Lewis Hamilton praised an “amazing job” by Lando Norris after a dramatic conclusion to Formula 1’s Russian Grand Prix.
Norris led the bulk of the race at the Sochi Autodrom and kept Hamilton at bay when rain drifted across the circuit.
Norris stayed out on slick tyres, while Hamilton switched to Intermediates, and it proved the incorrect call by the McLaren driver as conditions worsened.
Norris slide off an increasingly wet circuit and tumbled down the order, freeing Hamilton to claim the lead and ultimately victory, while the younger Briton eventually came home seventh.
“Lando did such an amazing job,” said Hamilton. “He had incredible pace, he’s doing such a great job for McLaren.
“It’s very bittersweet to see my old team ahead, them doing so well, they won the last race, they’re doing fantastic, obviously powered by Mercedes.
“It’s good to see them united again. Obviously, the team made a great call right at the end. I didn’t want to let Lando go, of course, I didn’t know what the weather was doing but I am incredibly grateful to all these men and women that here are here and back at the factor because I am hungry.”
Hamilton reeled in Norris after his pit stop but had yet to trouble the McLaren driver for the lead of the race until the rain fell.
“It would have been tough to have got past Lando – he had great pace, he did the fastest lap so it would have been tough to have got past unless we caught some traffic or if he made a mistake which he hasn’t been doing at all,” he said.
“Then the rain came and it was very opportunistic and I said the team did an amazing job so big, big thank you to them.”
