Valtteri Bottas won the Russian Grand Prix for Mercedes on Sunday after teammate and Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton picked up time penalties for infringements before the race had even started.
Hamilton, who had started on pole position in Sochi hoping for a 91st victory to equal Ferrari great Michael Schumacher’s all-time record, finished third behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
He accused stewards of trying to stop him winning and said the “ridiculous” sanctions were excessive but to be expected: “They’re trying to stop me, aren’t they?” the Briton told Sky Sports television.
The Briton’s lead over Bottas shrunk to a still healthy 44 points after 10 of 17 races, with the Finn collecting a bonus point for fastest lap.
