Should Lewis Hamilton go on to secure the world championship this year, his win at the Russian Grand Prix will be the only victory in a superlative season from which he will take no pleasure. His victory, ensured the moment Mercedes employed orders allowing him to pass his teammate, Valtteri Bottas, proved an ill-sitting success defined by the decidedly uncelebratory figures of the Mercedes drivers on the podium as well as their team below them.

Hamilton has been explicit in the past in his desire for the team not to employ orders and was uncomfortable with their use in Russia after he took the flag in front of Bottas.

“It is definitely a win on my list of wins that I am least proud of,” he said. “The strangest day I can remember in my career. I want to win the right way. As racing drivers we exist to win; if you tell us we can’t, it is like you are taking our life away. I would never wish it on someone else and I would never ask for it ever. I made sure in a meeting that they knew this is not how I want to win.”

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There was the expected disapproval that the distasteful spectre of team orders always provokes yet the decision was unsurprising. Team orders have long been legal in F1 and Mercedes, aware of Ferrari’s strong challenge this year, were unwilling to leave anything to chance.

It is an unedifying way for a race to be decided but it was both understandable and planned for. With Sebastian Vettel finishing third, Hamilton extended his title lead to 50 points, a 10-point gain, as opposed to the three-point boost second place would have delivered.

The Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, charged with returning a drivers’ and constructors’ title, was as ruthless as his board members would have wanted. “It’s deflating for drivers and for a team but there is a harsh reality also,” he said. “On a day like this you can extend the lead by seven points more in a championship that has been very tough and difficult at times, so you have to take it.”

Hamilton echoed his rationale given what might still happen in the five races that remain. “The team were considering the car breaking down or losing two more engines,” he said. “We could lose the championship and that was their reasoning, hard as it is to swallow.”

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Ultimately Mercedes’ decision was brought about after they had been caught on the hop by Ferrari. With Bottas leading from pole and Hamilton and Vettel settling into second and third, the Scuderia took the initiative, sending Vettel into the pits for the undercut. The move worked and after Hamilton’s stop he emerged behind the German.

Hamilton had to charge and he pressured Vettel, who locked up through turn 13. Hamilton closed and made an effort to pass on the run to turn two. Vettel defended but was out of position and caught in turn four when Hamilton dived up the inside to retake the place.

Coming back at Vettel had been at a cost of causing some blistering to his tyres. With the German still a threat the team opted to give Hamilton Bottas’s place, moving the Finn into a buffering position in front of Vettel.

Bottas was visibly and understandably disappointed. He has yet to win this year and, with pole and leading the race, had done everything that might be expected of him. In Hungary last year, when he moved over for Hamilton, the British driver gave the place back when he could gain no advantage. The Finn may have hoped for a repeat but, with the title at stake, it was simply not going to happen.

“Lewis is fighting for the drivers’ championship and I’m not,” Bottas acknowledged. “From the team’s point of view it was the ideal result today. Maybe not ideal for me but for the team, yes.”

Vettel knows this was another stinging blow to his title hopes and, as he races for a team who have employed team orders brutally in the past, he was understanding of Mercedes’ decision. “Well done to both of them, they played together as a team very well,” he said. As the two Mercedes drivers faced the press afterwards he even came to their defence. “All the questions – I know you guys love controversy so therefore ask naughty questions to them as individuals, but I think in the position they are it’s a no-brainer what they did today. Maybe not all the questions are justified.”

Certainly Mercedes will not lose any sleep as they head to the next round in Japan. If Hamilton does take the title, he will still have some exceptional performances to remember long after the discomfort of this one is forgotten but he will also remember he has cause to be thankful to Bottas. “Never, ever in my whole life has it been the way I’ve wanted to win a race,” he said. “I just want to shine it on to Valtteri. There are not many teammates who would do something like that.”