Lewis Hamilton won the Russian Grand Prix, taking the flag after Mercedes used team orders for him to pass Valtteri Bottas who was second. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel finished third, which extends Hamilton’s world championship lead over the German to 50 points with five races remaining, The Guardian reported.
Kimi Raikkonen was in fourth. Max Verstappen put in a storming drive from 19th on the grid after penalties for power unit replacements, to carve thorough the field and claim fifth place. His teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who also started at the back, was sixth.
Hamilton’s scored a solid victory having briefly lost second to Vettel, he came back with a fine pass. But the crucial moment was when Mercedes ordered Bottas to allow him past to ensure the win. The team have avoided using team orders previously but clearly felt they had to maximise Hamilton’s advantage over Vettel. The team principal, Toto Wolff, was apologetic to a visibly disappointed Finn. “Difficult day for you and for us, let’s discuss it later when we come together,” he said.
It is Hamilton’s third win at the Russian Grand Prix and the 70th of his career. He took the flag twice here for Mercedes in 2014 and 2015, both seasons when he went on to win the title. With five wins now from the last six races he is an almost unassailable position to do so again and claim his fifth world championship to equal Juan Manuel Fangio.
The victory means Mercedes continue their run of being unbeaten at Sochi since the race joined the calendar in 2014. Hamilton’s eighth win of the season is ominous for Ferrari. Both teams brought aero upgrades to the race, largely centred on the front wing but for the first time this season, Mercedes seem to have gained a real advantage. The Ferrari has struggled, particularly in the technical final sector for grip, where Hamilton has been strong through the last part of the lap all weekend. He exploited it but did not take great pleasure in the manner of his victory.