LEWIS Hamilton became the first Formula One driver to win 100 grands prix with a dramatic rain-assisted victory in Russia that sent the Mercedes driver two points clear in the championship on Sunday.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished an impressive second at Sochi's Olympic Park, after starting 20th and last due to engine penalties, thereby limiting the damage from his rival's fifth win of the season and first since July.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz was third for Ferrari on a day of hope and ultimate heartbreak for McLaren's Lando Norris as a late downpour dashed his hopes of a first win.
The 21-year-old Briton started on pole for the first time in his career, lost out to Sainz at the start but then passed the Spaniard 13 laps later and was still leading when the clouds burst.
Norris decided to stay out on slicks, after Hamilton had stopped for intermediates on team advice, with the top two comfortably clear of the rest.
He then plunged from first to seventh in the last three laps after slipping, sliding off and eventually having to pit.
"What a race the weather provided. It's taken a long time to get to 100 and I wasn't sure it would come," said Hamilton, who last season passed Ferrari great Michael Schumacher's previous record of 91 wins.
"Max must've done a really great job to come up to second from last. We've got our work cut out," added the Briton, who started the day five points behind Verstappen with seven races remaining after Sochi.
Hamilton had slipped to seventh at the end of lap one, losing out at the start after being fourth on the grid, but made up places as those ahead of him pitted early.
He was still 25 seconds behind Norris after his final stop but the team had read the weather right and the tyres easily allowed him to catch up and overtake his compatriot for a landmark win.
"The team made a great call right at the end. I didn't want to let Lando go and I didn't know what the weather was doing," said Hamilton.
"It would've been tough to get past Lando unless we came up to some traffic or he made a mistake, which he hasn't been doing, so then the rain came and it was very opportunistic."
While Hamilton celebrated a personal century, his Mercedes team maintained their own 100% record in Sochi.
The champions have won every Russian grand prix since the first in 2014, Hamilton triumphant in five of them.
RICCIARDO FOURTH
Australian Daniel Ricciardo, winner of the previous race at Italy's Monza circuit, was fourth for McLaren, with Valtteri Bottas fifth for Mercedes after starting 16th. Both benefited from stopping early for the treaded tyres.
Double world champion Fernando Alonso was sixth for Renault-owned Alpine.
Kimi Raikkonen, returning for Alfa Romeo after missing the previous two races due to a positive COVID-19 test, was eighth and Mexican Sergio Perez ninth for Red Bull.
George Russell, who had started a stunning third for Williams, struggled to 10th -- his fourth points finish in the last five races for a team that had not scored for two years before that.
The only consolation for Norris, and it was a scant one on an afternoon that had offered so much more, was a bonus point for fastest lap.
Mercedes stretched their lead over Red Bull in the constructors' standings to 33 points.
Haas driver Mick Schumacher, son of Michael, was the only retirement from the race.
The next round is at Turkey's Istanbul Park on Oct. 10.
Hamilton won his record-equalling seventh title there last November in a wet and slippery race but this year's championship chase looks like going the distance.
Reuters
Mon Sep 27 2021
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton celebrates on the podium after winning the race alongside second place Red Bull's Max Verstappen and third place Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr, Russian Grand Prix - Sochi Autodrom, Sochi, Russia - September 26, 2021. - REUTERS
Kagame, menang 99.5 peratus pilihan raya Rwanda
Paul Kagame meneruskan khidmatnya buat penggal keempat berturut-turut sebagai Presiden Rwanda, selepas memenangi 99.15 peratus undi dalam pilihan raya negara itu.
Polis kerah lebih 300 anggota kawal perlawanan Piala FA
Seramai 351 anggota polis ditugaskan bagi mengawal perlawanan separuh akhir Piala FA antara Terengganu FC (TFC) dengan Selangor FC di Stadium Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin (SSMZA) Jumaat ini.
Dua warga AS antara yang ditemui maut di bilik hotel di Thailand
Jabatan Negara Amerika Syarikat ambil maklum mengenai laporan mengenai dua warganegaranya yang ditemui mati di sebuah hotel di Thailand.
EU tolak label UNRWA sebagai organisasi pengganas
Ketua Dasar Luar Kesatuan Eropah (EU), Josep Borrell mengulangi penolakan blok itu melabel Agensi Bantuan dan Kerja Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu untuk Pelarian Palestin (UNRWA) sebagai organisasi pengganas.
Mengimbau sedekad tragedi MH17
Pesawat MH17 Malaysia Airlines ditembak jatuh di timur Ukraine sejurus berlepas dari Lapangan Terbang Schiphol di Amsterdam, mengorbankan kesemua 283 penumpang dan 15 anak kapal di dalamnya.
Tragedi yang berlaku pada 17 Julai 2014 itu, kini memasuki tahun ke-10 kejadiannya.
Tragedi yang berlaku pada 17 Julai 2014 itu, kini memasuki tahun ke-10 kejadiannya.
Kerajaan teliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap, pastikan kewangan negara lebih mampan
Kerajaan sedang meneliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap bagi memastikan pengurusan kewangan negara yang lebih mampan.
PDRM gerak unit skuba forensik, K9 cari telefon, rantai Nur Farah Kartini hari ini
Proses mencari bahan bukti akan dimulakan sekitar jam 9 pagi di kawasan parit berhampiran ladang kelapa sawit berkenaan.
Bangkai pesawat MH17 tanpa sayap imbau kekejaman tragedi menyayat hati
Keadaan serpihan pesawat MH17 Malaysia Airlines (MAS) yang cuba dibina semula tanpa sayap, tayar, ekor dan tempat duduk penumpang cukup menggerunkan sekali gus mengingatkan pada kekejaman yang meragut
VOP akan diselesaikan dalam tempoh sebulan - Ahmad
Pelaksanaan Syarat Perubahan Harga (VOP) susulan penyasaran subsidi diesel dijangka diselesaikan dalam tempoh sebulan lagi, kata Timbalan Menteri Kerja Raya Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
Industri minyak sawit disaran guna semula sisa untuk bahan api penerbangan mampan - Liew
Industri minyak sawit perlu mengkaji penggunaan semula sisa sebagai stok suapan penting untuk bahan api penerbangan mampan (SAF), di luar penggunaan tradisional minyak sawit.
F1: Hamilton menangis selepas menang GP Britain
Juara dunia tujuh kali itu menangis ketika bercakap melalui radio pasukan pada pusingan akhir.
F1: Lewis Hamilton akan 'berseronok' dari petak ke-18 di GP China
Pemandu Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton berkata dia berhasrat untuk "berseronok" dalam Grand Prix F1 China Ahad selepas berada di petak ke-18.
Lewis Hamilton buat kejutan muncul di SMK Seri Keramat
Penampilan khas Lewis Hamilton di Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seri Keramat berjaya menarik perhatian netizen.
Verstappen ganti Hamilton musim depan?
Toto Wolff mendedahkan buat pertama kali bahawa dia berbesar hati untuk menerima kehadiran Max Verstappen menyertai pasukan Mercedes.
Pelumba F1 bimbang terhadap kenaikan kadar denda oleh FIA
Lewis Hamilton serta seluruh pelumba Formula 1 boleh dikenakan denda sehingga 1 juta euro berikutan perubahan drastik terhadap peraturan sukan itu.
F1: Hamilton mampu atasi Schumacher dengan gelaran F1 kelapan - Andretti
Mario Andretti tidak percaya Hamilton melakukan kesilapan apabila menyerahkan masa depannya kepada Mercedes.
F1: Alonso puji Verstappen sebagai pemandu terbaik selepas Schumacher
Verstappen hanya perlu mengumpul tiga mata dalam perlumbaan pecut Sabtu ini di Qatar bagi melengkapkan hatrik gelaran dunia.
Carlos Sainz Ferrari muncul juara Grand Prix F1 Singapura
Carlos Sainz melakar kemenangan untuk Ferrari dalam Grand Prix Formula 1 Singapura 2023.
F1: Max Verstappen terus bergelut di GP Singapura, mulakan saingan di tempat ke-11
Max Verstappen akan memulakan perlumbaan Grand Prix Singapura malam ini dari tempat ke-11.
F1: Hamilton beri komitmen kepada Mercedes sehingga 2025
Dijangkakan bahawa perjanjian baharu itu akan memperoleh Hamilton dalam lingkungan GBP50 juta setahun.