Standings after Russia: Hamilton regains the lead, Sainz overtakes his teammate

Who would have thought that the Russian Grand Prix would be so interesting? While Lando Norris was starting a race from pole position for the first time, Carlos Sainz, in second place, took the lead after turn 3. It is rare to see the second driver take the lead at the start on this track. But the Spaniard knew the limits of his car and saw Norris overtake him after about ten laps. At the back of the grid, Charles Leclerc made an impressive start by gaining seven positions. Max Verstappen, on the other hand, managed to gain a few places, as did Valtteri Bottas.

The arrival of the rain changed everything. Norris, leading the race, saw the threatening car of the seven-time world champion in his rearview mirrors, but the danger mainly came from the sky. As the rain intensified in certain parts of the track, the young driver decided not to listen to his engineer and ultimately continue the race with his hard tires. A rookie mistake that costs him his first career victory in F1. Hamilton, who had changed his tires to intermediates, drove straight to his 100th victory. In the midst of this confusion, Verstappen finished second and Sainz completed the podium.

By his victory, Hamilton takes back the lead of the championship, but sees Verstappen only two points behind him. The midfield changes once again. With his podium, Sainz overtakes his teammate by a few points and even gets closer to Perez and his fifth position. Unhappy in seventh place at the end of the race, Norris lets Bottas and the third position slip away. The French drivers have not progressed in the standings.

Find the complete and detailed F1 standings on our dedicated page.

The championship standings after the Russian Grand Prix