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:
Bottas nowhere and can’t help Hamilton
LAP 30/53: Valtteri Bottas is enduring a torrid race is nowhere near being able to help his team-mate out, here.
The Finn has just made his pit-stop and is down in a lowly 16th behind Antonio Giovinazzi.
Lando Norris pits from the lead
LAP 29/53: Lando Norris makes his stop and drops to fourth place behind Perez, Alonso and Leclerc, none of whom have stopped yet.
That’s a strong recovery from McLaren after a slow stop with Ricciardo earlier.
Verstappen passes Russell
LAP 28/53: Verstappen has made a very swift move on Russell to take 11th place, and now has Daniel Ricciardo in his sights.
The Dutchman can score very strong points here still.
Hamilton and Verstappen make pit stops
LAP 27/53: Lewis Hamilton is in and out quickly for a set of hard tyres in the Mercedes and re-joins in ninth place, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo and behind Lance Stroll.
Max Verstappen’s stop for Red Bull is slightly slower and he comes back out behind George Russell in 12th.
Sainz won’t trouble Norris
LAP 25/53: Early leader Carlos Sainz is stuck in tenth place behind Valtteri Bottas, with the gap to Lando Norris in first place now 30s.
The average time a driver loses for a pit stop here is 24s so Norris is comfortably clear of the Ferrari.
Perez attacking Hamilton
LAP 24/53: “He’s lost his tow, come on” says Sergio Perez’s race engineer of Lewis Hamilton after Ricciardo’s stop.
Perez is just over a second behind and Hamilton could be vulnerable if the Mexican can make it into DRS range.
Ricciardo in the pits and loses time
LAP 23/53: Daniel Ricciardo pits from second place and it’s a dreadful stop!
The mechanics are very slow on one of the the Australian’s rear tyres and he will surely lose his place to Hamilton now. He comes back out in 14th.
Bottas still aiming high
LAP 20/53: Valtteri Bottas race engineer has been on the radio to say the Finn is “still looking at a top five finish.”
That seems optimistic right now, with Bottas tenth and yet to stop, but there’s a long way to go here and some of the cars who stopped earlier may have to switch to a two-stop strategy.
Alonso next up for Verstappen
LAP 18/53: The next car Verstappen will be trying to overtake is the Alpine of Fernando Alonso in fifth, who will put up a stronger fight than anybody else out there.
The Spaniard cost Hamilton victory at Hungary with great defensive driving and will try the same here, no doubt. The gap is 1.8s.
Verstappen hunting down Hamilton
LAP 16/53: Lewis Hamilton is currently third, stuck behind both McLarens, and Max Verstappen is hunting him down inside the top ten.
The Dutchman is up to sixth place, having overtaken plenty of cars who have already stopped, but most crucially the gap between the Red Bull and the Mercedes is only eight seconds.
Verstappen is in a strong position here, a second per lap quicker than Hamilton.
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