F1 GP Russia: Hamilton wins and thanks Bottas

Bitter sweet victory for Lewis Hamilton in Russian GP, where the pilot Mercedes takes home his eighth win of the season, ahead of Bottas e Hag. The Ferrari hits the strategy but suffers a bit from the point of view of the race pace, with Hag which after the pit stop succumbed to a world overtaking – in every sense – by Hamilton. Then comes the team order in the house Silver arrows, with Bottas who reluctantly embraces the team's cause and thus gives up the top step of the podium. Hamilton it goes to +50 up Hag in the general classification, but is not celebrating. Raikkonen completes the top ten, Verstappen – a fury on the track on his birthday – Ricciardo, Leclerc, Magnussen, Ocon and Perez.

News – A few drops of rain but no risk of a wet race. Everything is ready for the start, this is the tire situation at the start: the first four are on the used ultrasoft, while Sirotkin, Stroll, Vandoorne and Alonso are new. With the hypersoft used there are riders from fifth to tenth place. Hartley has the new hypersoft, while everyone else has the new soft. The traffic lights go out and Bottas starts from pole, maintaining his position. Hamilton follows him, at the same time defending himself from Vettel, who is immediately on top of him. In turn 2 Hamilton immediately attacks his teammate but is forced to stay behind him. But the thrilling start was at the back, for Max Verstappen, who at the end of the first lap had already climbed from second to last to 12th position. Monstrous! On the first lap both Toro Rossos had a problem - probably with the power unit - and Gasly and Hartley retired a few laps from the start. On lap 2 Bottas is in the lead ahead of Hamilton, Vettel, Raikkonen, Leclerc who passed Magnussen and Ocon, then Perez, Grosjean and Ericsson. In just six laps Verstappen is fifth! First pit stop for Alonso, who switches to the yellow compound. After the first ten laps Bottas is ahead of Hamilton, Vettel, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Leclerc, Magnussen, Ocon, Perez and Ricciardo.

Bottas brings forward the pit stop on lap 12, and returns fifth behind Verstappen. Ferrari responds with Vettel's undercut on the following lap. Then Hamilton also returns, one lap later. The Brit removes the limiter in the pit lane as Vettel is arriving, with Bottas in front of him, who has also slowed down a bit... The two are wheel to wheel but in turn 2 the German has the upper hand and passes in front of the Mercedes Hamilton. On lap 16 Hamilton tries in turn 3, but Vettel keeps him behind - with a slight change in trajectory which will then be investigated by the stewards -; in turn 4 Hamilton is aggressive again and manages to overtake. Raikkonen has yet to stop and is leader of the race ahead of Verstappen, Bottas, Hamilton, Vettel, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Leclerc, Sainz, Magnussen. Kimi returns to the pits to put on the soft tyres, like the rest of the grid, on lap 19.

On lap 25 the "twist", with Bottas making Hamilton pass in a dramatic way. The Finn was told that Hamilton was suffering from a bit of blistering... With twenty laps to go, Verstappen is still the leader ahead of Hamilton, 2.5s behind, then Bottas, with Vettel 1.4s behind the Finn. Then Kimi, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Leclerc, Magnussen and Perez.

On lap 40 Ricciardo stops, puts on the ultrasofts and returns to the track where he left, sixth ahead of Leclerc. Three subsequent laps the leader Verstappen stops and also mounts the ultrasofts. With ten laps to go Hamilton is the leader ahead of Bottas, Vettel, 1.7s behind the Finn, Kimi, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Leclerc, Magnussen, Ocon and Perez. With three laps to go Bottas asks if the race will end this way, which translated means whether he will be allowed to win it or not. Negative response from the Mercedes wall…

Hamilton wins the Russian GP ahead of Bottas and Vettel.

F1 GP Russia – Times, results and race laps