Russian GP: Valtteri shines as Lewis falters!
Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas scored his second win of 2020 at the Russian Grand Prix, benefitting from a penalty for his polesitting team mate Lewis Hamilton that left the six-time champion third at the flag, as Max Verstappen claimed Red Bull’s first ever podium at Sochi in P2.
Sochi is a good hunting ground for Valtteri
Valtteri Bottas won the Russian Grand Prix after Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes made a highly unusual error before the race that was hugely costly.
For Bottas, his ninth career win is his second at Sochi and his second this season after taking the flag at the opening Austrian GP. He won in Russia in 2017 also from third on the grid. It was just the fillip the Finn required, having seen Hamilton extend his lead with a series of dominant wins. The very least he required was to narrow the gap to his teammate.
Stars just not aligned for Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton completed two practice starts on his reconnaissance laps to the grid at Sochi including one towards the end of the pitlane exit, which was against the instructions issued in the pre-event race director’s notes issued by the FIA’s Michael Masi.
The world champion therefore went into the race under investigation, with the ruling issued during the first stint as he tried to defend his position on the unfancied soft tyres ahead of Bottas and Verstappen on their medium rubber.
At the start, Hamilton led away from pole as Bottas immediately moved past Verstappen on the run through the kink of Turn 1, with the polesitter then moving to defend the inside of the braking zone for Turn 2.
Bottas attacked around the outside and briefly got his nose ahead, but his momentum carried him over the kerbs on the outside and he had to catch a brief slide moving over the kerbs, which allowed Hamilton to retake the lead running through the long left of Turn 3.
The world champion had been looking to match Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 grand prix wins and started from pole but his race was compromised before it had even begun. On the formation laps he undertook two practice starts a long way down the pit exit in a position that was outside the designated area. The stewards immediately announced they were to investigate and imposed two five-second penalties when the race was seven laps old.
Max split the two Mercedes. Albon was fighting in the back
Verstappen was among several drivers who cut the runoff at Turn 2 and he was passed by Daniel Ricciardo going into the right of Turn 4, but he immediately retook the position at the next right-hander, with Ricciardo then losing fourth to his teammate Esteban Ocon as he slid out of Turn 7.
Max kept up the race, not losing sight of Valtteri Bottas right till the end. Albon however struggled a lot. He was seen fighting with his friends Lando Norris and George Russell. He eventually finished P10. As each race passes the question becomes inevitable as to why there is such a big gap in the performance of Max Verstappen and Alex Albon.
Sergio extracted everything from that Racing Point car
Sergio Perez, who had fallen behind the Renaults at the start, finished fourth. He had a good race and their strategy paid off well.
Lance was unlucky. Charles LeClerc clipped him in the first lap which put him in a spin as he crashed into the barrier, ending his race immediately.
Good points finished for both the Renault cars
Ricciardo finished fifth despite getting a five-second time penalty for cutting over the Turn 2 kerbs when being allowed by Ocon to attack, and then pass, Vettel in the middle phase of the race.
The Australian was able to create a gap large enough to remain ahead of Charles Leclerc once the penalty had been applied.
Ocon came home seventh, just ahead of Daniil Kvyat, who had completed a similar strategy to Leclerc but starting on the hards, with Pierre Gasly leading home Alex Albon, who had stopped under the safety car.
Charles did well. Another race to forget for Vettel
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc jumped up the order from 10th on the grid after completing a long first stint on the mediums – at one point running as high as second before he stopped for the hards. He was not much in the limelight but had a pretty good race. He would be happy with P6.
At the start of the race Carlos Sainz ran wide at turn two, and hit the barrier as he rejoined the circuit.
Both Gasly and Albon completed two stoppers and enjoyed a lively scrap, finishing P9 and P10. Antonio Giovinazzi led the rest in 11th, followed by Kevin Mganussen and Sebastian Vettel, who struggled with tyre trouble on his way to 13th place. Lando Norris finished down in 15th after taking his own second stop late on having pitted with Albon at the start – in the closing stages.
Russian GP final Race Result
Valtteri has closed the gap to Lewis Hamilton but he still has a long way to go. Looking forward to the next race in Nürburgring in two weeks.