Russian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton claims 100th Grand Prix victory of his career in dramatic finale

Lewis Hamilton wins the Russian Grand Prix to become the first F1 driver to reach 100 victories as the Mercedes star crosses first after a chaotic end that saw Lando Norris slide out of the lead late on

  • Lewis Hamilton dramatically won the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi in the rain
  • Title rival Max Verstappen came in second after working his way up from last
  • McLaren’s Lando Norris led the race for a long time but fell back near the end 
  • Brit star Hamilton started from fourth on the grid but moved his way up slowly
  • The Dutchman Verstappen started from last place after penalty for engine use 
  • Hamilton trailed his Red Bull rival by five points in the championship standings  
  • Follow the link for the latest Formula One news, including live action and results 


Lewis Hamilton won his 100th grand prix in dramatic circumstances, passing his compatriot Lando Norris with two laps remaining.

It had looked likely that Norris would become the youngest ever British F1 winner until rain fell and he opted to remain on dry tyres. The conditions worsened and he slipped off track, letting Hamilton go past.

Hamilton started fourth and fell back to seventh on the opening lap but bided his time.

Lewis Hamilton won the 100th Formula One race of his career on a dramatic day in Sochi

The Mercedes driver secured a century of wins at the Russian Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon

The Mercedes driver secured a century of wins at the Russian Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon

He may have passed Norris at the close anyway but a mistake by McLaren and inexperience from Norris presented him with the win, a landmark century that may never be beaten.

Had conditions not deteriorated, Norris was in with a strong chance, holding Hamilton at arm’s length for the last third of the race. 

But he finished seventh. What a fall. What despondency. What a bitter pill.

Hamilton won easily in the end with Max Verstappen, who started last, taking a remarkable second place, 53 seconds back. That means Hamilton leads the drivers’ standings by two points with seven races remaining.

Norris, from Glastonbury, started on pole but had to pass Carlos Sainz of Ferrari on lap 13 after being hunted down at the start. He was then in control until the final twist, driving with fluency. Sainz finished third.

Hamilton said: ‘It was hard work man. It has taken time for the 100th win. Fantastic call on the tyres. Thank you.’

Follow play-by-play Formula One coverage of the Russian Grand Prix from Sportsmail‘s MAX MATHEWS below, with all the updates from a dramatic race.  

Advertisement