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A32 sports
Dialuna 27 September 2021

Hamilton wins 100th F1 race to take lead over Verstappen

(AP) — To win his 100th son so far (Red Bull) had the
Formula One race, Lewis edge,” he said. “However, it’s
Hamilton drew on much been difficult with all sorts
of his vast experience of things, curveballs sent to
from the first 99. both of us and our teams. It’s
still everything to play for in
Hamilton used his overtak- these next races.”
ing skills, strategic think-
ing and driving skills in the It doesn’t take much rain to
rain to fight back from sev- make a difference in Sochi,
enth place on the first lap to where the flat track means
a landmark victory to retake water builds up on the sur-
the championship lead from face.
Max Verstappen.
Norris finally finished sev-
Hamilton was chasing Lando enth after his failed gamble
Norris for the lead when the to stay on dry tires despite
rain started late in the race. warnings from his team
Hamilton heeded his team’s about how slippery the track
advice to stop for interme- was becoming. If not for
diate tires — though he was the rain, Hamilton said, “it
reluctant to break off chasing would have been tough to
Norris — but Norris stayed get past Lando. He had great
out on slick tires and paid pace.” Norris had been aim-
the price when he slid off ing to give McLaren back-to-
the track and let Hamilton back wins after Daniel Ric-
through. ciardo took victory at the last
race in Italy when Hamilton
“It’s taken a long time to get and Verstappen collided.
to 100 and at times, I wasn’t
sure it would come,” Ham- and get to drive with such last on the grid. Carlos Sainz the outside of Fernando Hamilton has now won the
ilton said. It was Hamilton’s phenomenal talents this late led the race early on and fin- Alonso. They were fractious Russian Grand Prix on five
fifth win of the season and in my career.” ished third for Ferrari. teammates and title rivals of eight occasions, and his
his first since the British when Hamilton was a rookie victory Sunday continues a
Grand Prix in July. Hamilton turned Verstap- The race had plenty of echoes in 2007. The chaotic wet fin- clean sweep of victories in
“It’s a magical moment,” pen’s five-point champion- of Hamilton’s past. ish also brought back memo- Russia for Mercedes.
Hamilton added. “I could ship lead into a two-point ries from Hamilton’s long
only have dreamed of still be- lead of his own after the After his tough start, the Brit- record of victories in the rain. Ricciardo narrowly missed
ing here and having this op- Dutch driver finished second ish driver started moving up the podium for McLaren in
portunity to win these races after a dramatic drive from with a tough overtake around Verstappen started last af- fourth and Hamilton’s team-
ter a penalty for an engine mate Valtteri Bottas was fifth
change in his Red Bull but after an eventful race for the
sliced through the field and Finn. Mercedes’ decision to
had Hamilton in sight by the swap the engine in Bottas’ car
halfway stage. Hamilton’s and take a penalty prompted
Mercedes worked better on speculation the team was
the hard tires in the second deploying Bottas to hold up
half of the race and Verstap- Verstappen, something the
pen’s charge seemed to have team denied. Regardless, it
stalled when he was overtak- didn’t take long for Verstap-
en by the Alpine of Alonso pen to swoop past Bottas
and stuck in seventh.
Alonso was sixth for Alpine,
But then the rain came and ahead of Norris and Alfa Ro-
Verstappen switched to inter- meo’s Kimi Raikkonen. The
mediate tires early, allowing second Red Bull of Sergio
him to claim an unexpected Perez was ninth and George
podium finish and limit the Russell took the last point
damage to his hopes of a first for Williams in 10th. Russell
title. qualified third and held up
the cars behind — includ-
“We didn’t lose so many ing Hamilton, his teammate
points today, so that’s really, next year at Mercedes — for
really good,” Verstappen told much of the early part of the
his team over the radio. One race.
key question for the rest of
the season is whether Ham-
ilton too will need to use an
extra engine and take a pen-
alty.

Verstappen’s verdict on his
title chances? “Fifty-fifty.”

Hamilton too predicted a
close fight. “Undoubtedly,
it’s going to be tough. I think
for the two-thirds of the sea-