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In a race marked by punishment for Lewis Hamilton, Finn Valtteri Bottas won the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi today and prevented his Mercedes teammate from equaling Michael Schumacher’s record for Formula 1 wins.
Hamilton finished third, also behind Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull), and will once again try to reach 91 career wins in two weeks in Germany.
In today’s race, Hamilton started from pole, but on lap eight he was awarded a penalty for training from a prohibited spot before the grid line-up lap. He had to serve 10 seconds in the pits for committing the infraction twice.
Hamilton took the penalty on lap 17, when he was leading the race, and came back in 11th place. The reaction, however, was not enough to put him in the fight for victory. Bottas controlled the pace and won easily, with Verstappen clinching second place smoothly.
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Bottas celebrates victory at the Russian GP; Hamilton ranks third
Yuri Kochetkov / Reuters
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Lewis Hamilton on the podium of the Russian GP after third place in the Sochi race
Kirill Kudryavtsev / Reuters
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Lewis Hamilton during the Russian GP; The pilot was sanctioned for simulating exits before the race in a prohibited place.
Kirill Kudryavtsev / AFP
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Valtteri Bottas during the Formula 1 Russian GP
Kirill Kudryavtsev / AFP
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Max Verstappen during the Russian Formula 1 GP
Pavel Golovkin / Reuters
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The safety car hit the track in the opening laps of the Russian GP
Yuri Kochetkov / Reuters
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The Russian GP allowed the entrance of 30,000 fans
Maxim Shemetov / Reuters
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Carlos Sainz Jr.’s McLaren after accident with Lance Stroll
Maxim Shemetov / Reuters
In the Drivers’ Championship, Hamilton continues to lead, with 205 points. Bottas is 161, with the extra point for the fastest lap of the race.
The Sochi race also marked the second time Formula 1 has received an audience this year from the new coronavirus pandemic. In the first time, in Tuscany (Italy), 3 thousand people were allowed. In Sochi, 30,000 people were authorized.
The next GP will take place on October 11 at the Nurburgring, Germany.
Hamilton threatened
Today’s punishment puts pressure on Hamilton to make new mistakes. The Mercedes driver has accumulated 10 points and, if he achieves two more in mid-November, he will be suspended from one race.
In the F1 system, a driver is out of the race if he accumulates 12 penalty points on his license over the course of a year. Hamilton’s current count began at last year’s Brazilian GP on November 17, when he received two points. Since then, eight more points have been received in four other events, including those in Russia today.
Lewis Hamilton during the Russian GP; The pilot was sanctioned for simulating exits before the race in a prohibited place.
Image: Kirill Kudryavtsev / AFP
Raikkonen sets Barrichello’s record
The race also had Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen equaling Rubens Barrichello’s record today. The two now have 322 starts each in Formula 1 history.
Barrichello said goodbye to Formula 1 in 2011. Kimi Raikkonen, who is 40, is in his 18th season in the category and is negotiating to stay for the next. He came in 14th today.
Next season, the record holders will be threatened by Fernando Alonso, who has 311 career starts and will be back on the grid for at least two more years.
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