New Delhi: Lewis Hamilton took his 100th Formula 1 Grand Prix victory in the Russian GP that started in dry conditions and ended under the rain at Sochi on Sunday.
The Mercedes driver made a late switch to intermediate tyres to take the lead when pole-sitter Lando Norris agonisingly slid out of the lead with just two laps left. Max Verstappen made it from P20 to P2, and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took third having started second.
The pole-sitter Norris eventually finished seventh having pitted at the very end but will find himself at the mercy of the stewards after crossing the pit entry line twice on his way in.
I N C R E D I B L E ?@LewisHamilton #F1 pic.twitter.com/bjPvx2xHHG
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 26, 2021
Verstappen, from 20th on the grid, finished an incredible second after switching from hards to mediums midway through the race and cruising through the field. And it was Ferrari’s Sainz who took the final podium place – having briefly led over Norris – with an early switch to hards from mediums.
Valtteri Bottas started 16th but took fifth having pitted for mediums just after Verstappen, while Fernando Alonso started sixth and finished there with a long first stint on hard tyres. Kimi Raikkonen kept his cool to make up places in the late wet conditions and finished eighth – leaving Sergio Perez and George Russell to take the final points for Red Bull and Williams, respectively.
