Lewis Hamilton celebrates on the podium after winning the Russian Grand Prix.
(CNN) -
Lewis Hamilton became the first Formula 1 driver to reach 100 victories after finishing first Sunday in a dramatic Russian Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion edged out race leader Lando Norris in the closing laps.
Norris, aiming for a first Grand Prix victory and leading for most of the race, skidded his McLaren in heavy rain.
Hamilton finally finished more than 53 seconds ahead of runner-up Max Verstappen, who had started at the back of the grid after Red Bull brought in a new engine.
In addition to winning his 100th Grand Prix and becoming the first driver to accomplish the feat, he once again took the lead in the drivers' championship standings ahead of Verstappen.
Hamilton, who last year surpassed F1 legend Michael Schumacher in number of victories, thanked his team for helping him get to this point.
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"It took me a long time to get to (victory number) 100 and I wasn't even sure if I would make it or not," Hamilton said after the race.
"So it's good to see us united again and obviously the team made a great decision right at the end," he added.
"I didn't want to let Lando go and of course I didn't know what the weather was doing, but I'm incredibly grateful to all these men and women here and at the factory because, wow, 100."
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Hamilton celebrates victory in the Russian Grand Prix.
When Hamilton took advantage
Although it was Hamilton who finished at the top of the podium on Sunday, it was another Briton who seemed destined to create his own piece of history.
Norris, 21, claimed the first pole of his career on Saturday, battling tough conditions to lead the pack.
And after briefly losing the race lead to Carlos Sainz, he made an impressive comeback on lap thirteen.
Although conditions were dry when the race started, a downpour in Sochi made conditions difficult for the drivers.
Norris and Hamilton were initially left out, until with four laps remaining, the Mercedes driver was advised by his team to switch to the intermediate tires.
With slick tires and the rain falling harder, Norris was comfortably caught up by Hamilton as the 36-year-old took the lead late in the race.
The McLaren driver lost speed as he tried to navigate conditions, before losing control and skidding his car on lap 51.
He finally finished seventh, and was clearly sensitive afterwards.
Hamilton comforts Norris after the Russian Grand Prix.
"I'm not happy, I'm devastated in a way," Norris said after the race.
"It was my decision, I thought it was the way to go."
Hamilton praised his compatriot, saying he did an "incredible job."
"He had an incredible pace, he's doing a great job for McLaren, and it was very bittersweet, obviously to see my old team ahead. They are doing so well, they obviously won the last race, they are doing fantastic."
Formula 1 Lewis Hamilton
