2017 Russian Grand Prix Review, Valtteri Bottas Wins!

Review of the fourth round of the 2017 F1 season at Sochi Autodrom, in Sochi for the Russian Grand Prix, includes thoughts on Valtteri Bottas first Grand Prix win.

Overall, a good race to watch despite there was no overtaking after the first lap. With both Ferrari drivers on the front row of the grid (first time since the French Grand Prix in 2008), Sebastian Vettel on pole and Kimi Räikkönen second on the grid it was third place Valtteri Bottas had a lightning start and took the lead and took a strong lead over Vettel, while his team-mate Lewis Hamilton struggle throughout the race.

With twenty laps to go Vettel started to reduce the gap over Bottas. With a few laps to go, Vettel was right behind Bottas. But it was not enough at the end to overtake him, to give Valtteri Bottas with his first race win of the season and his first Grand Prix in Formula 1.



While, Sebastian Vettel finished in second place in the Ferrari, Vettel was six tenths of a second behind Bottas at the end.

Meanwhile, Vettel's team-mate Kimi Räikkönen finished in third place in the Ferrari to complete the podium, Räikkönen was eleven seconds behind Bottas at the end of the fifty-two lap race.

Highlights of the race below, enjoy.



Rate the Teams and Drivers

Mercedes - 7
Lewis Hamilton - 6 (finished fourth)
Valtteri Bottas - 9 (race win)

Red Bull Racing - 6
Daniel Ricciardo - 6 (DNF, Brakes)
Max Verstappen - 6 (finished fifth)

Ferrari - 8
Sebastian Vettel - 8 (pole, finished second)
Kimi Räikkönen - 8 (finished third and fastest lap)

Force India - 8
Sergio Pérez - 8 (finished sixth)
Esteban Ocon - 8 (finished seventh)

Williams - 6
Felipe Massa - 7 (finished ninth, lap down)
Lance Stroll - 6 (finished eleventh, lap down)

McLaren - 5
Fernando Alonso - 6 (DNS, Gearbox)
Stoffel Vandoorne - 5 (finished fourteenth, lap down)

Toro Rosso - 5
Carlos Sainz Jr. - 6 (finished tenth, lap down)
Daniil Kvyat - 5 (finished twelfth, lap down)

Haas - 4
Romain Grosjean - 4 (DNF, Collision with Palmer)
Kevin Magnussen - 5 (finished thirteenth, lap down)

Renault - 5
Nico Hülkenberg - 8 (finished eighth)
Jolyon Palmer - 3 (DNF, Collision with Grosjean)

Sauber - 4
Marcus Ericsson - 5 (finished fifteenth, lap down)
Pascal Wehrlein - 4 (finished sixteenth, two laps down)


Next stop Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona in two weeks time for the Spanish Grand Prix.