Lewis Hamilton became the first Formula One driver to win 100 grand prix races with a dramatic rain-assisted victory in Russia that sent the Mercedes driver two points clear in the championship on Sunday.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished an impressive second at Sochi's Olympic Park, after starting 20th and last due to engine penalties, thereby limiting the damage from his rival's fifth win of the season and first since July.

Spain's Carlos Sainz was third for Ferrari on a day of hope and ultimate heartbreak for McLaren's Lando Norris as a late downpour dashed his hopes of a first win.

The 21-year-old Briton started on pole for the first time in his career, lost out to Sainz at the start but then passed the Spaniard 13 laps later and was still leading when the clouds burst.

Norris decided to stay out on slicks after Hamilton had stopped for intermediates on team advice, with the top two comfortably clear of the rest.

He then plunged from first to seventh in the last three laps after slipping, sliding off and eventually having to pit.

"What a race the weather provided. It's taken a long time to get to 100 and I wasn't sure it would come," said Hamilton, who last season passed Ferrari great Michael Schumacher's previous record of 91 wins.

"Max must've done a really great job to come up to second from last. We've got our work cut out," added the Briton, who started the day five points behind Verstappen with seven races remaining after Sochi.

While Hamilton celebrated a personal century, his Mercedes team maintained their own 100 percent record in Sochi.

The champions have won every Russian grand prix since the first in 2014 with Hamilton triumphant in five of them.