Lewis Hamilton 100 Career Wins Record

Wild Race in Sochi With Heartbreak For Norris, Glory For Hamilton

A bold strategic move from pole setter Lando Norris in his Mclaren has cost him victory at a rain-drenched Sochi track as Lewis Hamilton took the chequered flag for his 100th victory in Formula 1.

It was an incredible finish that saw the McLaren of Norris spin out tantalizingly close to the finish line after he refused to change to intermediate tires once the rain started bucketing down. It was heartbreak for the British McLaren driver as he had led for the vast majority of the race.

It was another fairytale for the Mercedes team in Russia as they continued their domination of results at the Sochi track. It was their 8th straight victory there and Hamiltons fifth.

The rain also aided Hamilton's title rival and Dutch superstar Max Verstappen in his Red Bull. He shocked nobody with his incredible drive before the rain came. Finding himself inside the top ten in no time. After a quick decision to change to intermediates once the wet weather arrived, he scythed through the pack and finished in second place.

After starting from dead last on the grid - it was an unbelievable performance. Red Bull has had some great drivers in the past - but we could be seeing the best driver they have ever had in Formula 1. The sky is the limit for Max.

As much as it was a fairy tale for Mercedes, it turned into a nightmare for the McLaren team. Lando Norris's aforementioned refusal to pit to change to more appropriate tires for the weather position was one part of it.

The other was a terrible pit stop that ended his teammates, Aussie Dan Ricciardo, chances of back-to-back victories. On lap 23 Ricciardo had a disastrous 8-second pit stop that all but eliminated him from a possible podium place. Some brilliant driving saw him manage to finish an unexpected 4th place.

Lando Norris had this to say about his refusal to pit post-race:

“I’m unhappy, devastated in a way, we made a call to stay out and we stand by that. It was the wrong one at the end of the day but I made the decision just as much as the team. It was more that they thought I should box and I decided to stay out.”

For Ferrari, it was a bit of a mixed bag. Carlos Sainz who started second on the grid had a terrific start and lead early, and finished the day on the podium in third place behind the World Championship front runners. Charles Le Clerc had a day to forget as he ran 15th.

The day was all about Hamilton in the end as he became the first F1 driver to record 100 victories. He also took back the top spot of the Drivers Championship as he looks to break Michael Schumacher's record with his 8th title this season. A proud Hamilton had this to say post-race:

"It's taken such a long time to get to 100 and I wasn't sure it was going to come,the team made such a good call at the end. I didn't want to let Lando go. I am incredibly grateful for all the men and women here and back in the factory. It would have been tough to get past Lando unless he made a mistake. And then the rain came, and we were very opportunistic - the team did a great job. I am grateful for the result."

Drivers Championship Standings

Constructors Championship Standings

Whether you are Team Verstappen or Team Hamilton, get your fix here at thepyrrhic.com. The 2021 Formula 1 Championship continues heading to Istanbul for the next chapter on October 10.