Well ... thank you for joining. It has been wonderful. It wasn’t the most exciting race overall but some lovely team order and Verstappen subplots to keep us interested.
Until we meet again.
Here is the race report from Giles Richards:
Verstappen: “The goal was always to be fifth but the way we did it, I can be pleased with that.”
Championship standings:
1 Lewis Hamilton 306
2 Sebastian Vettel 256
3 Kimi Räikkönen 189
4 Valtteri Bottas 186
5 Max Verstappen 158
6 Daniel Ricciardo 134
Bottas got the fastest lap, so he’s had a great day, really...
Wolff is on: “We should be over the moon with the one and two but it went against Valtteri, it should have been a win for him.”
Hat tip to Verstappen. He made what was pretty run-of-the-mill race into something relatively interesting. Great to go from 19th to first and then fifth.
This chat about team decisions. Yes, it is unfortunate for Bottas but this is top level sport, there is no room for sentiment. They have to do everything to win and it includes tactics.
He’s going to need more champagne ...
Penny for your thoughts, @ValtteriBottas #RussianGP 🇷🇺 #F1 pic.twitter.com/bF45OWcus4
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 30, 2018
Champagne everywhere! What a playful scene. Putin has legged it to save his suit from a drenching, which is upsetting.
Updated
Deputy prime minster of Russia seems a bit of a token role, I’ll be honest.
The drivers are on the podium. Hamilton is on the top step and waiting to spray Putin with champagne. Vlad must not enjoy God Save The Queen. Not his sort of tune.
Updated
Vettel...
VETTEL: "It was tricky - they (HAM & BOT) worked very well together. I tried to put pressure on Valtteri but couldn't get close enough... It was a good race... but not the result we wanted" #RussianGP 🇷🇺 #F1 pic.twitter.com/0CKSclUNP9
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 30, 2018
And now Lewis Hamilton is shaking hands with Putin, who is touching the driver on the shoulder. Run Lewis!
Bottas: “Personally, everyone saw it, it was quite a difficult race.”
Hamilton: “It’s a difficult day as Valterri did a fantastic weekend and he was a gentleman to let me go by.
“He did a fantastic job and deserved to win.”
Hamilton and Bottas are set for a little chat here. Hamilton is a little subdued as he knows he owes his teammate one.
Happy birthday to Max Verstappen. What a race from him. He started in 19th but finished in fifth and even led for the most laps. Incredible.
Wolff is already onto Bottas to explain why he made him step aside. It will all be done in private but Wolff seems a little quiet at the moment, possibly worried that it is his house which will be blown down.
The top six:
1) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2) Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
3) Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
4) Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
5) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
6) Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull
Hamilton wins!
Lap 53/53: Thanks to Bottas being moved aside by team orders, Hamilton has picked up the win. The Briton is now 50 points clear of Vettel in second in the Championship standings!
Updated
Lap 52/53: Not much to see here. Everyone is just going through the motions here.
Bottas asks “How are we going to finish the race?” He wanted the win but the team comes first here.
Lap 51/53: Hamilton is just easing himself round well ahead of Bottas in second. Tactics have won him the race but it has been surprisingly easy for him in the end.
Lap 50/53: Putin in Sochi there, getting ready to congratulate Hamilton for his victory and explain his admiration for Salisbury.
Hamilton is not in any trouble here. Vettel has just lost 1.5 seconds lapping Magnussen and the Ferrari driver is left annoyed that Haas car did not get out of the way quicker.
Lap 49/53: Not long to go now. Hamilton is getting ever closer to extending his lead in the Championship to 50 points. Vettel, however, looks set to give his all to get beyond Bottas in second. Could be a lively final few laps.
Lap 48/53: Lerclerc is once again showing what a talented driver he is with a solid race in seventh, which is where he started. What a future he has ahead of him.
Lap 47/53: There will be no question when it comes to Driver of the Day. Regardless what happens in the closing stages, Verstappen will win that. Although the birthday boy’s new tyre are not helping him chase down Raikkonen.
1) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2) Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
3) Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
4) Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
5) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
Updated
Lap 46/53: Everyone will be pleased that this race has not been sullied by rain after a few fears early on that the clouds by gift the track a deluge.
Hamilton is looking comfortable at the moment, but who knows what might happen?
Lap 45/53: Vettel really needs to pull something out of the bag here to keep his Championship hopes alive and he does not have many laps to do it.
LAP 43/53: Verstappen pits - slips on ultras for the last 10 laps #RussianGP 🇷🇺 #F1 pic.twitter.com/xMKq8A5oF2
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 30, 2018
Lap 44/53: Verstappen comes out in fifth now and he is set to chase Raikkonen, which should be fun. Hamilton is now in the lead. Bottas is 1.6 second behind his teammate.
Lap 43/53: Verstappen tries to get the last bit of momentum out of his tyres before they give up on him. He pits!
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3) Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
4) Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
5) Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
Lap 42/53: Hamilton has had enough of sitting behind Verstappen, as the Dutchman’s tyres are finally coming to an end. He made a failed attempt to go past him, failed and the had a shocking middle section. Hmmmm...he lost a lot of position and time there. Poor from him.
Good news! Putin is here and chatting with Bernie. What great banter that must be.
Lap 41/53: Hamilton is still being slowed a little by Verstappen’s work in front. Can Vettel take advantage of the pace?
LAP 37/53: Max is eking out all he can from those soft tyres 💪
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 30, 2018
He's still P1 #RussianGP 🇷🇺 #F1 pic.twitter.com/FNRhPYjKZL
Lap 40/53: A new nose for Ricciardo there. No wonder he’s been relatively slow by his standards here in Sochi. It doesn’t really matter as he’s lost in No Man’s Land in sixth, almost a minute behind Raikkonen in fifth.
Lap 39/53: Hamilton set the fastest lap of the race but seconds later, Vettel beat his time. Lovely stuff.
Ricciardo pits.
Updated
Lap 38/53: Verstappen is looking relatively comfortable at the moment. So much so he’s been told to “keep it up”.
Lap 37/53: Verstappen has kept his tyres in great condition by managing them superbly since his early aggressive driving.
Perez and Ocon have swapped after trying to chase Magnussen.
Lap 36/53: Red Bull are getting the tyres ready. Both Verstappen and Ricciardo are yet to pit. Verstappen is still quicker than everyone at the moment.
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3) Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
4) Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
5) Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
Updated
Lap 35/53: Hamilton is looking comfortable in second (de facto leader) and is extending his leader over Bottas.
For time interval fans...
📻@MercedesAMGF1
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 30, 2018
TEAM: "Valtteri, it's James. We had a risk with Lewis against Vettel. [Lewis] has a small [left rear tyre] blister..." #RussianGP 🇷🇺 #F1 pic.twitter.com/POvNZXXvp7
Lap 34/53: Now or never for Perez to go past Magnussen before he has to allow Ocon back ahead of him.
Lap 33/53: All pretty quiet, so here’s some earlier drama.
Push the button!
LAP 24/53: That's Toto Wolff's finger...#RussianGP 🇷🇺 #F1 pic.twitter.com/NNqzGyAR5e
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 30, 2018
Lap 32/53: Hamilton says he has some “hesitations” when it comes to the engine. His team are looking into it. Will it make a difference? He has spoken of having some blistering on a tyre. He won’t want a defect to slow him down.
Vettel has just completed the fastest lap of the race!
Lap 31/53: Verstappen’s first lap is being replayed, showing how he has the great balance of arrogance and skill when it comes to overtaking.
Lap 30/53: Bottas is being left behind a little by Hamilton. He must be feeling very frustrated.
My 21st birthday is just looking more and more pathetic by each passing lap. I think I went to Bilbao’s stickiest nightclub.
Top five:
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3) Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
4) Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
5) Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
Lap 29/53: Verstappen is still leading in Sochi, which is a feat in itself. When will he pit?
Updated
Lap 28/53: Bottas asks who made the decision to let Hamilton go past him. He is not happy with the team orders, which is fair enough as he had a good chance of winning.
Dan asks: “Surely VET is getting the message that HAM has the upper hand on him this season. Is it all over..?”
I hope not as this is going to be very dull race/season if it is.
Lap 27/53: Hamilton is pushing his speed a little now he is second as he will want to get a bit of track between him and Vettel.
Lap 26/53: Vettel is now upping his game to try and challenge Bottas as he really needs to put Hamilton under pressure.
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3) Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
4) Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
5) Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
Updated
Lap 25/53: Hamilton has overtaken Bottas to go second! Team orders there in full swing.
Gasly explains that his car wasn’t good from the start, claiming a brake failure. Sounds like it Hartley had the same issue. Terrible stuff for Toro Rosso.
Lap 24/53: Everything is pretty calm at the moment.
Fun for ninth place
LAP 22/53: 🚁CAM
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 30, 2018
Cracking P9 battle down there between MAG, OCO & PER 👀#RussianGP 🇷🇺 #F1 pic.twitter.com/GY1Yx5UyNB
Lap 23/53: Bottas is being slowed by Verstappen in front, which might be a little frustrating.
Enda asks about the weather. It’s all looking good at the moment, clouds staying away.
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
3) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
4) Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
5) Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
Lap 22/53: Verstappen is still going very well and maintaining his lead at the front. He needs a tyre change at some point. He has a chance of challenging for the podium but he will need to have the race of his life.
No action against Vettel.
Lap 21/53: Hamilton is opening up a little time gap over Vettel, so he will be feeling relatively relaxed with the situation as they sit in third and fourth.
Updated
Lap 20/53: Renault are sat behind Magnussen as they hope to move up a little but they are trying to work out who should be given the chance to overtake the man in ninth.
Lap 19/53: Verstappen is yet to pit, he’s in this for the long haul but he might be happy to enjoy a few laps at the front on his 21st birthday.
Lap 18/53: The stewards are reviewing Vettel’s two moves to try and keep his position ahead of Hamilton. Paul Di Resta isn’t worried, but we will have to see if the authorities think differently.
Raikkonen pits, giving Verstappen the lead. Impressive for a man who started in 19th!
Lap 17/53: Hamilton is unhappy with Vettel for his movement in front of him but there’s nothing really there. He needs to able to block him off, no?
1) Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
2) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
3) Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
4)Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
5) Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
Lap 16/53: What a bit of racing! Hamilton goes back at Vettel. He tried to overtake him on the third corner and then again on the fourth, succeeding at the second time of asking. Great stuff from Hamilton.
Lap 15/53: “How did that happen?” asks Hamilton after ending up behind Vettel. Not the first time he has been angered by his pit this season.
Updated
Lap 14/53: A good pit stop from Vettel there and now the Briton really needs to come in to change as he is dropping in pace. Here come the tyres...
Hamilton came out just behind Vettel. That could be a turning point!
Vettel was a second quicker on that last lap. Ooooof
Lap 13/53: Bottas comes out behind Verstappen into fifth. The Dutchman hasn’t pitted yet and he will be leaving it for as long as possible, that’s for sure.
Hamilton is giving it a little throttle to get away from Vettel, who has decided to pit.
Lap 12/53: The tyres are being prepped by Mercedes. Looks like Hamilton has a little blister on one of his. Bottas is the man to change first, though as he pits, allowing his teammate to go into the first.
Ferrari decide against pitting.
Lap 11/53: After a frenetic start for Verstappen he now has to stay calm for a while and bide his time if he is to challenge the top four.
Updated
Lap 10/53: The top two are looking comfortable with 1.2 seconds between them at the moment. Will Bottas decide to pit soon?
Tyre changes here to get them on for the long haul around the track.
The top five:
1) Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
2) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3) Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
4) Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
5) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
Lap 9/53: Seventh seems to be an interesting battle with Magnussen, Ocon and Perez all challenging for the position. A nice little subplot.
Plenty of pitting going on now after the first 10 laps.
Lap 8/53: Now Verstappen is in fifth. He has gone from 19th to his current position in eight laps. His car is far superior to what was in front of him but you’ve got to admire how easy he has made it all look so far.
Lap 7/53: Bottas and Hamilton are pretty much going at the same speed but there’s not real challenge to the lead from the Briton.
Impressive from Verstappen:
GAINS AND LOSSES: Decent birthday so far for @Max33Verstappen 😀 #RussianGP 🇷🇺 #F1 pic.twitter.com/nGzhQVPcVo
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 30, 2018
Lap 6/53: This might just be a live blog about the driving of Verstappen as not much is happening in the top three and the Dutchman is tearing things up.
Lap 5/53: Ruddy hell Verstappen is into seventh. He is keeping everyone entertained in Russia. I spent my 21st birthday making Thai curry in Bilbao and I now feel like I could have done more.
Both Torro Rossos are now out! What a woeful day or them in Sochi.
The top four currently:
1) Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
2) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3) Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
4) Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
Lap 4/53: Mercedes are looking like it might dominate this judging by the early stages in Sochi. Can Ferrari challenge them? They need to get a bit more grit between the teeth.
Both Toro Rossos have already gone off the track but they’re still in the race. Not a good day for them.
Lap 3/53: Verstappen is really making a mockery of the second half of the grid as he glides beyond half the field to make his way into ninth within a few laps. He is the man to watch here. Let’s hope he’s not done too much too early.
Lap 2/53: Bottas is already pulling away from Hamilton, although his teammate’s current battle is with Vettel and he is easily keeping him at bay.
Leclerc is showing why he is off to Ferrari with an overtake on the third corner.
Verstappen is up to 11th. Incredible stuff from the Red Bull driver.
Lap 1/53: Vettel started well and got alongside Hamilton, but the British driver got away from him to challenge Bottas for the early lead but the man in pole was too good. A lively start but not too dramatic in the end.
Verstappen has already moved up six places, which is impressive from the birthday boy who began in 19th.
And we're off!
It’s lights out in Sochi and the cars are away!
Updated
The formation lap is taking place as everyone gets used to the surface etc ahead of today’s racing. It’s dramatic backdrop in Sochi, including mountains, ski slopes, winter sports arens and a ferris wheel.
Here’s the grid today:
Russian GP provisional grid
1) Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
2) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3) Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
4) Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
5) Kevin Magnussen, Haas
6) Esteban Ocon, Force India
7) Charles Leclerc, Saiber
8) Sergio Perez, Force India
9) Romain Grosjean, Haas
10) Marcus Ericsson, Sauber
11) Carlos Sainz, Renault
12) Nico Hulkenberg, Renault
13) Sergey Sirotkin, Williams
14) Lance Stroll, Williams
15) Stoffel Vandoorne, McLare
16) Fernando Alonso, McLaren
17) Pierre Gasly, Toro Rosso
18) Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull
19) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
20) Brendon Hartley, Toro Rosso
We’re less than five minutes away from lights out in Russia. The clouds are gathering and we could get rain, so it might making things a little trickier than expected but that will just ensure greater interest for all of us.
Does anyone really want rain?
Sunny track, but look at those clouds 👀
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 30, 2018
Hands up who wants rain?#RussianGP 🇷🇺 #F1 pic.twitter.com/bBKD9ID9TG
Applause goes around after the singing finishes.
Vandoorne is discussing how he wants to enjoy the last few races and finish on a high. It’s always good to have goals.
Verstappen, who starts in 19th, is celebrating his 21st birthday but admits he has been unable to have any cake.
Here’s a little bit on Ocon from Mr Richards ...
It’s pretty busy on the grid in Russia, looks like everyone from the garage has spilled out onto the track to soak up the atmosphere, as they all want a little bit of the action.
Sky are advertising their #PassOnPlastic, so you’ll all be pleased to know that I am drinking from an official Sky reusable cup.
A little weather update from Russia:
The official race weather
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 30, 2018
Grey ☁ but warm 🌡#RussianGP 🇷🇺 #F1 pic.twitter.com/Wq4eIulYSy
As Giles Richards points out, Vettel really needs the win today. Will he do it?
Preamble
Here we are in Sochi.
Lewis Hamilton starts in second are a few mistakes in qualifying but he’s ahead of Sebastian Vettel on the grid, so he won’t be too concerned. The British driver is 40 points ahead of his German counterpart and looking in fine form.
Ferrari have a few issues, especially as they seem to be getting slower as the races pass and they don’t seem too sure how to change things.
Ahead of Hamilton on pole is Valterri Bottas and if he maintains the lead with his teammate behind him, then Mercedes might ask him to step aside so they can extend Hamilton’s lead in the drivers’ championship and break Vettel’s spirit. The German has it all to do.
Will will be here shortly. In the meantime, read Giles Richards’ report from qualifying on Saturday:
Perhaps it was inevitable that Lewis Hamilton would finally prove fallible at some point this season and in qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix the very tiniest chink in his armour was revealed. In the grand scheme of the championship battle, though, he goes into the race barely inconvenienced. He was second to the pole position of his Mercedes teammate, Valtteri Bottas, while, crucially, his title rival Sebastian Vettel was off the pace in third.
Bottas’s two hot runs in Q3 to claim pole were superlative. The Sochi Autodrom suits his driving style, especially on maximising the exit from the medium-speed corners that dominate here. He scored his debut F1 win last season in Russia, where he has never been out-qualified by a teammate.
With the Mercedes proving exceptionally strong, Bottas pulled it all together when it counted. His first quick run was four-thousandths faster than Hamilton, who knew he had to improve. It was Bottas however who upped the ante with a track record of 1min 31.387sec. Hamilton responded and was three-tenths up in the first sector when he went wide at turn seven and abandoned his lap, leaving the Finn triumphant.
“It’s a good feeling,” he said. “This has been a pretty good track for me and again I managed to get some good laps in qualifying and the car just felt really, really strong.”
Hamilton had been quickest in the first two sessions of qualifying but admitted he had been struggling all weekend with the middle sector. He had to find more there and was honest in conceding he had gone just over the edge.
Full story:
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