F1 Russian GP 2021 Driver of the Day: ‘Unlucky’ Lando Norris wins hearts at Sochi

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Russian GP 2021 Driver of the Day, Lando Norris was on a tear until rain played spoilsport

It looked like the McLaren F1 team were heading for another successful week. Lando Norris who started at P1 was leading the race until he spun in the 51st lap. The reason? It began to pour in Sochi.

With Hamilton hot on his heels, Norris refused to switch to wet tires aka rain tires. Almost every driver switched to wet tires. Ham, meanwhile, also seemed reluctant, but then decided to box, in a bid to secure 2nd place.

Norris was still dilly-dallying until he decided not to pit. He held on, but his tires would no longer carry him further.

His vehicle almost came to a halt, as he spun off the track. Norris conceded the lead to Hamilton, who in turn went on to win the race, recording his 100th career win (1st ever F1 driver to do so).

And Norris finally pitted with a lap left, and ended up finishing in P7. A disappointing end for the young Brit.

However, his immaculate racing until the mishap won him the Driver of the Day. He finished 1st in the poll receiving 33.9% of the votes.

Max Verstappen goes from 20 to 2

Max Verstappen, serving a penalty, started from P20. His fresh engine gave him the burst of speed he needed. Coupled with his splendid racing skills, the Dutch driver gained 18 places to finish second, only behind Hamilton.

Max Verstappen had to use the shoes of Sergio Perez at the Azerbaijan GP
Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing prepares to drive in the garage during qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo di Monza on September 07, 2019 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

His stunning performance saw him come second in the DOTD standings, receiving 13.9% of the votes.

Hamilton, who finished first came third in the DOTD standings with 9.9% of the votes.

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