In the most entertaining World Cup of recent years, Lewis Hamilton took victory in the Russian Grand Prix, the 100th of his career, ahead of a Max Verstappen who was second … after starting last. And Carlos Sainz, superb, third.
What times are those in which a dominating driver of the World Championship started first on the grid, and did the entire race at leisure, alone, with almost no opposition. The times of Michael Schumacher in the first decade of the century and Lewis Hamilton in recent years. Times, on the other hand, absolutely boring.
This year, whatever it is, because Red Bull has gotten on with Verstappen. Because Lewis Hamilton he continues to show that under pressure he is a considerably worse driver than when his car is clearly superior. Due to accidents or, as has happened in Russia, because of the rain, the races are much more disputed, more entertaining and, therefore, the World Cup is exciting. Not in vain, Hamilton regains the leadership of the World Cup … but with only two points of advantage over Max Verstappen.
The big loser, the British Lando Norris (McLaren), who won pole, also in the rain, on Saturday, who lost position at the start to a great Carlos Sainz, who regained the lead a few laps later, and who led most of the race, controlling a runaway Hamilton just over five laps from the end. But the rain came and the strategies took the wheel. Good at Mercedes, which forced Hamilton to put on rain tires. Bad at McLaren, who preferred to wait, and in the end the downpour destroyed the chances that Norris had won his first race in Formula 1.
But the driver of the day was, once again, Max Verstappen, who signed one of the best comebacks in the history of Formula 1 by starting twentieth and last at the start and finishing, thanks also to strategy, and changing to tires of rain, in second position, with which the spears are still at the top in the World Cup.
Fifth podium for Carlos Sainz
And the other big star was without a doubt Carlos Sainz. The Madrilenian made perhaps the best start of his career, beat Norris’s McLaren against all odds and led a few laps in the race, raising the hope of the Spanish fans. But, today, the Ferrari is a worse car than the McLaren, Sainz’s previous team. He had to give up his privileged position and had a hard time, which even took him to seventh place. But again, the wise choice to change tires when the rain hit earned him a podium that he more than deserved. The fifth drawer of his career.
But let’s not waste our national pride with Sainz, because, once again, Fernando Alonso gave a master class on driving and strategy. Because with the Alpine he drives, which is a real donkey compared to ten or twelve cars on the grid, the Asturian again milked gold, and ended up, amid the chaos of the rain, in the same position in which he started, sixth , being even ahead of Lando Norris.
Now, a new week off, in 14 days to see each other again in the Grand Prix of Turkey.
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