F1: Tuscan Grand Prix 2020 – live!

Lap 1/59 Bottas gets an excellent start and flies past Hamilton off the grid. Carlos Sainz spins, and Max Vertappen is into the gravel and out of the race. The safety car is out. What a dramatic start.

Red Bull have worked their magic and it looks like Verstappen will be on the start line. That’s great news for the race. The young Dutchman is the sort of driver they love in Ferrari country.

A reminder of the standings in the drivers’ championship …

1 Lewis Hamilton 164
2 Valtteri Bottas 117
3 Max Verstappen 110
4 Lance Stroll 57
5 Lando Norris 57
6 Alexander Albon 48
7 Charles Leclerc 45
8 Pierre Gasly 43
9 Carlos Sainz 41
10 Daniel Ricciardo 41
11 Sergio Perez 34
12 Esteban Ocon 30

Max Verstappen has a problem and thee mechanics are rushed into action. It looks like the engine overheated on the reconnaissance laps.

There is a strong headwind down the straight which may give Bottas and the Red Bulls a chance to attack Hamilton off the start. The championship leader admits it could be a factorr. “It is not going to be great,” he tells Sky Sports F1. “But I don’t allow myself to be worried. What will be will be. The wind is definitely gonna make it harder today. I just hope everyone stays safe.”

Mugello has 2,800 fans at the track today, as spectators make a welcome return to F1, but what can the drivers expect? The 3.26-mile circuit is rapid, and Lewis Hamilton has warned the 59 laps will provide a gruelling challenge. Mark Webber, the nine-time grand prix winner said, did not pull any punches in his assessment …

Not one driver’s head is going to stay on around that track. Their necks are going to snap in half. It’s so, so quick

This is a special day for Ferrari, and their contribution to F1 has been honoured at this race. For the romantics out there Giles Richards’ interview with Piero Ferrari is well worth a read …

Valtteri Bottas was the dominant force during practice at Mugello, but Lewis Hamilton did some extra homework on Friday night and snatched pole on Saturday. The Red Bulls are waiting to pounce, while Pierre Gasly will start in a disappointing 16th after his maiden grand prix win at Mona a week ago. This is the full grid …

1 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes
2 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes
3 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull
4 Alexander Albon (Tha) Red Bull
5 Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari
6 Sergio Perez (Mex) Racing Point
7 Lance Stroll (Can) Racing Point
8 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Renault
9 Carlos Sainz (Spa) McLaren
10 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Renault
11 Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren
12 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia AlphaTauri
13 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Alfa Romeo Racing
14 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari
15 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas
16 Pierre Gasly (Fra) Scuderia AlphaTauri
17 Antonio Giovinazzi (Ita) Alfa Romeo Racing
18 George Russell (Gbr) Williams
19 Nicholas Latifi (Can) Williams
20 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas

When Formula One gave Mugello its first grand prix, no one expected Ferrari would arrive at their home track in such disarray. They’ve not registered a point in the last two races; Charles Leclerc is seventh in the championship while Sebastian Vettel is 13th; the team are sixth in the constructors’ standings behind Racing Point and Renault; and when Vettel announced this week he had signed with Aston Martin from next season, he revealed things had got so bad at Ferrari he had considered retiring.

But sport is nothing without hope and on Saturday in qualifying Leclerc injected the home fans with a huge dose of it. The Monégasque will start the Tuscan Grand Prix fifth on the grid after surpassing all expectations and he will have support in the stands, with some fans allowed back for the first time this season. It’s also Ferrari’s 1000th race, of course, so what price an emotional return to the podium for F1’s glamour team?

Lights out at 2.10pm (BST)