Russian Grand Prix RECAP: Lewis Hamilton wins 100th F1 race as Max Verstappen finishes 2nd
Russian Grand Prix RECAP: Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton clinches his 100th Formula One race win in Sochi as Red Bull's Max Verstappen comes second despite starting from the back of the grid.
Lewis Hamilton won a dramatic Russian Grand Prix after a late spin for Lando Norris, who had led for much of the race. Hamilton sealed his 100th Formula One race win as a result in the latest landmark of a glittering career.
His title rival Max Verstappen started 20th in Russia after an engine penalty but managed a stunning second-place finish thanks to an incredible rain-hit finale in Sochi.
Carlos Sainz completed the top three for Ferrari with Valtteri Bottas, in the second Mercedes, ending fifth and Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez 10th.
That means the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships both remain finely poised with another seven races still remaining of the 2021 Formula One season.
Recap all the updates from a hectic Grand Prix below with Express Sport.
KEY EVENTS
Thanks for joining us
Well that's all we've got time for. Thanks for joining Express Sport for today's race, it certainly didn't disappoint.
We'll be running live coverage of the final day of the Ryder Cup if golf tickles your fancy.
If not, we'll have plenty of post-race Russian GP content to come, including how both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have reacted to that race and much, much more.
We'll be back in two weeks' time for the Turkish Grand Prix - don't miss it!
The drivers speak
Honest from Hamilton post-race. He says: "It would've been tough to get past Lando unless we came up to some traffic or he made a mistake, which he hasn't been doing, so then the rain came and it was very opportunistic."
Verstappen admits: "To come from last to second is very, very good. The rain helped us to make that last jump.
"With the penalty we had, to only lose one spot basically is definitely not too bad. When I woke up this morning I definitely didn't expect this result."
While Sainz reflects: "The rain came at the worst possible time as my hard tyres were going away so we boxed, exactly the right call at the right time, and we managed to get back into P3 and a really strong race in general."
What a race
WHAT a race. Those final five laps were just manic.
This season has been incredible throughout and is surely set to go down as one of the greatest of all time.
Race-winner Hamilton just continues to set records.
"It really is game on now. Back to fighting equal," Paul di Resta says of the battle between the seven-time champion and Verstappen.
I N C R E D I B L E \ud83d\udcaf@LewisHamilton #F1 pic.twitter.com/bjPvx2xHHG
\u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) September 26, 2021
Hamilton and Verstappen delighted
"Great effort guys. That was hard work, it's taken a long time to get that 100 but so grateful to all of you," Hamilton tells his Mercedes engineers over the team radio.
"Fantastic call on the rain tyres."
While Verstappen reacts: "We will definitely take that one.
"Wow, OK that was in the end a good call. We didn't lose too many points today so that is really really good."
Incredible drama in Sochi #RussianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/iRRDiD1DbX
\u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) September 26, 2021
Norris devastation
So devastating for Norris. He looked on for a race win there if not for the rain, but instead he ends up seventh.
He just couldn't keep control of his car on the slicks in those conditions.
Norris faces further disappointment too. He could be facing a penalty after crossing the pit entry line when he went into the pits.
\ud83d\udc94
\u2014 McLaren (@McLarenF1) September 26, 2021
Lewis Hamilton wins the Russian Grand Prix
A superb strategy call from Mercedes, telling Hamilton to box just when the Briton was saying the rain wasn't too bad.
It's a 100th Formula One race win for Hamilton and incredibly, Verstappen - who started 20th remember - finishes second.
Ferrari's Sainz is third with McLaren's Ricciardo fourth and Bottas in fifth. The second Red Bull, Perez, ends ninth.
Hamilton takes the race lead from Norris!
Devastating for Norris. He stayed out on inters and he's paid for it.
It's coming down really heavily now and the Briton slides off track.
Hamilton gratefully takes the lead of the race. Verstappen, on inters, has climbed up the field and is now into P2 with Norris pitting.
Hamilton pits!
Norris says an emphatic no to inters and stays out in front in the McLaren, now boasting a very healthy 25s lead.
Hamilton however pits to switch to tyres, with the Briton saying: "It's stopped raining!"
"More is coming," he is told in response. He comes back in second, still well ahead of Alonso in third.
Hamilton ignores Mercedes call
Hamilton is told to come into the pits for intermediate tyres but he decides not to and stays out on track instead!
"It's pretty slippery but it's not raining much," he's just said.
Norris goes wide
The track is getting more and more slippery with this rain and Norris runs wide at the first corner.
Hamilton is less than 1s behind but can't overtake despite that error. He's only 0.3s behind though.
Elsewhere, Sergio Perez is up ahead of Sainz to claim the final podium position. Verstappen remains down in seventh.
The rain arrives!
And here it comes. The umbrellas are up in the stands as Norris says it's "spitting quite a bit".
How will this rain shake up proceedings?
Last 10 laps
Here we go then. 10 laps to go.
Hamilton is finally within DRS distance of Norris and he's got plenty of time to close on the McLaren.
That is unless the rain plays havoc!
Bottas is told: "Threat of rain in five to 10 minutes." While Russell reports spots of rain at turn 10.
Rain in Sochi?
Leclerc is told there could be some drops of light rain in 10 laps' time.
Hello, hello, hello. Do not leave your sofa.
Hamilton vs Norris for the win
Alonso pits which means Norris is the race leader once again.
But Hamilton is gaining and gaining with several fastest laps as he looks to get into DRS range.
Yet the McLaren man responds with a fastest lap of his own. He has to hold on for another 13 laps.
LAP 38/53
\u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) September 26, 2021
Hamilton is chasing his 100th win
Norris is chasing his first
\ud83d\ude2e#RussianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/4rUPcbEZ5i
Hamilton gets past Leclerc
And Hamilton now follows suit, getting past Leclerc to move into fourth.
The Ferrari driver then changes his tyres to medium compounds and comes back on to the track in 13th after a slow 4.8 stop.
Hamilton has clean air once more and is already cutting the gap to Norris.
Norris into third
Norris, on fresher tyres, gets past Leclerc on the inside at turn three.
He's around five seconds ahead of Hamilton at the moment.
We're on lap 34 of 53.
Hamilton setting sights on Norris
Verstappen follows Ricciardo by getting past Stroll and is now up into ninth.
Hamilton should be able to fight Norris within five laps, which would then give him 15 laps to get through to the front.
A reminder that none of Perez in first, Alonso in second and Leclerc in third have pitted.
We meanwhile have our first DNF of the race as Mick Schumacher comes into the pits for Haas with an issue.
Wolff encourages Hamilton
Hamilton is up into fifth as he overtakes Sainz and then Gasly.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff sends a clear message to the Brit over the team radio. "Lewis you can win this race," says the Austrian.
Hamilton has clean air as he looks to close in on Norris in fourth.
Norris pits from first
Race leader Norris boxes to swap tyres and it's a much cleaner pitstop than Ricciardo's at 2.9s.
He comes back in fourth, behind Leclerc who has yet to pit. Perez is the temporary race leader in the other Red Bull.
Verstappen meanwhile is past the Williams of Russell and is up to 11th, with Ricciardo next for him to pass.
Bottas is another to pit and he rejoins down in 16th.
Hamilton and Verstappen pit
We're at the halfway stage of the Russian Grand Prix and both Hamilton and Verstappen dive into the pits.
Hamilton is back out in ninth ahead of Ricciardo while Verstappen is a bit slower in the Red Bull box. That means he rejoins in 12th.
Verstappen has Russell and Ricciardo between him and his title rival.
LAP 27/53
\u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) September 26, 2021
The championship contenders pit on the same lap!
Hamilton comes back out in P9, Verstappen in P12 #RussianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/2SHSBkFapn
Hamilton pulling away again
More like it for Lewis as he sets a fastest lap. He's benefitting from the clean air left by Ricciardo's pitstop.
Verstappen has just complained on his team radio that he cannot turn his car as he struggles with his worn hard tyres.
He's got a long stint on the mediums if he pits any time soon but the gap to Hamilton is widening once more.
Disaster for Ricciardo
Gutting for Ricciardo as the McLaren driver pits and is held in the box for a long, long time.
He returns to the track in 14th place behind Alpine's Esteban Ocon.
Hamilton set to pit
"Get ready to undercut him," says Hamilton on the Mercedes radio.
Red Bull's Verstappen is still sixth but with fastest lap after fastest lap is within 3s of his fellow championship challenger.
Race leader Norris is meanwhile 10s clear of McLaren team-mate Ricciardo.
Here comes the rain
Keep your eyes peeled - it looks like we're about to get some moisture, there's already some on the rear wings of several cars out on track.
Verstappen meanwhile is still going 1.2s a lap quicker than Hamilton.
Verstappen 3s behind Hamilton
Verstappen is still sixth but he's really closing on Hamilton, who is third behind Ricciardo.
There's just 3s between the two championship-challenging drivers now.
Norris meanwhile is 10s ahead of his McLaren team-mate.
Max closing the gap on Lewis
Verstappen has just gone 1.2 seconds faster than Hamilton, he's cutting the gap at a rapid rate.
Neither have pitted just yet.
We're currently 18 laps into this 53-lap race.
Verstappen flying, Hamilton struggling
Hamilton is temporarily up to third after several pitstops, with Sainz the latest of them.
Norris however is 8.5s ahead of the Mercedes, who is behind Daniel Ricciardo.
Title rival Verstappen gets up into the points after passing Vettel.
The Red Bull is absolutely blitzing it and himself moves up to sixth - for now - thanks to some pitstops.
Norris takes race lead
Norris, still running second for McLaren, says his front left is "completely gone".
But just a lap later, he passes Sainz and regains the back lead thanks to a nice simple overtake down the second DRS straight before the braking zone.
Nervous moment for Max
10 laps in and Verstappen gets round Leclerc - but not without some drama.
The Dutchman actually collides ever so slightly with the Ferrari as he looks to go down the inside at turn three.
Verstappen is able to get past after Leclerc goes wide but he is asking for checks on his front wing. Red Bull insist it looks OK.
He is now free to get at Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel in 11th.
Out of the way Gasly
"Bottas is very close behind Max Verstappen," AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly is told.
Nudge, nudge Pierre. The Red Bull sister teams working together a little it seems.
Very soon after, Verstappen is past the Frenchman and up into 13th. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is the next man ahead of him.
Verstappen overtakes Bottas
A brilliant move from Verstappen as he launches down the inside of Bottas to take 14th on lap six of 53.
Very little defence put up by Bottas there, and now Verstappen will hope to tear through the grid to close in on Hamilton and co.
Sainz flying out in front
Risk of rain is reducing, Aston Martin's Stroll is told.
Race leader Sainz is 2s clear of Norris, who has a 7.5s gap to Russell in third.
Hamilton in sixth has Red Bull's Sergio Perez gaining on him after a sluggish start.
Plenty of action already and we're only five laps in!
Hamilton moves up
Hamilton is back ahead of Alpine's Fernando Alonso and into sixth. He's still two positions down from where he started.
The seven-time world champion got boxed in on the right-hand side heading into the first corner. He's getting back up the pack now though.
The Brit's Mercedes team-mate has meanwhile moved up one to 15th while Haas' Nikita Mazepin has got his way up to 13th.
LIGHTS OUT!
We're underway in Sochi and it's a chaotic start to the race.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz gets his way past pole-sitter Lando Norris and takes the race lead. He already has a 1.2s advantage.
Lance Stroll has moved up four positions in the Aston Martin while Lewis Hamilton has dropped to seventh for Mercedes.
Further back, Red Bull's Verstappen is up to 18th.
Brief concern for Verstappen
Briefly some worries for Verstappen on the formation lap at the Sochi Autodrom.
"My battery is draining, I don't know what's going on," the Red Bull driver says on his way round to the grid.
A few seconds later, "all good now". There'll be sighs of relief in the Red Bull garage.
Countdown to lights out
So we're almost ready to get underway in Sochi.
Can McLaren's Lando Norris hold out into the first corner to stay out in front?
Will Hamilton and Verstappen make up places?
Can Bottas hold off the title-chasing Dutchman to help out team-mate Verstappen?
So many questions! And we'll soon have the answers to them...
Changes to the grid
So Valtteri Bottas starts 16th after Mercedes followed Red Bull's Max Verstappen by taking an engine change.
#F1 - Final Starting Grid for the #RussianGP \u2b07 pic.twitter.com/EPwnnLK1mj
\u2014 FIA (@fia) September 26, 2021
Good afternoon
Hello and welcome to Express Sport's coverage of the Russian Grand Prix.
We could be in for another absolute cracker this afternoon thanks to the way the grid is set up.
It's been a thrilling season so far - and expect more twists and turns here.
We'll have all the updates you need from Sochi so stick with us! The race gets underway at 1pm.