Russian Grand Prix LIVE: Result and reaction as Lewis Hamilton wins 100th career race in Sochi
Hamilton fights back to win in Sochi
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Your support makes all the difference.Lando Norris started on pole for the first time in his F1 career and was largely in the lead through to lap 51 of 53 - but as the rain played havoc, he spun off the track allowing Lewis Hamilton to pass him and win in Sochi - the 100th race victory of his career.
With Max Verstappen starting at the back of the grid, the opportunity was there for Lewis Hamilton to close the gap at the top of the drivers’ championship, though he only started in fourth himself.
Norris and Carlos Sainz battled for the lead for a large part of the race as Hamilton dropped back initially, but after the weather change, a rush of tyre swaps left some spinning and others colliding, with Hamilton finally passing Norris just a couple of laps from the end.
Verstappen worked his way through to finish second, with Sainz completing the podium spots and Norris ending up back in seventh.
Follow the reaction from the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix in Sochi below:
Norris still flying out front
LAP 40/53: Lando Norris sets the fastest lap of the race as he defends from Lewis Hamilton, and seems extremely calm despite the pressure of the situation.
If he can maintain this pace he still has a strong shot at winning the race, with the gap to Hamilton now 1.7s.
Rain possible before the end of the race
LAP 40/53: Charles Leclerc’s race engineer has warned him over the radio to expect light rain shortly before the end of the race.
It likely won’t arrive early enough to force a slew of spit-stops for intermediate tyres but it could well make for a slippery track come the final few laps.
Alonso passes Verstappen
LAP 38/53: Fernando Alonso is enjoying another excellent drive in the Alpine so far and on much fresher tyres he out-brakes Max Verstappen to re-take sixth position from the Dutchman.
Perez and Ricciardo are the next cars ahead of the 40-year-old.
Hamilton strong favourite for victory
LAP 38/53: Norris and Hamilton are now 20 seconds ahead of the rest of the field but the gap between the two is less than two seconds.
Hamilton in the faster car has fifteen laps to pick his moment, make the move, and take the win.
Perez pits from the lead and Norris leads
LAP 37/53: Sergio Perez’s chances of a victory are over after a terrible Red Bull pit stop lasting 8.9s leaves him in fifth place behind Sainz and Ricciardo.
Fernando Alonso pits too and that means Lando Norris is back in the lead.
Hamilton overtakes Leclerc on Norris hunt
LAP 36/53: Very shortly afterwards Hamilton makes use of DRS on the back straight to cut his way past Leclerc’s Ferrari, and the gap to Norris ahead now is only four seconds. The world champion will catch the youngster in the near future.
Leclerc pits and re-enters in 13th position.
Norris passes Leclerc for third
LAP 34/53: Lando Norris has caught up with the first driver who has yet to stop and overtaken him in the process.
The McLaren starts the fight on the brakes into turn two and keeps his composure through the sweeping turn three in order to out-traction the Ferrari and move back into the podium places.
Perez could win this race
LAP 33/53: Sergio Perez currently leads and the Grand Prix and is going long on the hard tyres he started the race with.
The Mexican will eventually come out after his pit-stop around six seconds behind Hamilton, on a faster compound of rubber, and could well cause the Mercedes big problems right at the end of the race.
Ricciardo and Verstappen pass Stroll
LAP 32/53: Lance Stroll made his pit-stop early in order to exploit the undercut but he’s being punished now on much older tyres than those around him.
Daniel Ricciardo hangs a move around the outside of turn three first of all before Max Verstappen uses DRS on the back straight to pass the Canadian comfortably.
Ricciardo is eighth, Verstappen ninth.
Hamilton makes overtakes and Wolff wants the win
LAP 30/53: On this evidence though Hamilton needs no help at all!
The Mercedes man passes Stroll, Sainz and Gasly in quick succession and is now eight seconds behind Norris and chasing the McLaren down.
“You can still win this race!” says Toto Wolff over the team radio.
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