Fifth win in a row for Mercedes at the Grand Prix of Russia formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton wins and extends championship lead over Sebastian Vettel. A Top race, birthday boy Max Verstappen.
After his defeat at the Grand Prix of Russia, Sebastian Vettel has the formula 1 world championship in their own hands. According to a further demonstration of the defending champion Lewis Hamilton makes can no longer meet Vettel his dream of a fifth world Cup Triumph this year. The 31-year-Ferrari-Pilot came in front of the Olympic backdrop in Sochi over third place. The victory Hamilton in his Mercedes drove out thanks to another strong performance and arranged with the help of his second-placed team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
In the standings, Hamilton enlarged his eighth victory in 16. Race of the season, the gap to Vettel to 50 points. In the case of five outstanding Grand Prix this year, Vettel could catch up with five Wins, a maximum of 35 points if Hamilton would be Second. Mathematically the championship from Vettel’s point of view can be lost in the next-but-one race in the United States permanently and Hamilton, where he won in 2015, the world Cup, with the Argentine driver legend Juan-Manuel Fangio to the titles. Then he would be the only two titles behind record champion Michael Schumacher.
Only a short hope for Vettel
Exciting as it was in Russia only for a short: At the Start, Vettel was in Position three on the way, bog alongside Hamilton into the first corner, then had to put back. After that, Bottas, Hamilton and Vettel drove first a few laps in harmony one after the other. After twelve laps, Bottas has opened the “second race” at the Box. A round after him, Vettel came in a lap later Hamilton. Surprisingly, the Briton in return, fell on the track just behind Vettel. “Guys, how could this happen?”, sparked a konsternierter Hamilton to the Command. However, the hopes of the competitors in the silver arrow behind was for Vettel. After just one lap, Hamilton use the advantages brought to be a stronger car, and overtook the German. A short time before Vettel, driving a zigzag course had prevented an Overtake Hamilton. A borderline maneuver, that of the Stewards was investigated, but ultimately no penalty for Vettel.
Earlier: Sebastian Vettel manages to keep Lewis Hamilton after his pit stop behind
The lead was up to 18. Round Kimi Raikkonen and after the pit stop, the Dutchman Max Verstappen, on his 21st birthday. Birthday an exceptional race went. Since Red Bull had rebuilt his engines, had to start the birthday child of course 19. He had, however, open-minded, and within a few laps on the top. Up to 44. of 53 laps, he remained in front, but came to change tyres and came in behind the top Quartet of Mercedes and Ferrari in fifth place.
Team orders brings Hamilton to the front
Previously, Mercedes had already made of the team orders use. In lap 25 Bottas was asked by a command stand to drive slower, so that Hamilton can pull over. Then the Finn went as a buffer between his team mate and Vettel and made sure that the German, Hamilton could no longer be dangerous – what would have happened due to the underpowered Ferrari anyway. So Hamilton drove safely to his 70. Formula 1-victory and received at the award ceremony, his trophy from the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I think the possibility is still there,” said Vettel in an Interview with RTL. “When Lewis writes in the next race, a DNF, it looks maybe different. But today, you have to say in all honesty, was more than a place for us in it.” Five races remain in the German, to turn to the world Cup once again. The next Grand Prix next rises this weekend in Japan, where it then goes to the to the drivers a very popular course of Suzuka to the next world championship points.
Race in Sochi, missed? Then you can read again all of the crucial scenes in the live Ticker.
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GOAL – Lewis Hamilton has Once again shown who has the best car and the best driver is. 25 points for the champion, the wins in front of Bottas. Sebastian Vettel is third. He now has 50 points behind Hamilton in the championship. Congratulations to Max Verstappen, on his 21st birthday. Birthday of 19th place on five drives to the front.
Round 51 of 53: One more dull message from the German point of view: Nico Hülkenberg, with his Renault in front of some of the rounds still in place ten sniffed, is ranked twelve, and is probably empty.
Round 49 of 53: Now all that remains is Vettel still behind Magnussen that lapping will. However, the Dane overlooks the blue flags. In order for Vettel’s gap to Bottas is now 2.6 seconds.
Round 48 of 53: The gaps at the front: Hamilton is two seconds ahead of Bottas, 1.6 seconds behind Vettel, with no means, the Finns, under pressure, to set. Nothing more is with the second place.
Lap 44 of 53: Verstappen comes in the Box, so is Hamilton now in the lead and the race unchallenged to win.
Round 42 of 53: Hamilton is trying Verstappen to pass, but fails at the first attempt.
Lap 40 of 53: Ricciardo comes into the Box and receives, in addition to new tires, a new nose. The Australian remains Sixth.
Round 39 of 53: Vettel responds and offers the British.
Round 38 of 53: Hamilton drives the fastest lap.
Round 36 of 53: The question is now, when Verstappen his first pit stop comes in. The Dutchman will then fall to fifth place.
Round 32 of 53: Verstappen to drive the front faster or at least as fast as Hamilton, even though his tires much older than those of the British. Vettel is not driving the fastest lap, but comes closer than one and a half seconds to Bottas ran.
Round 28 of 53: It looks not so from, as could Vettel Bottas in the near future to overtake. Out of the DRS window, the German is back out. Where is the alleged Superiority of the Ferrari?
Round 25 of 53: What was that? Suddenly Hamilton to Bottas over, makes a short detour from the ideal line and braking. Now the Finn, Vettel’s is a personal pad. At the latest, in the next season should make Ferrari time, if not also for the “Red” is a team order makes sense…
Round 25 of 53: Bottas is driving on Verstappen. He is now 1.2 seconds behind the Dutchman. How long it takes to get past?
Round 23 of 53: relief at Ferrari: There is no penalty for Vettel.
Round 18 of 53: Now get even Raikkonen new tires. This verse is fall now, in Front – three seconds in front of Bottas. Meanwhile, the stewards will report that you look at the yaw maneuver by Vettel against Hamilton again. It was not very clean. So maybe there is still a penalty for the German.
Round 16 of 53: Vettel moves zig-zag, Hamilton behind. It is possible only briefly. Hamilton passes by the Ferrari.
Lap 15 of 53: in Order to avoid that the ride in front of him to retire at the end of Sirotkin it is, also departs Hamilton for a tyre change. Verstappen, Bottas and Vettel are pushing. Undercut for Ferrari succeeded.
Round 14 of 53: Vettel also comes in the Box. Verstappen slips through, Bottas now moves back in front of the German.
Lap 13 of 53: Bottas comes in the Box and gets a yellow tire. Hamilton is now ahead of Vettel and Raikkonen. Bottas is behind Verstappen in fifth place.
Round 11 of 53: in Front of Bottas just reported that his tires a little to reduce. The fin is approximately 1.3 seconds ahead of Hamilton. Vettel can’t make it, closer to the British than to about 1.7 seconds.
Round 9 of 53: The Netherlands birthday child makes seriously: Verstappen, today, 21 years old, is now at the targeted fifth place. Ricciardo in tenth place.
Round 6 of 53: After both already without external influence once rotated, the two Toro Rosso, Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley in their cars in the Box.
Round 3 of 53: Verstappen, who previously has said that a fifth place would be a good result, is ninth in the points. That was fast!
Round 2 of 53: Bottas continues for more than a second ahead of Hamilton a further second back is Vettel. Verstappen is to drive from 19 to 13.
START: Vettel is well on the way, and drives short-in addition to Hamilton, then but it back stuck.
13:10 PM: The riders go on the warm up lap.
13:09 PM: A quick look at the conditions: It is 24 degrees Celsius, the track temperature much cooler than it is, according to yesterday’s weather report. It will be exciting to see how long the tyres last and how the Teams adapt their strategies to the new circumstances. Just a few drops of rain fall also.
13:07: 40 points is the advantage Hamilton on Vettel before the race at the Sochi Autodrom, the Olympic facilities in 2014 snakes, as big as never before in this season. A preliminary decision in the world Cup, but this is not. The pressure to bring the lead to the finish, is now in the British. Whether this has an impact? And if Vettel, as a supposedly chance is about to leave the loser now liberated? The next 53 laps will show it.
13:05 p.m.: After Bottas in Qualifying, won, and Hamilton, from Pole position into the race, smell it again today after a success for the silver arrows. Behind the first, the silver boot series, form Vettel and his Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen by a second, red. From far in the back (18 and 19) to start the Red Bull, which were added because of modifications to the engine penalty.
At 13:02: Four times there was the Grand Prix of Russia in Sochi so far – four times at the end of a Mercedes driver on the podium. Lewis Hamilton entered the record books in 2014 and 2015 in the list of winners, his successors were Nico Rosberg and Valtteri Bottas. The Name of Sebastian Vettel’s still missing. The changes today?
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