Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas resisted intense pressure from Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel to win the Russian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Vettel, the drivers’ championship leader, finished 0.6 seconds behind Bottas, with teammate Kimi Raikkonen claiming his first podium finish since last year’s Austrian Grand Prix. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton came fourth.

‘It took quite a while, more than 80 races for me, but it was definitely worth the wait,’ said Bottas after becoming only the fifth Finn to win in F1.

The result took Vettel up to 86 points in the drivers’ championship, with Hamilton on 73 and Bottas up to third with 63.

Photo: Andrej Isakovic/AFP Photo