Hamilton Russian towards F1 title
Mercedes clinched their second successive Formula One constructors’ championship on Sunday (Monday NZ time) and Lewis Hamilton took a huge stride towards his third drivers’ title with victory in Russia.
Congratulated on the podium by President Vladimir Putin, Hamilton took his ninth win of the season and 42nd of his career after a throttle problem forced the early retirement of German team-mate Nico Rosberg.
The Briton now has a lead of 66 points over Ferrari’s secondplaced Sebastian Vettel and, if results go his way, can secure his own second successive crown in Austin, Texas, in two weeks’ time.
Mercedes team bosses had left the circuit long before the constructors’ title was confirmed, however, with the outcome depending on a stewards’ enquiry that eventually demoted Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen from fifth to eighth.
‘‘We found out [about the title] upstairs. It just feels special to be a part of it and to have contributed to a team success,’’ Hamilton said some two hours after the race had ended.
‘‘It is a great, great, great feeling.’’
With four races remaining, and a maximum 100 points to be won, Hamilton has 302 points to Vettel’s 236 and Rosberg’s 229.
‘‘It looked like we were going to have a race and I was thinking this is great and we were going to put on a good show,’’ said Hamilton, who also won the inaugural Russian Grand Prix last year, of his afternoon.
‘‘Nico made a mistake at turn one and went wide. I overtook him and after that, or maybe even before, he started to have some problems. It is very unfortunate for the team.’’
Mexican Sergio Perez finished third for Force India, in a race with two safety car interludes following crashes, after Raikkonen rammed the rear of fellow Finn Valtteri Bottas’s Williams while battling for the final podium place.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who was in hospital only a day earlier after crashing his Toro Rosso in practice, had been heading for his best result after running as high as sixth but retired eight laps from the end.