Rosberg's Russian race up in smoke
October 12, 2014
Lewis Hamilton cruised to victory at the Sochi Autodrom on Sunday, helped on his way by Nico Rosberg's misguided attempt to overtake on the first lap.
Rosberg tried to pass pole-sitter Hamilton for the lead into Turn 2, but locked up his front wheels wildly and ran wide. Mercedes radioed in to ask its driver to cede the position - having gained it by leaving the track limits, he would have risked a penalty otherwise - and Rosberg replied to say that the damage to his tires was so great, that he would have to pit for new ones.
The German rejoined at the back of the pack but, incredibly, was able to make his second set of boots last for the entire race distance, recovering to finish second behind his teammate.
"Sorry guys, that was very unnecessary," Rosberg said on team radio after the race, referring to his first-lap accident. "But thank you for the unbelievable car, to be able to recover to second."
Presidential podium
Russian President Vladimir Putin presented the winner's trophy to Hamilton on the podium, at the first-ever Formula One race in Russia, and the first "grand prix" in the country since 1914.
Hamilton stretches his lead in the drivers' championship to 17 points with the victory, with three races left this season. The dominant Mercedes F1 team mathematically sealed the constructors' championship with their 1-2 finish.
"Congratulations to the team on the consturctors' championship. Great job, man, history in making!" Hamilton said over team radio after taking the checkered flag. The British 2008 champion has won the last four races, but F1's monumentally unpopular plan to award double points at the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi means that it's unlikely either driver will claim the title prior to the last weekend. Their closest challenger, Daniel Ricciardo, is mathematically still in the title hunt - but practically he was never even in the running given Mercedes' 2014 superiority.
Williams' Valtteri Bottas delivered another impressive drive on Sunday, long appearing the favorite for second place until it became apparent that Rosberg's 52-lap stint was feasible after all. The Mercedes-powered privateer team Williams is unexpectedly third in the constructors' championship race, behind last year's champions Red Bull but ahead of Ferrari.
Mercedes motors dominate
Mercedes motors powered the first five cars, with the McLaren duo of Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen rolling in fourth and fifth. Fernando Alonso's Ferrari was the fastest finisher not driven by Stuttgart's three-pointed star, ahead of the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, and then his teammate Kimi Raikkonen. Sergio Perez claimed the last world championship point in his Mercedes-powered Force India in tenth place.
On the eve of the race, Russia's presidency announced that its troops would be moving back to their "permanent bases" after taking part in "exercises" near the border with Ukraine in recent months.
Prior to the race, the drivers observed the national anthem in silence together at the front of the grid - the first time that the sport's organizers had requested this - and then stood in a closed circle to honor the absent, severely-injured French driver Jules Bianchi.