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When Honda Malaysia announced the flagship model for the new Honda City, mouths were left agape with the torque figures and good looks of the City RS e:HEV.

No surprises there because that’s what a flagship model is all about – a showmanship of what’s possible for a particular model by the manufacturer.

But more often than not, the second model in the line up would be equally as good, but with a different set of features and a watered down design. And a cheaper price tag.

Take the newly introduced and second in line to the City throne Honda City hatchback petrol, or officially known as the V variant, for instance.

It is expected to cost as much as the sedan variant, which puts it in the eighty something thousand league. And for that kind of money, you get a car that feels as well built as an early 2000s BMW. Which is a good thing.

But what’s not a good thing though is that we can’t show you photos of the interior until after it has been officially introduced. But we can tell you that it feels great and is similar to the City sedan.

The seats are more suited to comfort and luxury than the sportier ones in the RS. And that’s not a bad thing either because the seats are fantastic.

We got to drive one recently together with the Honda City RS at Sepang Circuit. You can read about how well the RS accelerates by clicking here.

The drive took place at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), where Honda Malaysia was keen to show off the acceleration and handling of the two top of the line variants.

The acceleration test took place at Turn 10 of SIC – a shallow gradient uphill climb that flows into Turn 11. This was a great spot to test out the power delivery and handling of the City because Turns 12 and 13 are fast flowing corners that tend to upset the balance of a car.

No upsetting the balance of the City though. But of course we weren’t really pushing them as hard as you would on a track. We were told to keep on the slower side of 110km/h.

But just as mentioned in the previous article, handling was accurate and body movement was as minimal as an everyday car could muster.

I had jumped into the competing car before any of the new Hondas though. One that was provided to establish the baseline feel of what the competitors could do.

But you don’t bring a competitor car to your event unless you are sure you can mop the floor with it, and that’s what the petrol variant of the Honda City did.

The 1.5-litre engine that is powering the V variant produces a class leading 118hp and 145Nm of torque.

These figures are not exactly what you would call powerful, but in a lightweight car designed to move people and their belongings comfortably – it is not all that bad.

It is still capable of shoving you back into your seat, no matter how little.

Exterior wise, the V variant may not be as exciting to look at because it doesn’t have the glass piano black front grill, the blacked out wing and black door mirrors. In place you get a chrome grill and a very subdued overall design.

But just like the RS, the V variant too gets the all-important LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, LED fog lamps and LED rear combi lights.

The V variant also gets 16-inch alloy wheels. Thought the wheel well looks like it could easily take on a set of 18 or 19-inch wheels. Modification ready perhaps?

Just like the RS, the V-variant also gets Honda’s famous ULTRA seats that first made its debut in the Jazz.

The ULTRA seats allow the seats to either be folded down  in what Honda calls the Utility mode, folded up (Tall mode), lay flat (long mode) and even lay the front passenger seats flat (Refresh mode) for a total flat out format that mimics a daybed. Excellent for a weekend by the beach, if you are so inclined.

But the V-variant loses out on the Honda SENSING safety suite – but expect that to trickle down the line to other models as the City hatchback goes through its product life cycle. Or perhaps there would be a City 1.5L Hatchback V SENSING, just like how there is a City 1.5L V SENSING for the sedan model.

All in all, the Honda City hatchback has made an excellent case for itself.

Fans of the Jazz were left aghast when Honda Malaysia announced that the Jazz will be replaced with the City hatchback. But after driving it, the Jazz simply doesn’t make sense anymore when the City hatchback is able to offer so much more.

Honda Malaysia has not mentioned anything about the price though, but an introduction is due to take place any day now, and expect prices to be not that far off the sedan versions.

The Honda City hatchback is now available for booking at your nearest dealer. 

Henry Ford may have forced the colour black on all his Model T customers but even he knew that there was a need to offer different bodystyles to suit different tastes and purposes. The auto industry has continued to provide customers with a wide variety of shapes and sizes for cars, with designs evolving over different periods.

So it’s not surprising that Porsche’s all-electric Taycan family is growing with additional bodystyles. The original model was joined earlier by the Taycan Cross Turismo, and now comes a third body variant in the form of the Taycan GTS Sport Turismo.

2022 Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo

“The Taycan model range has grown steadily since its world premiere in 2019. Three body variants with up to 5 engine options offer something for everyone,” said Kevin Giek, Vice-President Model Line Taycan. “I am particularly pleased that we now also have a Taycan with the legendary GTS moniker. It is positioned above the Taycan 4S and below the Taycan Turbo derivatives, so it represents a real sweet spot in the range.”

The new Taycan GTS and Taycan Cross Turismo (right).

The newcomer has a similar front end as the Taycan, but the rear half of the body and the silhouette with rearward-sloping roof line are similar to the Taycan Cross Turismo. There are numerous black or dark details on the exterior, such as the front apron, the bases of the exterior mirrors, black alloy wheels, and the side window trims – as is traditional on a GTS. However, the Taycan Sport Turismo does not have off-road design elements.

2022 Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo

The electric powertrain generates up to 440 kW (598 ps) which goes to all four wheels. With Launch Control, this can send car from 0 to 100 km/h in a claimed 3.7 seconds, and reach a top speed of 250 km/h. A fully charged 93.4 kWh battery pack is said to be able to provide a range of up to 625 kms in town, with a combined range of up to 504 kms. It is the first Taycan to break the 500-km mark, thanks to a new more efficient drive strategy. The richer sound pattern of the modified Porsche Electric Sport Sound also underscores the character of the new model.

The adaptive air suspension, including Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), is specifically adapted to the GTS, to the benefit of the lateral dynamics. A sportier set-up is available for the optional rear-axle steering.

2022 Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo

The new variant is aimed at those who want a similar level of everyday practicality as offered by the Taycan Cross Turismo, but who also want the on-road performance of the Taycan sports saloon. The headroom in the rear is more than 45 mm greater than that in the Taycan, while the cargo capacity under the large tailgate is more than 1,200 litres.

2022 Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo

2022 Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo

2022 Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo

2022 Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo

Numerous Black Race-Tex features in the interior underscore the elegant, dynamic ambience, as does the standard brushed aluminium interior package with Black anodised finish.

The first deliveries start in early 2022, with Taycan GTS Sport Turismo prices starting from 132,786 euros in Germany.

2022 Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo

 

The return of the Malaysia Championship Series (MCS) gave a chance for Leona Chin to get back to 4-wheel racing after her last outing in 2019. Although these first 2 rounds did come with a roller-coaster of emotions, the whole team was able to put together a great performance which rewarded them with two class victories.

Leona is competing in the Malaysia Touring Car category in a Suzuki Swift prepped by Tedco Racing. The practice session on Wednesday gave the team the chance to fine-tune the car before heading into the qualifying session.

Starting on a high note
Going against other rivals in cars like the Honda Fit and Toyota Vios, her best time of 2:39.944 around the Sepang International Circuit positioned her in the front of the MTC class to start Race 1.

Although Leona was overtaken at the start of the race, she kept a cool head in the opening stages as every MCS race runs for 1 hour. It did not take long for her patience to be rewarded: by Lap 4, she reclaimed her position and led the MTC category. After a smooth pit stop and clean second stint, she brought the car across the finish line to claim the season’s first victory almost a minute ahead of the nearest competitor.

Being a double-header, Race 2 was only 4 hours later and already fired up with the victory, they looked forward to another possible podium finish for Round 1. The win in Race 1 had placed Leona to start from pole in class once again and she managed to clear the early stages of the race without any hitch.

Unfortunately, Race 2 did not go very well for the team as Leona was nudged at one point of the race which had sent her into the gravel. Although the impact did not seem to be very serious, there was actually damage to the oil cooler and splitter – which was enough to put her out of contention for the race.

With two more races lined up for the next day, the team had to burn the midnight oil to make sure that the car was raceworthy for the next round. Tedco Racing’s experience was put to good use and the car was prepared and ready to do battle by Friday.

Returning to the top
For Race 3, Leona started the race from P1 in class. Keen to redeem herself from the DNF earlier, she made a clean getaway as the lights turned green. Unfortunately for her, she was forced to retire from the race once again through no fault of her own. A reckless manoeuvre from one of the SP2 contenders struck her Suzuki near the right rear tyre, ending her race even before clearing Turn 1 on the opening lap. A very sad moment indeed.

This presented a whole new challenge for the team as they only had about 4 hours to fix the car before the start of Race 4. But they managed to do it all in time, and the Leona was able to participate in the final race.

The DNF in Race 3 meant that Leona had to start from the back in her class, which was not so good. However, fuelled with the determination to make up for lost ground from the previous misfortunes, she did not stay long in P5. By Turn 4 of the opening lap, she was already in second place and on Lap 3, she had moved ahead to lead the MTC field. From then on, she remained dominant and raced to the finish to take her second MTC win of the season. With 4 races done, the team is now preparing for another 2 rounds which will be held in mid-December.

The Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) has many new models in the pipeline, virtually all electrified either as battery electric (BEV) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). It seems that HMG – which consists of Hyundai, Kia and Genesis – can’t wait to show the world what’s coming and throughout this year, we’ve seen production models being launched as well as concept cars that preview what’s to come.

The Hyundai SEVEN is one of those that will be coming and is described as the brand’s future sport utility electric vehicle (SUEV). It is likely to be a product in the IONIQ EV sub-brand and ‘SEVEN’ suggests that it would be somewhere at the top of the range, the same way the Kia Concept 9 is likely to be a flagship model.

2021 Hyundai Motor SEVEN concept SUEV

Next-generation customer experience
HMG has developed the Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) that will be used by all three brands and is optimised for EVs. This includes the SEVEN which has interior architecture to provide greater freedom and comfort for passengers. Following the 45 concept in 2019 and the Prophecy concept in 2020, the SEVEN concept opens a new chapter for the IONIQ brand. It promises a next-generation customer experience with the most advanced technologies within a vehicle that is designed as an innovative living space on wheels.

“The SEVEN concept demonstrates Hyundai’s creative vision and advanced technological development for our electrified mobility future,” said Jose Munoz, President & CEO, Hyundai Motor North America. “Its innovative interior space, eco-friendly powertrain and cutting-edge safety and convenience technologies reveal an exciting future for Hyundai SUV customers.”

2021 Hyundai Motor SEVEN concept SUEV

Aerodynamically redefining the SUV
The SEVEN concept makes full use of the flexible E-GMP to have a long wheelbase and flat floor beneath its an aerodynamically pure silhouette. The low, leading edge of the bonnet, a single, streamlined roofline and elongated wheelbase communicate a clear break from traditional SUVs powered by internal combustion engines. The pure volume of SEVEN’s minimal forms contrast with the powerful stance and commanding, rugged presence.

Aerodynamic efficiency and minimum wind resistance are vital for BEVs to go further, and the SEVEN is claimed to have a 480-km range. Thus every area on the bodywork is carefully shaped to allow air to flow smoothly. Even the wheels have integrated Active Air Flaps, which deploy or retract depending on brake-cooling or low-drag requirements.

2021 Hyundai Motor SEVEN concept SUEV

At night, the SEVEN is easily identified by IONIQ’s signature Parametric Pixel lights that deliver a Welcome Light Sequence on start-up. Parametric Pixels provide a common design thread, linking digital and analog styles, a reminder that its designers considered every aspect of SEVEN’s design, down to a single pixel.

Welcoming premium lounge
The concept SUEV’s interior design priority lies in the innovation of space and makes full use of the 3.2-metre wheelbase. With the flat floor, the designers have explored an alternative to the traditional row-based seat arrangements, creating a more fluid interior layout. The Pillarless Coach Doors offer a grand entrance to reveal a welcoming interior with a completely new dimension of space. The streamlined roofline, long wheelbase and flat floor that extends to the third row opens new opportunities to furnish the interior like a premium lounge.

2021 Hyundai Motor SEVEN concept SUEV

2021 Hyundai Motor SEVEN concept SUEV

2021 Hyundai Motor SEVEN concept SUEV

The SEVEN also embodies Hyundai’s future vision of autonomous mobility. The driver’s seat features a retractable control stick that hides away when not in use. Without the need for the usual driver’s equipment, the ultra slim cockpit and integrated screens create a lounge-like experience. The seat arrangement is unlike traditional SUVs, with swivelling lounge chairs and a curved bench seat. This seat arrangement can be customized depending on driver-controlled or autonomous driving modes.

Highlights of the vehicle are the Universal Island console, specially designed home appliances and a multi-functional Smart Hub graphic user interface. When the Smart Hub and front seats combine with the rear chaise-lounge seating, the SEVEN has an environment where the occupants can experience quality time alone or together in the glow of side-door ambient light. In transit, SEVEN’s built-in mini fridge provides chilled refreshment on the go and there are even shoe-care compartments to refresh passengers’ footwear.

2021 Hyundai Motor SEVEN concept SUEV

The vision roof features a panoramic screen that not only displays various content based on passengers’ tastes, but also changes the overall interior atmosphere to guarantee maximum relaxation and pleasure during the journey.

Eco-friendly materials
The SEVEN uses various eco-friendly materials while offering segment-leading hygienic features, such as Hygiene Airflow System and UVC Sterilization. The Hygiene Airflow System takes inspiration from the sophisticated airflow management of passenger aircraft. In its vertical mode, air is taken in through built-in air intakes in the roof rails from which the air travels inwards from above, and extracted through the exterior vent behind the rear wheels. In its horizontal mode, the air flows from the slim dashboard to the rear vents.

Most importantly, this system can activate independently whether the vehicle is in motion or not to reduce cross-contamination among passengers and isolates the airflow between front and rear occupants.

2021 Hyundai Motor SEVEN concept SUEV

2021 Hyundai Motor SEVEN concept SUEV

Bio-paint is used for the exterior and hygienically-recycled and renewable materials throughout the interior. Mineral plaster, bamboo wood and carpet, bio resin and interior paint are based on renewable sources that can reduce pollution from the production process. Extensive use of copper and hygienically treated fabric with proven antibacterial functions ensure all surfaces inside the SEVEN remain clean at all times.

UV-C Sterilization activates once the vehicle is vacated of its passengers. The control stick, first-row storage drawer and speakers pop up and then, integrated sanitizing UV-C lights help clean the living space of bacteria and viruses. In addition, there are sanitizing storage compartments in the bench and Smart Hub console for personal belongings.

“SEVEN paves the way forward for what an SUV needs to become in the EV era with a unique aerodynamic pure form that does not compromise on its rugged personality. The interior opens up a new dimension of space that cares for its passenger as a family living space,” said SangYup Lee, Senior Vice-President, Head of Hyundai Global Design.

2021 Hyundai Motor SEVEN concept SUEV

TGR Festival Season 3

The finale of the fourth season of the Vios Challenge one-make racing series, part of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Festival, saw lots of suspense and on-track drama from start to finish. Like the F1 race held in Qatar the same night, the final round (consisting of two races for each class) was run at night, a first for the series.

Malaysia’s prince of drift and also TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia ambassador drove to his third  overall championship title in the Super Sporting Class for veteran drivers, while Clement Yeo charged to his first ever overall title in the Sporting Class for amateur drivers. Actor Shukri Yahaya finally captured his first overall title in the Promotional Class after 4 seasons of racing, and young simulator racer Naquib Azlan was crowned the first ever overall champion in the Rookie Class.

The final race of the season at the Sepang International Circuit produced some of the year’s most  intense battles on track as no less than 3 individuals were in close contention for the overall  championship title in each of the four classes.

“We could not have asked for a more exciting finish to the season,” said TOYOTA GAZOO Racing  Malaysia Chief Motorsports Officer Akio Takeyama, who was also a participant in the races. “Faced with an incredibly challenging season as a result of the global pandemic, we are thankful that we were able to conclude the championship. The introduction of a night race also made the Vios  Challenge even more unpredictable and quite a spectacle enjoyed by both drivers and spectators.”

SPORTING CLASS
The second night’s race started in dramatic fashion with no less than 6 cars involved in skirmishes from the very first lap of the race as a result of the wet track. Clement Yeo made a brilliant start from fifth position on the grid to stay within a car’s length of Panglima City Racing Team’s Kenneth Koh, before eventually passing him for the lead. Behind, the  battle for third, fourth and fifth positions was even more intense which saw 23 Motor’s Ady Rahimy  being the first to be pelted off the track, followed by Team Fokus Tetap’s Lim Chun Beng and  subsequently Dato’ Ken Foo, A. Shanmuganathan, Eric Yong and Amirul Haikal.

The early incidents brought out the Safety Car on lap 6 of the 20-lap race, reducing what little gap Yeo had built over Koh. When the race resumed 3 laps later, all the attention then shifted to  Dream Chaser’s Bradley Benedict Anthony and Ady who were trading places for third position.

Yeo paced himself well in the remaining 10 minutes of the race, but it was once again Bradley who  stole the limelight when he shot pass Koh for second place and that was how the first 3 places  on the podium would be decided. The race victory sealed Yeo’s campaign to become Season 4’s Sporting Class overall champion which got him a prize of RM50,000.

PROMOTIONAL CLASS 
All eyes were on actors Shukri Yahaya and Zizan Razak who both had their sights set on becoming the  overall champion in the Promotional Class. Of the two, Shukri could be considered the most experienced, having participated in all four seasons. Overall victory had eluded him so far and he was determined that this time, he would take home the crown.

The 18-lap race began fiercely with Zizan taking the lead and Shukri in tow, while singer Khai Bahar  was in third. Positions remained unchanged in the first 5 laps of the race until Zizan made a mistake  by going wide. While Shukri grabbed the lead, Zizan never recovered from that mistake and remained in third while the front two drivers consolidated their lead to being almost 10 seconds ahead.

Shukri was determined to win and put up a strong resistance against Khai who seemed to have a quicker pace. The two were separated by only 0.3 seconds when the chequered flag came out with Shukri barely ahead. A penalty meted out to Shukri however, relegated  him to second and promoted Khai to race winner, but the overall points he had consistently accumulated throughout the season was enough for Shukri to claim the overall championship title in the Promotional Class.

SUPER SPORTING CLASS
The battle of the pro racers saw an incredibly fierce battle at the front between 3 drivers, each  of whom could win the overall championship. In the end, it was 23 Motors’ Mitchell  Cheah who exerted his dominance to win the 20-lap race ahead of Prima Pearl Auto’s Tengku Djan Ley and Telegamas Toyota’s Freddie Ang in third place. However, a post-race penalty against Cheah promoted Tengku Djan to first place.

“There was tremendous pressure going into tonight’s finale with so much being at stake, but I told  myself that I needed to run a smart race,” said Tengku Djan Ley who claimed his third Super Sporting  Class overall championship title to win a prize of RM70,000.

“It has been both an incredibly challenging and rewarding season. I started the first 2 races of the  year very well with back-to-back victories, but the following 2 races did not turn out favourably and  as a result we lost a lot of valuable points. A third-place finish in the Saturday race and a win tonight gave us the result that we needed. I would like to take this opportunity to thank not only my team and sponsors, but also to commend everyone in the Super Sporting Class for a very hard-fought  season,” he added.

ROOKIE CLASS
This season also saw a bunch of newcomers who received guidance and training under the GAZOO Racing Young Talent Development Program, a demonstration of Toyota’s commitment towards the development of Malaysian motorsports. The programme, for those between the ages of 14 and 20,  identified young racers with potential, based on their karting and sim-racing accomplishments, overall performance and level of commitment. They underwent intensive training both on and off  the track under the close guidance of instructors to prepare them for racing in Season 4.

Naquib Azlan turned out to the surprising star of the season, having performed consistently and remaining at the top of the results. Impressively, he participated in a saloon car race with only experience drawn from competing as a simulator racer. It showed that there is value in simulators too as well as the realism that can help drivers gain experience in the virtual world.

“It was a dream come true. Never did I expect to enter racing in real life and to have been able to  perform as well as I did. I am extremely thankful. I have to say a very big thank you to Toyota for having the trust in me and giving us the opportunity, the team, to Alex Yoong who helped all of the rookies throughout the entire journey. This is something that no other manufacturer has done and  to represent Toyota is such an honour. I look forward to doing this again next season,” said Naquib.

Bringing Malaysian motorsports to a higher level
UMW Toyota Motor President, Ravindran K., said the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Festival and  Vios Challenge is aimed at not only creating a series that is more affordable and accessible to the racing community – especially the younger generation of drivers – but setting out to bring as well as  promote motorsports to the masses.

“The Vios Challenge has also become an attractive breeding ground for young racing talent due to its  lower cost of entry and one-make format that is greatly centred on honing driving skills and racecraft. And with 4 separate categories of racing, the series showcases incredible talent on track for the delight  of spectators. Throughout the 4 seasons, the event has successfully attracted more than 5 million spectators (both on-site and online) which I hope will contribute to growing local awareness, interest and especially greater appreciation for motorsports in Malaysia,” said Mr. Ravindran.

 

Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas received grid penalties and were repositioned them at the start, moving the Red Bull driver to 7th and Bottas to 5th, But the moment the race started, Verstappen was ready to remove the disadvantage of starting further back and was up 3 places by Turn 3. However, Bottas got caught in traffic and feel to 11th instead,

Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly had been promoted to 2nd on the grid but it was short-lived. From the start through the first few corners, Alpine’s Fernando Alonso dueled with him and eventually took over second spot behind a quickening Lewis Hamilton. Knowing that the Dutchman was working very hard to reach him, he had to open up the gap as wide as possible while Verstappen had to get through traffic.

By lap 4, about 9 minutes after the start, Verstappen was past Gasly and then Alonso and 4 seconds behind Hamilton. Sergio Perez, the other Red Bull driver, was also making progress up the field, having moved up to 8th after passing Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda. Next target – the Red Ferrari of Carlos Sainz, Jr.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Bottas both managed to pass a seemingly weakened Tsunoda who eventually came into the pits on lap 10, the first driver to do so in the inaugural Qatar GP. Bottas moved ahead to 9th while Stroll took over Tsunoda’s 10th place. As for Sebastian Vettel, the other Aston Martin driver, from 10th place on the starting grid, he had dropped back to 15th.

Alfa Romeo ORLEN’s Kimi Raikkonen also came in shortly after Tsunoda and like the Japanese driver, Raikkonen also switched from the soft tyres that had been on at the start to mediums.

With a quarter of the race done, McLaren’s Lando Norris was up to 4th and had Alonso in his sights. The Alpine driver did not need to work any harder to move forward since he was 30 seconds behind Verstappen, so he would be focussed on defending his position and at least get to the podium for a change. But for Norris, trying to stop a hard-charging Perez from passing was occupying him and eventually, he lost his place.

On lap 18, Verstappen came into the pits and left with hard tyres within 2.2 seconds. As expected, Hamilton came in next and took just a tenth of a second longer to depart, also with hard tyres. Neither driver lost their positions. Apparently, Hamilton had been reluctant to come in so early as he felt his tyres were fine but he was obeyed orders – this time.

Other teams did not have the super-quick put stops like the Mercedes-AMG and Red Bull Racing teams, so as their drivers came in, they returned to lower positions from which they had to work their way up again. Alonso, for example, was running in third and after coming in and then rejoining the race, he was done at 8th, his place taken over by Bottas (who had still not pitted).

Tyre wear, as expected, was quite high and teams were bringing in their cars for new tyres regularly. Sainz missed coming in as he seemed to miss his call, and continued past the pits to circulate another round before pitting.

On lap 31. it was Verstappen chasing Hamilton and about half a minute behind, Bottas watching out for Perez as he kept closing in. But for the Mercedes-AMG driver, the risks were increasing as he still had not changed his tyres. And it happened on lap 34 – a puncture on the front left wheel. He slid into the gravel and managed to get back onto the track but had about 2.5 kms to reach the pits. After getting new tyres, he rejoined in 14th place.

With 15 laps remaining, Verstappen slipped back into the pits for another set of tyres and the Mercedes-AMG team brought Hamilton in right after that. The British driver had maintained a lead of about 8 seconds for many laps, while Verstappen had a huge gaps behind him so there was no distraction from aiming to beat his rival this time.

On lap 47, as a precaution, Red Bull brought Perez in for a new set of tyres, losing him his third place and he fell to seventh. Alonso was thus back in third and had a good chance at the podium with 10 laps remaining. However, Perez was determined to regain his positions and within 3 laps, he was just a corner behind the Alpine driver. Bottas, meanwhile, couldn’t complete his 51st lap and had to retire as the damage sustained earlier was too problematic.

Lap 55 saw the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) activated as Nicholas Latifi’s Williams pulled over to the side and had to be moved by marshalls. Verstappen shot into the pits for a precautionary change and maintained his positions, while Alonso looked like he was on his way to the  podium for the first time in 7 years.

As Hamilton crossed the finish line to win the race, the VSC was still active and then it went off, so Verstappen had a chance to go for the fastest lap and get a 1 more precious point – which he succeeded in getting.

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