#Formula1 VTB Russian Grand Prix 2019 Preview – #F1
Formula 1 2018 VTB Russian Grand Prix Race Start, Sochi Autodrom, Sochi, Russia. Image credit to Daimler AG.
After Sebastian Vettel’s 392 win-less drought was ended with victory on the streets of Singapore as the Scuderia scored a one-two finish, round 16 of the 2019 FIA Formula 1 World Championship returns to the Sochi Autodrom in Sochi, Russia this weekend for the Formula 1 VTB Russian Grand Prix 2019. This is the sixth edition of the Russian Grand Prix as part of the Formula One World Championship.
A look at the Sochi Autodrom
The Sochi Autodrom formerly known as the Sochi International Street Circuit and the Sochi Olympic Park Circuit is a street circuit located in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi in Krasnodar Krai, Russia.
The track is similar to that of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Canada and Sydney Olympic Park Circuit in Australia as it runs around a venue used for Olympic competition. Opened on September 21 2014 and designed by German Architect Hermann Tilke, the circuit was built around venues used for ice hockey, speed-skating, curling, short track etc. as well as the stadium in which the 2014 Winter Olympic Games open and closing ceremonies were held.
The layout itself has been likened to a mix between the Valencia Street Circuit and the Korean International Circuit which blends medium and low-speed corners with long fast sections, with the signature corner being the long, fast, left-hand arc around the Medal Arena. It is the third longest circuit on the Formula 1 behind the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and the Silverstone International Circuit in the UK. In their first visit to Sochi, the cars were hitting top speeds of 332kph on the 650 metre straight between the first and second turns with Lewis Hamilton averaging 213kph as he claimed pole for Mercedes.
The Sochi Autodrom is 5.848km (3.634 miles) in length with 19 corners and runs in a clockwise direction.
Race distance is 309.732km (192.459 miles) in length with 53 laps in total.
Valtteri Bottas holds the fastest lap record with a 1:35.861 set at last year’s Russian Grand Prix in his Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport F1 W09 EQ Power+.
Lewis Hamilton holds the record for most Russian Grand Prix victories with three.
Mercedes are the most successful Constructor at the Russian Grand Prix with seven victories.
Onboard Lap of the Sochi Autodrom
Here is the onboard pole lap of the Sochi Autodrom set at last year’s Russian Grand Prix by Valtteri Bottas in his Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport F1 W09 EQ Power+. The Finn posted a 1:31.387. You can watch the video right here at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baJJo9vq2Z0
Last Five Russian GP Winners
2018: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1. 2017: Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG F1. 2016: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG F1. 2015: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1. 2014: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1.
Tyres
Pirelli will be bringing with them to Russia, the white side-walled P-Zero C2 Hards, the yellow-branded P-Zero C3 Medium tyres and the red-marked P-Zero C4 Soft tyres alongside the green-branded Intermediates and blue-marked Full Wet rubber in case of rain.
Ferrari and Red Bull have brought the same identical tyre allocations (one set of hards, three sets of mediums and nine sets of softs) for all their respective drivers, while championship leaders Mercedes have gone more conservative selecting one set fewer of the softer rubber available for both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas with eight sets each.
However, Alfa Romeo Racing, Haas F1 Team, Renault F1 Team and Racing Point opted for aggressive tyre allocations selecting ten sets of the softer compounds for all their drivers.
DRS Zones
As in 2018, there will be two DRS Zones. The first detection zone will be just after the start-finish straight with the activation point located just after Turn 1. The second detection zone will be before Turn 9, with the second activation point just after the same corner.
Pitlane Speed Limits
Pitlane speed limits will be 80km/h during practice, qualifying and the race.
ICYMI: Singapore GP Rewind – Vettel ends drought with victory at Singapore
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel ended his 392-day win-less drought after taking an opportunistic strategy to beat team-mate Charles Leclerc as the Scuderia claimed a one-two at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Polesitter Leclerc lead from the opening stage of the race but dropped behind Vettel when Ferrari brought in the latter – who was running in third place for a pit-stop first.
Vettel converted the advantage into his maiden victory of the season to end the drought, which stretched back to last year’s Belgian Grand Prix.
After being told to conserve his engine with 15 laps remaining Leclerc said to the team: “I just don’t think it is fair, but I won’t do anything stupid.”
Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen rounded out the top three, after second-placed Lewis Hamilton was demoted to fourth due to running a longer first stint than any of the frontrunners.
Hamilton lead the hunt down of Leclerc in the early stages, but the latter managed his pace and backed up the pack at the front.
This prevented any of the big three team’s drivers to attempt an undercut until the nineteenth lap as the midfield pack remained close to the front group.
Once the midfield runners started to make their stops, a gap formed – as Verstappen looked set to be the first of the big three outfits to pit after reporting fading rear tyres.
At the same time, Ferrari opted to pit third-placed Vettel, which gave the German the opportunity to use fresher rubber to get in-front of Hamilton.
Leclerc followed suit a lap later, but Vettel’s pace advantage was more than enough to jump his team-mate – frustrating Leclerc but moving the Scuderia from running first and third, into a net provisional Ferrari one-two.
Mercedes decided to extend Hamilton’s initial stint for six laps longer compared to Leclerc and his pace dropped considerably on older softs.
Hamilton’s pace was so well off that Mercedes asked Valtteri Bottas, who had already pitted from fifth, to slow down the lap before Hamilton’s pit-stop to create a gap for the championship leader.
This was to ensure that Hamilton would not lose track position to team-mate Bottas and Red Bull Racing’s Alexander Albon, thus keeping fourth and fifth for the Silver Arrows.
Once behind, Leclerc started to mount pressure on team-mate Vettel but lost ground as they worked through getting by the midfield runners who remained out longer.
Vettel’s charge towards the front saw the German use an aggressive move on Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly, and when the Ferrari driver got into the lead, he had to manage three-safety car deployments.
The first of the three came on lap 36 when Haas F1 Team’s Romain Grosjean and ROKiT Williams Racing’s George Russell collided, with the latter being turned into the wall exiting turn eight.
Vettel encountered no threat on the lap 41 restart, but the safety car was deployed three laps later when Racing Point’s Sergio Perez stopped on the straight in-between turns 10 and 11 due to an unknown issue.
Perez’ RP19 racer took three laps to remove during, which Leclerc called for “everything” for the restart but was told by the Scuderia to manage the engine and “bring the car home”.
“Yeah, I won’t do anything stupid – it’s not my goal,” Leclerc continued. “I want us to finish one-two, I just think it’s not fair. This won’t change, I won’t be stupid.”
A final safety car deployment stood between Vettel and his first victory of the season, thanks to Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat lunging Alfa Romeo Racing’s Kimi Raikkonen at turn one on the 50th lap, breaking the latter’s front-left wheel and putting Raikkonen out immediately.
The safety car appeared for one lap only, after which the race continued on without another disruption as Vettel crossed the line by 2.641 seconds ahead of team-mate Leclerc as Ferrari scored a one-two finish.
Verstappen held off Hamilton to round out the podium at a race, which Red Bull and power-unit supplier Honda hoped to challenge for victory, but a return to a podium finish became the ultimate reward for the Anglo-Austrian-Japanese alliance’s decision to pit the Dutchman at the same time as Vettel while running fourth in the early stages.
Bottas ended the Grand Prix in fifth place, with the Finn missing out on the bonus fastest lap point after falling away from team-mate Hamilton to get fresher air, with Albon finishing sixth.
McLaren’s Lando Norris came home in a brilliant seventh for the Woking-based outfit. He took the best-of-the-rest honours after team-mate Carlos Sainz and Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg clipped each other on lap one.
Hulkenberg dived on the inside of Sainz at the quick right-hand turn four, clumping the right rear of the latter’s MCL34 racer and forced the Spaniard to limp back to the pits.
Norris jumped ahead of Hulkenberg when the German had no choice but to pit at the end of the lap due to damage, and calmly controlled the battle for best-of-the-rest then onwards.
Toro Rosso’s Gasly fought to eighth with a solid drive after a longer initial stint and the Frenchman putting on a brave move on Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen after the safety car restart.
Hulkenberg’s recovery mode brought the Renault driver a ninth-placed finish and in-front of Alfa Romeo Racing’s Antonio Giovinazzi who completed the top ten.
Giovinazzi lead the Grand Prix briefly as Alfa committed the Italian to running a long first stint but fell right back at one stage after being hit by Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo.
Haas F1 Team’s Grosjean finished outside the top ten in 11th place and in-front of McLaren’s Sainz who wound up 12th and Racing Point’s Lance Stroll who took 13th.
Renault’s Ricciardo settled for 14th and ahead of Toro Rosso’s Kvyat who was 15th, ROKiT Williams Racing’s Robert Kubica who finished 16th and Haas F1 Team’s Magnussen who brought up the rear.
The Situation
Lewis Hamilton returns to Sochi sitting on top of the World Driver’s Championship with 296 points and a 65-point advantage over team-mate Valtteri Bottas who is second on 231 points while Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen are a further 96 behind the Briton in third and fourth respectively tied on 200 points each.
Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport return to Russia on top of the Constructors Championship with 527 points and a 133-point lead over nearest rivals Ferrari who are second on 394 points while Red Bull Racing are third on 289 points and a further 238 behind the Silver Arrows.
Formula 1 2019 World Driver’s Championship Standings – Top 10
- Lewis Hamilton – 296 Points.
- Valtteri Bottas – 231 Points.
- Charles Leclerc – 200 Points.
- Max Verstappen – 200 Points.
- Sebastian Vettel – 194 Points.
- Pierre Gasly – 69 Points.
- Carlos Sainz – 58 Points.
- Alexander Albon – 42 Points.
- Daniel Ricciardo – 34 Points.
- Daniil Kvyat – 33 Points.
Formula 1 2019 World Constructors Championship Standings
- Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport – 527 Points.
- Scuderia Ferrari – 394 Points.
- Aston Martin Red Bull Racing-Honda – 289 Points.
- McLaren-Renault F1 Team – 89 Points.
- Renault F1 Team – 67 Points.
- Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda – 55 Points.
- SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team – 46 Points.
- Alfa Romeo Racing – 35 Points.
- Rich Energy Haas F1 Team – 26 Points.
- ROKiT Williams Racing – 1 Point.
The Formula 1 VTB Russian Grand Prix 2019 weekend begins Friday September 27 with Free Practice 1 and 2, followed by Free Practice 3 and Qualifying Saturday September 28 and the 53 lap Race Sunday September 29.
