Russian Grand Prix race day

By: Geoff Creighton

Summary


	Hamilton wins the Russian GP
	Team orders used to get Hamilton past Bottas
	Vettel losing ground in title fight
	Red Bulls recover from back of grid starts
	Force India cover off Renault threat
	Both Toro Rossos retire early
	Promoted: Play along with Pitstop Betting. Download the app today.

Status: Stopped

14:00 Driver, Team
Hamilton, Mercedes
Bottas, Mercedes
Vettel, Ferrari
Raikkonen, Ferrari
Verstappen, Red Bull
Ricciardo, Red Bull
Leclerc, Sauber
Magnussen, Haas
Ocon, Force India
Perez, Force India

16:04 It's a bit strange to end our coverage in such subdued circumstances after a pretty entertaining race, but we're out of time. Thanks for joining us for the Russian Grand Prix and its twists, turns and team orders. Look out for all the reaction to the race, including Mercedes' in-race swap, on Autosport and Motorsport.com this evening.

Lewis Hamilton wins F1 Russian GP after Mercedes team orders

Lewis Hamilton extended his Formula 1 title advantage over Sebastian Vettel with victory in the Russian Grand Prix after Mercedes ordered Valtteri Bottas to move aside

15:59 Vettel - who in normal circumstances would probably be the unhappiest man on that podium - is liveliest of the top three as he receives his trophy.

15:58 It's a very strange atmosphere on the podium. Hamilton's reaction is very subdued as he receives his winners' trophy from Putin.

15:56 The drivers are now on the podium with the British national anthem playing out, and have been joined by Vladimir Putin.

15:55

15:54

This was about as intimate as things got between the two Mercedes drivers

15:51 Bottas is, understandably, even shorter for words than usual.

"A difficult day," he says, steering clear of saying how disappointed his face suggests he is. "Good result for us as a team. But as everyone saw it was a difficult race.

"We always go through all the scenarios [pre-race]. Lewis is fighting for the championship, we're fighting for the constructors."

15:48 "It's actually quite a difficult day," says Hamilton. "Valtteri did a fantastic job all weekend and was an absolute gentleman to let me by. I can understand how difficult it was for him but he did a brilliant job today."

15:47 Hamilton is now walking away from Paul di Resta, who just about catches up with the race winner to grab an interview!

15:46 Hamilton looks sheepish as he climbs from his car and heads over to Bottas, and there's a subdued meeting of the two as Hamilton appears to console his team-mate.

15:45 Verstappen gets the radio equivalent of a pat on the back from team boss Christian Horner on his 21st birthday. He also led more laps than anyone else!

15:44 Final order: 1 Hamilton; 2 Bottas; 3 Vettel; 4 Raikkonen; 5 Verstappen; 6 Ricciardo; 7 Leclerc; 8 Magnussen; 9 Ocon; 10 Perez; 11 Grosjean; 12 Hulkenberg; 13 Ericsson; 14 Alonso; 15 Stroll; 16 Vandoorne; 17 Sainz; 18 Sirotkin; DNF Gasly; DNF Hartley

15:44 Magnussen, Ocon and Perez complete the points scorers.

15:43 Ricciardo comes home a distant (but understandable) sixth ahead of Leclerc, who was a clear 'winner' in Class B and the only other driver to finish on the lead lap.

15:42 "Valtteri this is Toto. Difficult day for you, difficult day for us. Let's come together and discuss it."

15:42 Raikkonen takes fourth, 14 seconds ahead of Verstappen, who couldn't find any pace after his pitstop.

15:41 Bottas takes second, staying away from the pit wall and blasting past Hamilton over the line, and Vettel takes third. Hamilton leads the championship by 50 points from Vettel now. Game over?

15:41 Lewis Hamilton wins the Russian Grand Prix!

15:40 Sainz gets out of the way of Bottas at Turn 2, but goes wide as a result and that allows Vandoorne through for 16th.

15:40 Hamilton is told to stay off the kerbs on the final lap.

15:40 Bottas asks which order the Mercedes drivers are going to finish the race in. He's told "positions will stay as they are, we will talk about it after the race".

15:38

15:37 Hamilton is warned to be careful of "a group of four backmarkers ahead, they are racing [each other]".

15:37 1 Hamilton, 2 Bottas, 3 Vettel, 4 Raikkonen, 5 Verstappen, 6 Ricciardo, 7 Leclerc, 8 Magnussen, 9 Ocon, 10 Perez.

15:36 "Come on, are you serious? 1.5 seconds, thank you," is Vettel's assessment of Magnussen's ability to let him go. Vettel responds with a 1m35.9s, but Hamilton and Bottas are both able to marginally beat that as well.

15:35 Bottas also puts in a 1m36.1s, and now Vettel finds himself three seconds adrift of the Silver Arrows.

15:35 Ocon, by getting out of the way of the leaders before Magnussen, is a second behind the Haas now. Will he get one last chance to make a move?

15:35 Now it's Hamilton sticking in a fastest lap - Mercedes just letting Ferrari know the pace is there if they need it. 1m36.137s for the man leading the race, and the world championship.

15:34 "Quite struggling with the tyres now," says Sirotkin, who's 18th and last but only 1.3s behind Vandoorne and 2.2s behind Sainz.

15:34 Vettel makes an angry wave in the direction of the Haas of Magnussen, who he feels is getting in his way. The Ferrari has been off at Turn 4 in the process.

15:33 Vettel is trying to keep the pressure up, putting in a personal best lap and forcing Bottas to respond. 3.5s cover the top three, but Mercedes seems to have it under control with five laps to go.

15:32 Grosjean has passed Hulkenberg for 11th, but has 12s to make up on Perez if he wants a point. That looks a rather tall order.

15:31 Bottas is always quick at this circuit. He's probably the person most bothered by it becoming a late-season race, as if it was still early in the calendar he'd have been able to win today.

15:31 Leclerc, as if to make us feel guilty about forgetting to mention him more, now sets his fastest lap of the race.

15:30 Nothing in it at the front in terms of laptimes - Hamilton and Bottas are doing 1m37.0s, Vettel puts in a 1m36.9s but he's 1.7s behind Bottas. All pretty calm, with Hamilton leading by 2.2s over Bottas.

15:30 Leclerc is a full 13s clear of the Magnussen-Ocon-perez battle at the head of the Class B field. That's a remarkable performance in the Sauber.

15:28 Raikkonen is told Verstappen "could close on us, I will let you know". Raikkonen is 13.4s ahead at the moment.

15:27