This archive report was first published on 29 September 2019.
On September 29, 2019, Lewis Hamilton rode his luck to claim his first win in four races at the Russian Grand Prix, ending Ferrari's winning streak with a well-judged strategic victory for Mercedes.
Hamilton's win was his ninth of the season and the 82nd of his career, lifting him 73 points clear at the top of the drivers' title race. He scored an additional point for fastest lap.
Sebastian Vettel, who led from the start, suffered a mechanical failure and retired after 28 laps, gifting Mercedes a chance to extend their Sochi supremacy to six wins in succession.
Charles Leclerc came home a frustrated third after starting from pole and losing his advantage to Vettel on the opening lap in a race punctuated by two Safety Car interventions and one use of the Virtual Safety Car.
Hamilton's win was a testament to the team's solid performance, with his teammate Valtteri Bottas finishing second. Bottas said his second place was a credit to the team's belief.
Leclerc remained poised despite his disappointment, saying, "At least we are consistent. It's a shame for the team not to have both of us up here... I will always trust the team, but our tactic was for me to give the slipstream, which I did - and then, well I need to speak to the team about that."
