Hamilton wins Russian GP after Bottas gives up lead

TIL Desk Sports/ Formula One defending champion Lewis Hamilton of Britain (Mercedes) won the Russian Grand Prix on Sunday after Mercedes’ other driver, Valtteri Bottas of Finland, gave up the lead in a strategic decision focused on cementing Hamilton’s grip on a fifth Formula One title.

With his third Grand Prix victory in a row, Hamilton extended his lead in the 2018 Formula One championship to 50 points over his main title rival, Germany’s Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari), who finished third behind Bottas here.

“It’s actually quite a difficult day. Valtteri was a real gentleman to let me through,” Hamilton said in a post-race interview on Formula One’s official Twitter. “To have a one-two, usually we’d be elated. Valtteri deserved to win… but today it was a real team effort,” the British driver added.

Having missed out on his first win this season, Bottas admitted it was “A difficult day. A good result as a team but personally, as everyone saw, it was quite difficult. Lewis is fighting for the championship so we always have a plan, but it is what it is.”