Putin laps up Hamilton Russian GP win

LEWIS Hamilton won the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi that was overshadowed by the presence of President Putin, risking controversy and condemnation.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, center, is handed the trophy by Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, as he stands on the podium after winning the Formula One Russian Grand Prix at the Sochi Autodrom Formula One circuit in Sochi, Russia, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014.At left is Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany who came in second place. At right back is Williams driver Valtteri Bottas of Finland, the third place. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Alexei Nikolsky, Presidential Press Service)

LEWIS Hamilton won the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi that was overshadowed by the presence of President Putin, risking controversy and condemnation.

Only hours after ordering more than 17,000 troops to pull back from the Ukraine border, the president was in Sochi to present the winner’s trophy to Hamilton for claiming the first grand prix on Russian soil in a century.

Millions of television viewers around the world watched as Hamilton warmly shook Putin’s hand and commended the authorities for staging an “amazing” race on the Olympic park in Sochi, built for the Winter Games in February at a cost of 30 billion pounds ($55bn).

Putin also presented the trophy for the winning constructor to Paddy Lowe, the Mercedes technical director. Mercedes clinched the constructors’ world championship with a one-two finish after Nico Rosberg followed Hamilton across the finishing line.

There were concerns that the presence of Putin would dominate proceedings, particularly with the thoughts of many in Formula One with the family of Jules Bianchi, the Marussia driver who was severely injured in a dramatic crash at the Japanese Grand Prix a week earlier.

The 21 remaining drivers formed a circle before the start as a public act of support for their stricken colleague, who remains in intensive care in the Mie General Medical Centre in Yokkaichi. They also wore stickers on their helmets with the logo “Tous avec Jules #17”.

Bianchi’s car, No 17, was prepared but left in the garage and Marussia ran a single car for Max Chilton, Bianchi’s teammate, as an act of respect. Unfortunately, it failed to complete the race, with the Briton forced to stop after ten laps.

“The guys had to dig deep to get us to the grid,” Chilton said. “It was very emotional with all the support for Jules. The team, the sport and all the fans have really done him proud.”

The atmosphere of the first Russian Grand Prix since a race was run in 1914 in St Petersburg was awkward and emotional. For the first time, the drivers were ordered to line up silently at the front of the grid for the singing of the Russian national anthem.

Then all eyes switched to the arrival of President Putin, who took his seat about an hour after the start in a private box alongside Bernie Ecclestone, the sport’s chief executive, and King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, of Bahrain, who is in Russia for trade talks.

F1 now takes a two-week breather before the next grand prix, in the United States, but will be anxious for updates on the condition of Bianchi, who remains critical but stable in Japan.

It will be welcome respite for the Marussia team, who have time to recover from the incident in Japan before the final three grands prix of the season.

“What the team needs now is to head home for support from their families and colleagues,” Chilton added. “Somehow we need to find the strength to regroup and move forward.”

Marussia are engulfed in crisis at a time when their future is in doubt. Andrey Cheglakov, the chief investor, was in Sochi for the race, but no word emerged on whether he is prepared to bankroll another season, leaving staff at the factory in Banbury, Oxfordshire, to wonder whether their time in F1 will end on the lowest of notes.

The Times