October 11, 2015 – Lewis Hamilton took a huge step closer to a second world title in a row with victory in the Russian Grand Prix at Sochi, as rival Nico Rosberg was forced out early on.
Mercedes sealed the manufacturers’ championship in Russia, with Hamilton now just two points away from winning his own title after winning at Sochi for the second year running.
Rosberg, who led early on, suffered a throttle pedal issue that forced him out.
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel finished 5.9s behind Hamilton, with Sergio Perez producing an epic tyre-saving performance to finish third, but only after Finns Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas collided on the final lap.
Raikkonen was given a 30s penalty, which dropped him from fifth to eighth.
| Pos | Driver | Car | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1h37m11.024s |
| 2 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 5.953s |
| 3 | Sergio Perez | Force India/Mercedes | 28.918s |
| 4 | Felipe Massa | Williams/Mercedes | 38.831s |
| 5 | Daniil Kvyat | Red Bull/Renault | 47.566s |
| 6 | Felipe Nasr | Sauber/Ferrari | 56.508s |
| 7 | Pastor Maldonado | Lotus/Mercedes | 1m01.088s |
| 8 | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | 1m12.358s |
| 9 | Jenson Button | McLaren/Honda | 1m19.467s |
| 10 | Max Verstappen | Toro Rosso/Renault | 1m28.424s |
| 11 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren/Honda | 1m31.210s |
| 12 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams/Mercedes | Collision |
| 13 | Roberto Merhi | Marussia/Ferrari | 1 Lap |
| 14 | Will Stevens | Marussia/Ferrari | 2 Laps |
| 15 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull/Renault | Suspension |
| – | Carlos Sainz | Toro Rosso/Renault | Brakes |
| – | Romain Grosjean | Lotus/Mercedes | Spun off |
| – | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | Throttle |
| – | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India/Mercedes | Collision |
| – | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber/Ferrari | Collision |
DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP:
| Pos | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | 302 |
| 2 | Sebastian Vettel | 236 |
| 3 | Nico Rosberg | 229 |
| 4 | Kimi Raikkonen | 123 |
| 5 | Valtteri Bottas | 111 |
| 6 | Felipe Massa | 109 |
| 7 | Daniil Kvyat | 76 |
| 8 | Daniel Ricciardo | 73 |
| 9 | Sergio Perez | 54 |
| 10 | Romain Grosjean | 44 |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | 38 |
| 12 | Max Verstappen | 33 |
| 13 | Felipe Nasr | 25 |
| 14 | Pastor Maldonado | 22 |
| 15 | Carlos Sainz | 12 |
| 16 | Fernando Alonso | 11 |
| 17 | Marcus Ericsson | 9 |
| 18 | Jenson Button | 8 |
| 19 | Roberto Merhi | 0 |
| 20 | Will Stevens | 0 |
| 21 | Alexander Rossi | 0 |
CONSTRUCTORS’ CHAMPIONSHIP:
| Pos | Constructor | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes | 531 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 359 |
| 3 | Williams/Mercedes | 220 |
| 4 | Red Bull/Renault | 149 |
| 5 | Force India/Mercedes | 92 |
| 6 | Lotus/Mercedes | 66 |
| 7 | Toro Rosso/Renault | 45 |
| 8 | Sauber/Ferrari | 34 |
| 9 | McLaren/Honda | 19 |
| 10 | Marussia/Ferrari | 0 |
