Lewis Hamilton wins his 100th F1 Grand Prix

Briton emerges the victor in Russia and goes top of the championship table

Lewis Hamilton has further secured his status as the most successful Formula 1 driver with his 100th victory in the Russian Grand Prix, ahead of his title rival Max Verstappen and the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz.

Statistically, it moves him even further beyond every other F1 driver as he chases what would be a record-breaking eighth world title. Michael Schumacher is the next most successful with 91 wins, and then it’s a huge gap back to Sebastian Vettel on 53.

It’s the latest in a long line of record-breaking achievements for Hamilton, as he also notched up his 100th pole position earlier this year. One of the few not currently held by the Briton is most races with a single constructor (in his case with Mercedes-AMG), but he will pass that this season, assuming no more Covid-19-related disruptions.

It comes after a topsy-turvy weekend where a wet qualifying session meant a mixed grid and a maiden pole position for McLaren’s Lando Norris, ahead of Sainz and George Russell in his Williams. Hamilton lined up fourth.

Norris might have sealed his first ever F1 victory after a stunning race that he largely controlled from the front after passing Sainz 13 laps in, but a late rain shower caught him out. While others around him changed for intermediates, including Hamilton and Verstappen, the young Briton opted to stay on slicks. It proved an agonising decision, as the rain increased in intensity and he was powerless to stop Hamilton sweeping past for the win. Norris eventually ended up seventh - not the reward his performance deserved.

Hamilton’s title rival Verstappen was one of the first to pit for intermediates – a crucial decision, as it allowed him to vault from seventh to second. As a result, he leaves Russia with only a two-point deficit to Hamilton in the championship standings, despite having started from the back of the grid, due to an engine-change penalty.