This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
On a day that will be remembered for Ferrari's team dynamics issues, Mercedes secured a one-two finish at the Russian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton won the race without needing to overtake the Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc, who were comfortably ahead of him for the first part of the race.
Charles Leclerc delivered a dominant qualifying performance, setting pole position for the fourth consecutive time. He was four tenths of a second ahead of Hamilton, who had just pipped Vettel by 0.023 of a second to split the dominant Ferraris.
However, Ferrari's team dynamics issues soon became apparent. Leclerc expressed his displeasure at having Vettel in front of him, and the team's decision to let him through in the next lap was met with resistance from Vettel. The tension between the drivers and the team continued to build throughout the race.
Despite Ferrari's best efforts, Hamilton inherited the lead when Vettel dived into the pits on the 26th lap. A power unit issue crippled Vettel's Ferrari, forcing him to retire. A Virtual Safety Car was deployed, and Hamilton took the opportunity to pit and emerge in the same position.
Mercedes' strategy paid off, and Hamilton went on to win the race for his 82nd victory. He also surpassed Michael Schumacher's record of 142 races led and opened a 73-point gap lead on second-placed Valtteri Bottas with only five races to go.
The result was a one-two finish for Mercedes, with Bottas finishing second and Leclerc third. Alexander Albon finished fifth, securing his fourth consecutive top-six finish for Red Bull.
