Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes won the Russian Grand Prix on Sunday after teammate and championship leader Lewis Hamilton collected two time penalties for infringements before the race had even started.
Hamilton, who started on pole hoping for a 91st Formula One victory to equal Ferrari great Michael Schumacher’s all-time record, finished third behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
The Briton’s lead over Bottas shrunk to a still healthy 44 points after 10 of 17 races, with the Finn collecting a bonus point for fastest lap.
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“Never give up. It’s a good day,” said Bottas, who addressed his critics in more basic terms over the team radio as he took the chequered flag. “It’s nice to get a win, it’s been a while and I need to try and keep the momentum... there’s still quite a few races to go, so you never know. I’ll keep pushing, I won’t give up and we’ll see how it ends up.”
Season’s second win
The victory was the Finn’s second of the season, and first since the Austrian opener in July.
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Hamilton’s hopes were dashed when stewards issued two five-second penalties for making practice starts outside the designated area as he headed to the grid.
“Not the greatest day... I take the points that I got and move on,” said Hamilton, who also collected two penalty points on his licence that leave him just two away from a one-race ban.
Dominant Mercedes continued its record of winning every Russian GP since the first held at the 2014 Winter Olympics venue.
Perez fourth
Mexican Sergio Perez was fourth for Racing Point with Australian Daniel Ricciardo fifth for Renault and Charles Leclerc sixth for Ferrari.
Frenchman Esteban Ocon took seventh for Renault with Russian driver Daniil Kvyat pleasing the biggest crowd of the season, and first of any size since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, finishing eighth.
AlphaTauri teammate Pierre Gasly was ninth and Red Bull’s Alexander Albon took the final point in 10th.
The results:
1. Bottas (Mercedes) 1h34m 00.364s; 2. Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) +7.729s; 3. Hamilton (Mercedes) 22.729; 4. Perez (Racing Point) 30.558; 5. Ricciardo (Renault) 52.065; 6. Leclerc (Ferrari) 1:02.186; 7. Ocon (Renault) 1:08.006; 8. Kvyat (AlphaTauri) 1:08.740; 9. Gasly (AlphaTauri) 1:29.766; 10. Albon (Red Bull Racing) 1:37.860;
+1 lap: 11. Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo); 12. Magnussen (Haas); 13. Vettel (Ferrari); 14. Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo); 15. Norris (McLaren); 16. Latifi (Williams); 17. Grosjean (Haas); 18. Russell (Williams).
DNF: Sainz Jr. (McLaren); Stroll (Racing Point).
Standings: Drivers: 1. Hamilton 205; 2. Bottas 161; 3. Verstappen 128; 4. Norris 65; 5 Albon 64.
Constructors: 1. Mercedes 366; 2 Red Bull 192; 3. McLaren 106; 4. Racing Point 104; 5. Renault 99 .