Sochi boring? Qualifying for the Grand Prix of Russia was pretty exciting, and the race has all the ingredients in advance to be very rewarding. Of a drag race at the start to a strategic joust with venom in the tail. This is what you need to know about the battle at the Sochi Autodrom.
Was it the force of habit with which number three Valtteri Bottas mis-parked his car on Saturday afternoon after qualifying at the sign with number two on it? The Finn was again beaten by teammate Lewis Hamilton – what else is new? – but he clearly had not counted on Max Verstappen, even with his considerable gap of six tenths, to steal the second grid place from him, given Mercedes’ dominance. And, admittedly, Verstappen himself seemed quite surprised.
Bottas the laughing third?
Verstappen was without a doubt the most happy of the top three trio. But number three Bottas may well be the laughing third on Sunday afternoon. Because: he is on the clean side of the grid, he can go long run Count on a premium slipstream from the start to turn two, and it starts on the preferred one medium-ties. On paper, perhaps no one is better off.
Also read: Bottas: ‘Third is a good starting place, plus I start on the right tire’
A thumbs up from Hamilton, but also mixed feelings about his pole. Photo: Mercedes.
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“Moreover, I have already started third here,” said Bottas after his disappointing qualifying still reasonably cheerful “and I remember what happened then”, he referred to how he took the lead from P3 at the start in 2017 and that no longer gave up. Teammate Hamilton also knows he is a forewarned man: “Normally you like to be in first place, but this is perhaps the worst job to start from pole.”
Because of that so important slipstream, so, but another reason that Hamilton was almost sorry to take pole, is that after the red flag in Q2 he was on a set. softs had to go back. He has to start the race on that, while Verstappen and Bottas on mediums to start. Will Hamilton manage to make it a one-stopper? It will be a lot of tire management anyway. “I am sure to be overtaken at the start, and then the other two are also on better tires…”, Hamilton was almost sipped before he took possession of the in that respect symbolic pole trofree – a small Pirelli tire. .
Also read: Hamilton after ‘bad’ qualification: ‘had my heart in my throat’
Surprised ‘predator’ Verstappen again?
Verstappen is therefore still standing between the Mercedes duo. Surprised and surprising: for the weekend he also stated that third place would be the maximum with his Red Bull. He actually still thinks that – “Mercedes is a bit faster in terms of race pace”- but everyone now also knows: if Verstappen smells blood, he is like a predator and unstoppable. Except through technical malheur.
Verstappen starts on mediums, but also on the ‘dirty side’ of the grid. Photo: Red Bull.
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In the past two races, at Monza and Mugello, it was twice as good and his Honda engine always gave the ghost at the (re) start. Those problems must be resolved, but Verstappen’s attitude for the time being is mainly to see, then believe. “I just hope that I really have full power as soon as I go full throttle at the start.” He also finds it difficult to predict what to expect from the start. Because yes, he can slipstream: “But I’m also on the dirty side.”
Also read: Verstappen happy with Bottas’s help during fastest lap: ‘Didn’t expect second place’
Like Bottas, Verstappen has the strategic advantage of starting on the mediums. “I think that’s the best choice for us.” For Bottas, it means that, with some delay, he will still get what he already wanted in Mugello: the chance to do something different in terms of strategy, instead of a direct fight. Because we now know how those duels end. As far as the top three are concerned, however, it now seems to be completely open. We get one like that Sotsji surprise?
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Which of the three? Photo: Red Bull.
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Best of the rest
With the rest of the top ten on softs begins and a one-stopper than actually the only really common strategy, the battle for the best of the rest-reetitle to become one that largely comes down to the start. That was evident from Daniel Ricciardo’s joke to the opposite Sky Sports F1 that he qualified fifth “on purpose”. “Because I saw in the Formula 2 race that you have to be on this side of the track to get places.”
Racing Points Sergio Pérez (fourth) is diagonally ahead of Ricciardo, while McLarens Carlos Sainz is in sixth place. Sainz teammate Lando Norris fears that Racing Point and Renault will be faster in Sochi, so expect a long race from P8. The first pit stops there are expected by Pirelli between lap 12 or 14. You can switch to soft starts both to hard when medium, although according to Pirelli it is a lot of tire saving on the latter compound.
Also read: Ricciardo: ‘Nice to be fastest in Q2, unfortunately could not repeat that in Q3’
And further…
… According to Pirelli, a two-stopper is not really recommended. And that is a shame, because we have seen in recent years that overtaking is not easy at the Sochi Autodrom.
… Does that also mean that Alexander Albon (tenth) after his podium in Mugello will still have a tough afternoon. “There was not much more to it emotionally, so it was a strange qualification.” Ai.
… Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc starts in eleventh place, but thinks he can still score points. That will be more difficult for Sebastian Vettel: after his Q2 crash he starts either from P15 or from the pits.
… We find local hero Daniil Kvyat back in twelfth place. The Russian is fighting for his Formula 1 future and therefore has extra reason to show his best side in front of his own audience.
… The Russian Grand Prix starts two hours earlier than we are used to from recent races. The race starts at 1:10 PM Dutch time and can be seen on Ziggo Sport or the German RTL.
Foto: Getty Images.
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