Formula 1 VTB Russian Grand Prix 2019Formula 1 

  • Thread starter Jimlaad43
  • 204 comments
  • 8,995 views
Jimlaad43

Jimlaad43

GeoGuessr God
Premium
12,947
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The now-annual trip to the former Olympic Park in Adler (near Sochi) on the Black Sea coast means we must be heading to Russia. The pretty uninspiring circuit with a million 90-degree corners isn't exactly exciting, but Turn 3 is a true beast of a corner, and the circuit has thrown up some memorable moments in the past. The circuit's design suits the driving style of Valtteri Bottas, who scored his first victory here. His first win of the season last year was cruelly snatched away from him by team orders, and after being issued them in Singapore with the assurance "We'll make it up to you", will Hamilton be forced to stay behind Bottas this year if Mercedes are 1 and 2? Rain is forecast for Friday and Saturday, so we'll hopefully see a mixed up grid and team with no tyre data. Sorry for getting your hopes up, but anything is an improvement of the usual race we get here at the Russian Grand Prix.
image.png

First Grand Prix
2014

Number of Laps
53

Circuit Length
5.848km

Race Distance
309.745 km

Lap Record
1:35.861 Valtteri Bottas (2018)
​
 
I'm hoping Ferrari's form continues, but I'd like to see Bottas win here as he's good at it, unless the team takes it away "for the championship" that only he can challenge Hamilton for.
 
PeterJB
I'm hoping Ferrari's form continues, but I'd like to see Bottas win here as he's good at it, unless the team takes it away "for the championship" that only he can challenge Hamilton for.
Click to expand...
Despite the fact he's closer in points to Lewis, I can't see Bottas being a real challenge for the rest of the season. IMO Ferrari pose a far greater threat if one of their drivers is able to win all the remaining races
 
baldgye
Despite the fact he's closer in points to Lewis, I can't see Bottas being a real challenge for the rest of the season. IMO Ferrari pose a far greater threat if one of their drivers is able to win all the remaining races
Click to expand...
And the other takes out Hamilton each race :sly:
 
The Honda powered cars get -because of SPEC4 parts changes- a five place grid penalty and Kvyat has to start from the back. His car has almost a complete make over ;)
 
Remember when it looked like Max might actually be a distant contender for the championship?
 
I've predicted Leclerc for both pole position and the win here. The Ferrari seems so much faster on straights, and now they don't seem to lose out in the corners so much as well. Plus the tyres just do not degrade in Russia, at all, so the Mercedes race pace advantage may not even materialise to make it a close run thing... And yet I still think Hamilton will somehow manage to steal second ahead of Vettel...
 
TenEightyOne
No?
Click to expand...

He was on amazing form going into the summer break, then gets two grid penalties, one of which indirectly leads to his 1st-lap retirement in Spa, fails to capitalise at Singapore after Ferrari's unexpected pace and now has another grid penalty. He's lost a tonne of points over the last three races. It's Leclerc's turn to try and catch Hamilton now since even if Bottas was fast enough the team's not gonna let him beat him.
 
I know we all like to moan about runoff areas being massive and horrible, but man is that runoff at Turn 13 too short. You would have hoped they could try to come up with a solution after Sainz's horror crash in 2015.

Edit: Now Albon has crashed there
 
Albon crashes out! Might get tight for Vettel, he's used a few tires already, and will only have one run now. He won't have the ideal set of tires remaining.
 
Jimlaad43
I know we all like to moan about runoff areas being massive and horrible, but man is that runoff at Turn 13 too short. You would have hoped they could try to come up with a solution after Sainz's horror crash in 2015.

Edit: Now Albon has crashed there
Click to expand...
And Verstappen crashed here too at the end of FP3 during a fast lap, and hit with his rear wing the same way, but far slower.
It's a terrible week-end so far for Albon.

Edit: After first try of Q2, 5 drivers (P6-P10) are within a 0.035 second gap...
 
Last edited:
Man, Ferrari's recent form is really nice to see. It sucks that it's a bit too late in the championship, though.
 
NotThePrez
Man, Ferrari's recent form is really nice to see. It sucks that it's a bit too late in the championship, though.
Click to expand...

The way things are going, I wouldn't be surprise to see them being on pole for the remainder of the season. The new update on the car means they don't have to worry about the slow corners of the remaining tracks on the calendar and Leclerc seems to be getting faster and faster.

Going back to the qualy today, the surprise for me was Lewis getting on the front row cause I really didn't think they had a chance.
 
This is a nice surprise in the morning.

I wonder where Mercedes is lacking if Ferrari has all of a picked up speed like this.

Seeing Leclerc on pole and Ferrari winning races like this is surreal; I'm unfamiliar with the Russian Grand Prix, as I don't get to watch it often, but I hope Hamilton splitting the Ferraris can make things interesting unlike Singapore.
 
phillkillv2
I wonder where Mercedes is lacking if Ferrari has all of a picked up speed like this.
Click to expand...
Hopefully they put up another of those side by side comparison laps with the car graphic in the middle. That method best visualizes where and how much the gap changes in live time throughout a lap.
 
TenEightyOne
Ant Davidson showed it on the SkyPad after qualifying: the Ferraris are way faster on the first two straights, and now they hold on to the advantage through the twisties.
Click to expand...

With that in mind, Vettel will almost certainly pass Hamilton before turn 1, which he needs as the Mercs are starting on mediums.
 
PeterJB
With that in mind, Vettel will almost certainly pass Hamilton before turn 1, which he needs as the Mercs are starting on mediums.
Click to expand...

It depends, Vettel was also quicker at the start of Singapore but Hamilton held him off. With that said it might be easier for Vettel in Russia than he found it in Singapore, and in any case I think this race will end with a Ferrari 1-2.
 
TenEightyOne
It depends, Vettel was also quicker at the start of Singapore but Hamilton held him off. With that said it might be easier for Vettel in Russia than he found it in Singapore, and in any case I think this race will end with a Ferrari 1-2.
Click to expand...
Russia has much easier overtaking than Singapore. The run to turn 1 is very long, and a better drive off the start will mostly give you a pass before then.
 
I really don't buy into Ferrari suddenly being good, when I personally think Mercedes is already on the 2020 car most likely.

In other news, Mclaren-Mercedes hype boys. Ron Dennis I'm sure is pleased. :lol:
 

Similar threads

Jimlaad43
Formula 1 VTB are-we-allowed-to-say-Russian? Grand Prix 2021
8 9 10
Replies
283
Views
22K
DG_Silva
DG_Silva
Jimlaad43
Formula 1 AWS Grand Prix du Canada 2024
5 6 7
Replies
193
Views
8K
Jimlaad43
Jimlaad43
Jimlaad43
Formula 1 Rolex Belgian Grand Prix 2024
4 5 6
Replies
170
Views
10K
ThePotatoKing
ThePotatoKing
Jimlaad43
Formula 1 Lenovo Grande Prêmio De São Paulo 2024
11 12 13
Replies
363
Views
15K
Jezza819
Jezza819
Jimlaad43
Formula 1 VTB Russian Grand Prix 2020
6 7 8
Replies
232
Views
9K
Jimlaad43
Jimlaad43

Latest Posts

Back