This archive report was first published on 29 September 2019.
On Sunday, September 29, 2019, Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton pulled off a stunning upset in the Russian Grand Prix, securing a Mercedes one-two finish and ending Ferrari's winning streak in the process.
Hamilton's victory, which came after Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel were undone by a virtual safety car, marked the 82nd win of his career and the ninth of the season for the British driver.
With this win, Hamilton stretched his lead to 73 points over his closest rival, Valtteri Bottas, who finished second in the race. Ferrari's Leclerc took third place after an early radio controversy with Vettel, whose retirement on the 28th lap brought out the virtual safety car that ultimately cemented Hamilton's lead.
Mercedes' victory was their sixth in a row in Sochi, a streak that dates back to the first Russian Grand Prix in 2014. Hamilton's win also left him nine short of Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 91 wins.
"It feels like a long time coming, it feels like the first time as well," Hamilton said in a post-race interview, reflecting on his first win since Hungary on the eve of the August break.
"It's just incredible to have this result today, considering how quick they (Ferrari) were off the start. Just keeping up with them was an incredibly hard task," he added.
