The Russian GP saw Lewis Hamilton become the first Formula 1 driver to notch up 100 wins, but that wasn't the only talking point of the race.
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They don’t usually make races like this at the Russian GP. The Sochi Autodrom has played host to nine races now, and all nine have gone to a Mercedes driver. Yet the 2021 edition of the race was one full of action and drama, right till the end. As such, a race normally not known for serving up thrillers delivered a race that had everyone on tenterhooks. Lewis Hamilton rewrote history once again, becoming the first driver to notch up 100 wins. Meanwhile there was heartbreak for McLaren’s Lando Norris, who lost the race in the most heartbreaking fashion ever.
The race also saw a couple of unexpected podium finishers, as well as a few surprise point scorers. And of course, a few drops of rain towards the end that threw all strategy into disarray.
As such, there was plenty to talk about following the conclusion of the race. Here are the major talking points from the Russian GP.
The limit for what counts as a good all-time F1 wins record continues to grow bigger and bigger. Prior to Hamilton taking the record, few believed Michael Schumacher’s haul of 91 wins would be surpassed. Then again, few believed anyone would surpass Alain Prost when he ended his career with 51 wins. The previous record holder? Jackie Stewart, with 27 wins.
Yet Hamilton is in rarefied territory. No one ever came close to getting 100 wins before this; indeed, few thought any driver could manage such a feat. Yet the Brit has, and he isn’t done yet either. He has at least two more years left in the sport, by which time he could win quite a few more.
It is easy to say that Hamilton’s had the benefit of the best car. That would be true, but the best teams always want the best drivers; that’s how the sport has always worked. And if it were only down to the car, Valtteri Bottas would have at least one world championship to his name by now.
Oh Lando. After finishing second at Monza – his fourth podium of the season – many figured it was a case of when he challenged for a win. After all, McLaren had told Norris not to race eventual winner Daniel Ricciardo. Yet it is fair to say that Norris had the pace to do so.
It seemed that moment had finally arrived at Sochi. Norris started on pole, lost the lead briefly to Carlos Sainz, then regained it again. He was leading Hamilton going into the final few laps. Fans were braced for a stellar battle between the upstart and the stalwart. And then the rain came. And Norris chose not to pit for new tyres, doing so only after he slid off the road and lost the lead.
The seventh place finish will undoubtedly hurt. Norris was fighting tears after the race and will feel gutted at the result. But the lessons he will learn from this will put him in a good position in the future. After all, he has shown he is capable of challenging for wins. The time for him to claim those wins will come.
If anyone would have told Max Verstappen that, after starting 20th due to a grid penalty as well as change in engines, that he would get second place, he would grab it with both hands. Yes, it came about partly due to the chaos caused by rain, but it is a welcome result.
He might have ceded the world championship lead to Hamilton, but a four-point deficit with so many races still to go is easy to overturn. Before the race, Red Bull believed a top 5 finish would be a good result. They went three spots better than that.
Carlos Sainz is making the current Ferrari look a lot better than it has any right to. He’s already notched up three podium finishes so far this season, and also outscored teammate Charles Leclerc. The expecation was that Sainz would be a solid and experienced driver to partner future star Leclerc. Yet so far, it is Sainz who has fared better.
Granted, some of it can be attributed to rotten luck for Leclerc. However, Sainz has impressed consistently in a car that lacks the pace of the title contenders. And while many talk of the likes of Leclerc, Norris, George Rusell, Pierre Gasly and even Verstappen as future stars, Sainz is showing signs of being a potential race winner in the future.
The chaos that engulfed the end of the race saw Kimi Raikkonen finish eighth – and claim four championship points in the process. The veteran had missed the previous two races after contracting COVID-19 but showed no signs of rust, turning in a good drive on the Sochi street circuit.
Given Raikkonen is set to retire at the end of the season, fans will be keen to see him be among the points as often as possible. Race wins and even podium finishes seem beyond the Alfa Romeo car, but a few points scored before he ends his career would be a nice little goodbye to the Finn.
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