Bottas told to let Hamilton through for the win; Hamilton 50 points clear in title race; Verstappen charges to fifth
Tuesday 11 December 2018 11:17, UK
Lewis Hamilton has taken a stranglehold of the F1 world championship after winning the Russian GP in controversial fashion from Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
With five events remaining this season, Hamilton leads the championship by 50 points as he closes in on a fifth championship.
In the race's decisive moments, Hamilton overtook title rival Sebastian Vettel after being jumped by the Ferrari at the pit-stops before being let through by team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
Should Bottas have let Hamilton through?
Bottas was understandably unhappy with the instruction as Mercedes prioritized Hamilton's title quest.
"It doesn't feel great," said Hamilton. "I don't think I've ever finished first and feel the way I do right now."
While Kimi Raikkonen claimed fourth, driver of the race Max Verstappen finished fifth having started from the back before scything through the field and taking the lead until the final 10 laps when he finally pitted.
Mercedes' difficult call
There was no sign of the controversy that followed when Bottas and Hamilton raced through the opening turns to hold off Vettel.
Having held his advantage through the pit-stops, Bottas hadn't put a wheel off line before Mercedes' chief strategist James Vowles instructed Bottas to let Hamilton through - a sacrifice that effectively guaranteed victory for the Englishman.
"Lewis is fighting for the championship and I am not so it is better for the team if Lewis wins," Bottas told Sky F1. "It's not ideal but that's a fact."
Hamilton immediately commiserated with Bottas after the race as the Finn, who hasn't won a race this year, stood stern-faced and crestfallen.
"There are not many team-mates who would do something like that," said Hamilton. "It's the strangest day l can remember in the sport."
Hamilton makes his move on Vettel
While Bottas' enforced surrender overshadowed Hamilton's triumph, the victory was embellished by a fine and brave move by Hamilton on Vettel.
Hamilton had already held off Vettel in a wheel-to-wheel duel at the start but then lost out to the German when Vettel pitted two laps earlier.
Hamilton returned to the track immediately behind his rival and quickly launched an intense attack.
After his first move was rebuffed, with the two cars nearly veering into the track wall, Hamilton made no mistake second time around as he made his superior speed count to sweep past.
Hamilton accused Vettel of a double move in his defence, but the stewards ruled the Ferrari had driven cleanly after investigating the incident.
"For me, he did move over to the inside and then he moved again and nearly put me in the wall," said Hamilton. "I thought that was a double move but I guess they didn't see that.
"Fortunately I was able to get out of the wall and then it was a question of who was going to brake later at the next corner and I wanted it more at the time."
Mercedes later described it as "a decisive pass, but potentially an even more decisive moment in this year's F1 title battle."
Verstappen charges to star act
On his 21st birthday, Max Verstappen pulled almost as many overtakes on a charge which electrified the race.
Sent to the back of the grid due to engine penalties, Verstappen produced a storming start and reached the top ten by the end of the first lap.
After muscling aside Kevin Magnussen and the Force Indias of Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez, Verstappen then took an unlikely lead when the frontrunners pitted.
Remarkably, the Dutchman still had sufficient pace to hold off Hamilton until finally stopping for fresh rubber with ten laps to go and returning in fifth place.
