"It’s like the longest race of your life when you’re out there on your own," insists Lewis after increasing title lead to 17 points
Monday 13 October 2014 10:36, UK
Lewis Hamilton insisted his Russian GP win wasn’t as easy as it looked as the title-chasing Briton thanked new Constructors’ Champions Mercedes for an “amazing car” around Sochi.
A fourth win in a row and a ninth of the season appeared an inevitability for Hamilton as soon as title rival and team-mate Nico Rosberg dropped to the back of the field in the wake of a botched overtaking move on him in the second corner of the race.
With the German forced to fight his way through the field thereafter, Hamilton was able to expertly control the race from the front, first pulling steadily away from Valtteri Bottas’s Williams before the Finn was eventually overhauled for second by Rosberg’s impressive recovery drive.
Hamilton, who now leads the standings by 17 points with three races to go, said he had been focused on keeping on top of all the various parameters in his all-conquering W05 across the 53 laps.
“Once I was in the lead, I just really had to control looking after the tyres, managing the fuel was quite straightforward and then towards the end of the race the car felt great so I could push or not push,” the championship leader said.
“I wasn’t really having to push much and even when I had to pick up the pace a little bit when Nico was behind it was easy to match the times. The car’s been amazing this weekend and I tell you I really, really enjoyed the track, Russia’s been one of my favourite places so far this year. So it’s very cool to have won the first race here.”
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 a little later, the Briton added: “It’s still an incredible feeling. It’s different when you lead from the front and don’t have a battle, it’s still challenging, you are looking after your car, you’re looking after your gearbox the whole time – it’s like the longest race of your life when you’re out there on your own.
“I was looking after the tyres, no flat-spots, and not making any mistakes today and if I needed the pace I had it.”
Given rivals Red Bull needed at least a second-place finish to make Mercedes wait a little longer for their first Constructors’ Championship in F1, Hamilton and Rosberg’s ninth one-two finish of their dominant season emphatically secured the teams' crown for the Silver Arrows.
Although securing a World Championship in his own right six years ago at McLaren, Hamilton had never hitherto been part of a constructors’ title success and, in just his second season at Brackley, admits he hadn’t expected one to come for his current employers quite this early.
“Today’s just incredible. We made history as a team and I never thought when I joined the team we’d be doing it so soon. I feel very proud of everyone at Stuttgart, at Brixworth and at Brackley for the incredible achievement. This is all down to them,” he added.
On a personal note, Hamilton also tied Nigel Mansell’s British record for 31 grands prix wins and on that achievement added: “It’s not one that you think about too much, I focus on the championship, but it’s incredible. I never thought that I’d have [as many wins]. Eight years [in F1] has gone by so quick.”
