“Well done Max, that was mega. Very well controlled, even though you went over the white lines a couple of times,” said team boss Christian Horner.
McLaren’s Lando Norris, who started third on the grid, suffered a broken front wing on the first lap after contact with Hamilton and had to stop in the pits, dropping down the order to finish 17th.
The form of the Mercedes drivers, with a redesigned car after a disappointing start to the season, provided a main topic of conversation.
Mercedes moved up to second in the championship with 152 points to Red Bull’s 287. Aston Martin is third with 134.
“Mega job guys, mega job,” Hamilton said on the radio. “Thank you very much to everyone at the factory, who continue to push. This is a real sample of all his hard work. Let’s keep pushing.”
Russell hit the gravel on his way to the grid, where he lined up 12th, but his car was undamaged and his pace was strong.
“It definitely feels better,” he said of the car. “You’re just recording those lap times and comparing them to those around you, the Ferraris and the Astons, and you go faster and faster.”
Sainz was fifth in Lance Stroll’s Aston Martins and Fernando Alonso sixth and seventh.
Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was eighth, Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou ninth and Pierre Gasly, who qualified fourth before a six-place grid penalty, took the final point for Renault-owned Alpine.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who started from pitlane after a qualifying nightmare left him on the back row, finished 11th.