Bott on top after rare Ham slip

VALTTERI BOTTAS took advantage of a rare mistake from Lewis Hamilton to claim pole for today’s Russian Grand Prix.

The flying Finn, 29, won at the Sochi circuit last year and heads into today’s race with an advantage over Hamilton after the Brit ran wide on yesterday’s final lap.

Hotshot Hammy, 33, is closing in on a fifth world title and has a 40-point lead over Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who took third. All three drivers smashed Kimi Raikkonen’s track record.

The question is will Mercedes team orders force Bottas to give way to Hamilton if the Brit struggles in his shadow.

Meanwhile, rumours are rife that four-time champ Vettel and Ferrari are at odds after a series of errors by the German and he was recently ordered to the Maranello HQ for showdown talks.

Matters didn’t get any better yesterday when he failed to break the Mercedes front row lock-out. Vettel, 31, said: “I messed up, I made a mistake. I tried hard but it didn’t work.”

In stark contrast Bottas was in jubilant mood after