Sochi (Russia) (AFP)
The Briton Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), already record holder for victories in Formula 1, scored a 100th historic success at the Russian Grand Prix on Sunday to regain the lead in the drivers' standings by two points.
Previous championship leader, Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull) is second after rising from 20th and last place on the grid.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari) completes the podium.
The race was played out in the last laps, when the rain started to fall on the Sochi Autodrome.
British poleman and leader Lando Norris (McLaren) made the presumptuous choice not to enter the pits with intermediate tires.
Hamilton, second, didn't take the risk and easily got the better of a slippery Norris.
“Getting to 100 wins took + looonnngtemps +. I wasn't even sure it would come,” responded the seven-time world champion, who was fourth on the grid after two errors in qualifying.
"It was not easy. I lost a lot of ground at the start trying to avoid problems, he said. It would not have been easy to pass Lando who had a great pace. rain came at the right time (...) The team made the right strategic choice in the end. "
Big loser of the day, Norris is only seventh behind his Australian teammate Daniel Ricciardo, fourth, Finland's Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes), fifth, and Spaniard Fernando Alonso (Alpine), sixth.
The Finnish Kimi Räikkönen (Alfa Romeo), back after contracting the Covid-19 and missing two GPs, the Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) and the Briton George Russell (Williams) close the Top 10.
The French Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) and Esteban Ocon (Alpine), thirteenth and fourteenth, are ahead of the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari).
The German Mick Schumacher (Haas) is the only abandonment to regret in this 15th race out of 22.
© 2021 AFP