Russian GP 2014

OCTOBER 12, 2014

Race Notes - Hamilton wins four in a row

Lewis Hamilton, Russian GP 2014
© Active Pictures

 

Lewis Hamilton won the inaugural Russian Grand Prix at Sochi today in his Mercedes GP, over his team mate Nico Rosberg by13.657 seconds. Valtteri Bottas in his Williams-Mercedes in third place, 17.425 seconds behind the winner.

With the win Mercedes GP clinches the Constuctors Championship with three race remaining. Mercedes engines taking the top five places.

Hamilton has now won nine races this season, and the 31st of his career - tying Nigel Mansell at sixth on the all-time list.

With three races remaining, Hamilton now extends his championship lead by 17 points over his team mate Rosberg, and 92 points over Ricciardo in third place.

Jenson Button (30.234s) in the McLaren-Mercedes finished in fourth place, followed by his team mate Kevin Magnussen (53.616s) finished fifth, Fernando Alonso (1m00.016s) in the Ferrari was sixth, Daniel Ricciardo (1m01.812s) in the Red Bull-Renault was seventh, his team mate Sebastian Vettel (1m06.185s) finished eighth, Kimi Raikkonen (1m18.877s) in the second Ferrari was ninth and Sergio Perez (1m20.877s) in the Force India-Mercedes finished in the final points position in tenth place.

Rosberg took the lead over pole sitter Hamilton before locking his brakes in the first corner and having to pit for new tyress the next lap. He then worked his way through the field to finish second and take another Mercedes GP 1-2 finish behind Hamilton.

Pirelli will be running the while-sidewalled medium tyres (which are expected to go 30 laps), and the yellow-sidewalled soft tyres, which are over a second a lap quicker.

Before the race there are some unknowns about how long the tyres will last on this new Formula 1 track, some drivers looking to try only one stop, while others might be forced to run two stops.

Over the weekend they have reduced the pit lane speed from 80kph down to 60 kph.

If the Mercedes GP team scores 25 points today, they will clinch the Constuctors World Championship.

Hamilton on pole, with Rosberg alongside, Bottas and Button line up on the second row, Kvyat with his best ever start from fifth along with his team mate for next year Ricciardo on row three. The two Ferraris of Alonso and Raikkonen on row four, and Vergne and Vettel rounding out the top ten.

The cars line up behind Hamilton, the lights go off and the race begins.

Rosberg gets a big run down to the first corner - has a big lockup but stays ahead but runs wide at turn 2. The team tells Rosberg to give the place back to Hamilton before getting a penalty for running off track.

On lap 2 Rosberg and Massa pit - Rosberg due to vibrations from locking up.

Vettel passes Kvyat for seventh in turn 3. Ricciardo then follows Vettel through.

Rosberg asks what his strategy is from here and the team tells him that they will try to run without another stop for the rest of the race.

On lap 3 Magnussen passes Vergne for fifth place in turn 2, but Vergne comes back and repasses him.

On lap 4 Magnussen has another go and gets past Vergne.

On lap 5 Bottas sets a new fast lap. Chilton pits for soft tyres. Vergne is passed by the two Red Bulls and is down to eighth place. Kvyat has fallen back to 10th.

On lap 6 Alonso, having had another good start is pressuring Button for third place.

On lap 7 Ricciardo is complaining of losing time behind his team mate Vettel.

At lap 7 Hamilton leads Bottas by 2.7 seconds, followed by Button (5.9s), Alonso (1.0s), Magnussen (5.5s), Vettel (4.0s), Ricciardo (0.9s), Vergne (0.7s), Raikkonen (0.7s) and Kvyat (0.6s) in tenth. Rosberg runs in 15th place.

On lap 9 Hamilton sets another fast lap at 1m43.817s. Massa passes Ericsson for 16th. Magnussen is slowly closing on Alonso in fourth.

On lap 11 Chilton pits once again, and then is pushed into the garage to retire with a vibration. Rosberg passes Grosjean for 14th place.

On lap 12 Ricciardo pits from seventh switching to medium compound tyres, rejoining in 18th.

Rosberg passes Massa for 13th place.

On lap 13 Sutil pits and switches to soft tyres.

Hamilton is using less fuel than the rest of the field, even having to lead the race.

On lap 14 Mercedes tells Rosberg that he is on track to finish on the podium. Rosberg passes Gutierrez at turn 2 to take 11th place. Massa follows him through.

On lap 17 Hamilton is running laps in the 1m43™s, while the rest of the field is running 1m44™s and slower. Hamilton now leads Bottas by 4.7 seconds.

Kvyat follows Raikkonen in eighth place.

On lap 18 Button tells his engineers that his tyres still feel good. Hamilton sets another fast lap at 1m43.577s.

Mercedes tells Rosberg to pick up his pace a bit to allow him to stay ahead of Button when the McLaren pits.

On lap 20 Rosberg passes Perez for tenth place at the start-finish straight.

At lap 20 Hamilton leads Bottas by 7.9 seconds, followed by Button (13.3s), Alonso (2.6s), Magnussen (3.3s), Vettel (8.8s), Vergne (3.0s), Raikkonen (1.7s), Rosberg (4.9s) and Perez (2.1s) in tenth place.

On lap 21 Hamilton tells the team that his tyres are still in good shape, and sets another fast lap at 1m43.407s. Kvyat pits from ninth place switching over to medium tyres. Grosjean pits as well.

Massa is chasing Perez for tenth place.

On lap 22 Maldonado and Kobayashi both pit. Rosberg complains to the team that his tyres are degrading.

On lap 23 Button pits from third and switches to medium tyres - he rejoins as Rosberg just gets past the British driver.

On lap 24 Vergne makes his stop for medium tyres.

Hamilton™s lead over Bottas is up to 14.0 seconds.

On lap 25 Kobayashi retires in the pits with overheating brakes. Hulkenberg pits and switches to soft tyres.

On lap 26 Alonso pits from third place switching to medium tyres. A slow stop and he rejoins behind Button. Perez pits as well.

Rosberg passes Raikkonen in turn 2 for fifth. Bottas pits from second place, switching to medium tyres - he rejoings

On lap 27 Hamilton pits from the lead, switching to medium tyres, and keeps his lead. Rosberg sets a new fast lap at 1m43.144s.

Massa, Raikkonen and Ericsson pit as well.

On lap 29 Sutil spins, but continues, after making contact with Grosjean.

Bottas and Rosberg follow closely behind Vettel, who is yet to pit.

On lap 30 Vettel pits from second place - rejoining in eighth place.

On lap 31 Rosberg passes Bottas at turn 2 - Bottas running out of room, and having to run wide.

Williams tells Bottas, œRosberg swapped to mediums at the end of lap 1, so he™s going to suffer from degradation - we will get him back.

Grosjean received a five-second stop/go penalty for his incident with Sutil earlier.

On lap 33 Rosberg sets another fast lap at 1m42.770 seconds, and tells the team his tyres are coming back.

On lap 34 Rosberg sets another fast lap at 1m42m670s. Kvyat is told he is critical on fuel.

At lap 35 Hamilton leads his team mate Rosberg by 18.8 seconds, followed by Bottas (4.4s), Button (3.5s), Magnussen (8.7s), Alonso (7.1s), Ricciardo (1.6s), Vettel (7.6s), Gutierrez (4.7s) and Raikkonen (2.4s) in tenth place.

Rosberg sets another fast lap at 1m42.408s.

On lap 35 Perez passes Kvyat in turn 2 for 12th place. Massa follows past Kvyat as well.

Rosberg is told by team to go to plan B - so others think he is going to push hard and make another pit stop before the end of the race.

On lap 38 Rosberg sets another fast lap at 1m42.088s. Kvyat pits for a second time and switches back to soft tyres.

On lap 39 Raikkonen passes Gutierrez at turn 2 for tenth place - Gutierrez yet to pit.

On lap 40 Mercedes asks Rosberg if he can make it on this set of tyres to the finish? Rosberg responds that it will be difficult, but he thinks it could be possible.

Gutierrez pits for his only stop, changing to medium tyres.

On lap 41 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m41.853s. Ricciardo is closing in on Alonso in sixth place.

On lap 42 Force India tells Perez that he is critical on fuel.

On lap 44 Ericsson pits for a second time.

At lap 45 Hamilton continues to lead over his team mate Rosberg by 19.0 seconds, followed by Bottas (4.8s), Button (7.5s), Magnussen (14.3s), Alonso (9.4s), Ricciardo (0.6s), Vettel (5.5s), Raikkonen (11.8s) and Perez (2.0s) in tenth place.

On lap 46 Bottas sets fast lap at 1m41.830s. Perez is told his fuel consumption is now desperate.

Ricciardo continues to chase Alonso with the gap less than one second.

On lap 48 Massa is chasing Perez for tenth place.

On lap 50 Bottas sets another fast lap at 1m41.534s, but he is still 4 seconds behind Rosberg in second place with laps running out.

On lap 51 Massa is under pressure from Hulkenberg for 11th place.

On lap 52 Rosberg sets fast lap at1m41.360s.

On lap 53 Hamilton crosses the chequered flag to win over Rosberg and Bottas.