945	1:16.466	1:16.754	17
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:16.879	1:17.038	1:16.904	23
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:17.421	1:17.367	1:17.090	23
5	11	Sergio Perez	Racing Point	1:17.370	1:17.129	1:17.223	21
6	23	Alexander Albon	Red Bull Racing	1:17.435	1:17.411	1:17.437	29
7	55	Carlos Sainz	McLaren	1:17.627	1:17.183	1:17.520	24
8	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:17.547	1:17.321	1:17.525	24
9	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	1:17.209	1:17.367	1:17.803	26
10	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Renault	1:17.621	1:17.481	No time	17
11	31	Esteban Ocon	Renault	1:17.775	1:17.614	—	18
12	18	Lance Stroll	Racing Point	1:17.667	1:17.626	—	22
13	26	Daniil Kvyat	AlphaTauri	1:17.841	1:17.728	—	22
14	63	George Russell	Williams	1:17.931	1:17.788	—	17
15	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	1:17.446	1:17.919	—	20
16	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:18.201	—	—	12
17	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:18.323	—	—	12
18	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas	1:18.364	—	—	12
19	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	1:18.508	—	—	10
20	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	1:18.777	—	—	11

What happened in the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix?

Lewis Hamilton won the Portuguese Grand Prix and moved clear of Michael Schumacher with 92 career victories. Bottas finished second, 25.592s behind, while Verstappen took third after a lively opening phase.

Light drizzle and cold tyres made the first laps unpredictable. Hamilton struggled for grip, Bottas moved ahead, and Sainz used his soft tyres to attack both Mercedes cars. The McLaren driver took the lead on the second lap, producing one of the weekend’s most memorable moments.

Verstappen and Perez made contact on the opening lap, sending the Racing Point into a spin and forcing an early stop. Kimi Räikkönen made spectacular progress through the field, while the leading order continued to shift as tyre temperatures improved.

Bottas passed Sainz once the Mercedes began to work properly, with Hamilton following. Hamilton then closed on his team-mate and overtook him for the lead. From there he steadily extended the gap, maintaining his pace through the tyre stops.

Stroll’s attempt to pass Norris ended in contact and a penalty, damaging both drivers’ prospects. Stroll later retired. Perez, by contrast, recovered strongly from the back of the field and reached the top five before his tyres faded late on.

Leclerc finished fourth, while Gasly and Sainz passed Perez in the closing stages to take fifth and sixth. Ocon, Ricciardo and Vettel completed the points. Hamilton added the fastest lap to his victory, giving him another maximum score.

The record-breaking win increased Hamilton’s championship lead to 77 points over Bottas. Portimão had provided an entertaining new challenge, but the final result again reflected Hamilton’s ability to combine speed, tyre management and consistency across a complete race.

2020 Portuguese Grand Prix race results

The 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix was held on 25 October 2020, with a scheduled start of 13:10 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	66	1:29:56.828	26
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	66	+25.592s	18
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	66	+34.508s	15
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	66	+65.312s	12
5	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	65	+1 lap	10
6	55	Carlos Sainz	McLaren	65	+1 lap	8
7	11	Sergio Perez	Racing Point	65	+1 lap	6
8	31	Esteban Ocon	Renault	65	+1 lap	4
9	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Renault	65	+1 lap	2
10	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	65	+1 lap	1
11	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	65	+1 lap	0
12	23	Alexander Albon	Red Bull Racing	65	+1 lap	0
13	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	65	+1 lap	0
14	63	George Russell	Williams	65	+1 lap	0
15	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	65	+1 lap	0
16	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	65	+1 lap	0
17	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas	65	+1 lap	0
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	64	+2 laps	0
19	26	Daniil Kvyat	AlphaTauri	64	+2 laps	0
Ret	18	Lance Stroll	Racing Point	51	Collision damage	0

Lewis Hamilton earned the additional point for fastest lap.

Romain Grosjean finished 16th on the track, but received a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits.

2020 Portuguese Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time of Day	Time	Avg. Speed
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	63	14:39:08	1:18.750	212.708
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	66	14:43:33	1:19.345	211.113
3	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	65	14:43:58	1:19.360	211.073
4	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	62	14:38:20	1:19.854	209.767
5	23	Alexander Albon	Red Bull Racing	61	14:38:22	1:19.890	209.673
6	55	Carlos Sainz	McLaren	65	14:43:25	1:20.268	208.685
7	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	66	14:44:12	1:20.408	208.322
8	26	Daniil Kvyat	AlphaTauri	59	14:36:48	1:20.449	208.216
9	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	65	14:43:24	1:20.551	207.952
10	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	62	14:39:27	1:20.731	207.489
11	11	Sergio Perez	Racing Point	49	14:21:39	1:20.802	207.306
12	31	Esteban Ocon	Renault	61	14:38:04	1:20.859	207.160
13	63	George Russell	Williams	62	14:40:02	1:20.882	207.101
14	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Renault	61	14:38:05	1:20.906	207.040
15	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	60	14:36:47	1:21.058	206.652
16	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	63	14:41:37	1:21.460	205.632
17	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas	59	14:36:06	1:21.664	205.118
18	18	Lance Stroll	Racing Point	45	14:17:27	1:21.694	205.043
19	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	53	14:28:03	1:21.859	204.629
20	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	46	14:18:07	1:21.893	204.544

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear in this table. Time of Day is local time; average speeds are in km/h.

2020 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for drivers and teams after the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix.

2020 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Mercedes	256
2	Valtteri Bottas	FIN	Mercedes	179
3	Max Verstappen	NED	Red Bull Racing	162
4	Daniel Ricciardo	AUS	Renault	80
5	Charles Leclerc	MON	Ferrari	75
6	Sergio Perez	MEX	Racing Point	74
7	Lando Norris	GBR	McLaren	65
8	Alexander Albon	THA	Red Bull Racing	64
9	Pierre Gasly	FRA	AlphaTauri	63
10	Carlos Sainz	ESP	McLaren	59
11	Lance Stroll	CAN	Racing Point	57
12	Esteban Ocon	FRA	Renault	40
13	Sebastian Vettel	GER	Ferrari	18
14	Daniil Kvyat	RUS	AlphaTauri	14
15	Nico Hulkenberg	GER	Racing Point	10
16	Antonio Giovinazzi	ITA	Alfa Romeo Racing	3
17	Kimi Räikkönen	FIN	Alfa Romeo Racing	2
18	Romain Grosjean	FRA	Haas	2
19	Kevin Magnussen	DEN	Haas	1
20	Nicholas Latifi	CAN	Williams	0
21	George Russell	GBR	Williams	0

2020 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Mercedes	435
2	Red Bull Racing	226
3	Racing Point	126
4	McLaren	124
5	Renault	120
6	Ferrari	93
7	AlphaTauri	77
8	Alfa Romeo Racing	5
9	Haas	3
10	Williams	0

Racing Point’s constructors’ total includes the 15-point deduction imposed over its rear brake ducts. The drivers’ points were unaffected.