Russian GP: Race - RE-CAP & RESULTS

RUSSIAN GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Lewis Hamilton won the Russian Grand Prix after team-mate Valtteri Bottas was told to move aside.

    Bottas had retained the net race lead behind late pitter Max Verstappen after starting from pole, when Hamilton closed onto the back of the Finn. Mercedes made the call for Bottas to allow Hamilton past, fearing a blister on his rear left tyre might allow title rival Sebastian Vettel to close in.

    Hamilton was released into the race lead when Verstappen came into the pits with 10 laps remaining and led Bottas across the line to take a comfortable Mercedes 1-2.

    The Brit’s eighth win of the season puts him 50 points ahead of Vettel, who finsihed third.

    Vettel had made a strong start early in the race to challenge Hamilton off the line, but the Mercedes pulled into Bottas’ slip stream to pull away from the Ferrari.

    Hamilton held onto the net second position until the lone pit stop. Bottas came into the pits on lap 12, with Vettel following the next lap and Hamilton having to wait until lap 14.

    Bottas had tried to hold Vettel up while Hamilton came into the pits, but the championship leader still came out behind the Ferrari. He quickly made to try to pass Vettel, but the German defended hard – his defensive move enough to be investigated by the stewards but it was deemed to have been legal.

    Hamilton eventually made a way through, running around the outside of turn 3 to give him the inside line for turn 4.

    Vettel couldn’t fight back, settling for third ahead of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

    Verstappen, who was one of five drivers to take engine penalties and start from the back of the grid, enjoyed a stunning race to climb up to fifth, just ahead of Daniel Ricciardo.

    Charles Leclerc earned the best of the rest position, finishing seventh ahead of Kevin Magnussen and the Force Indias of Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez.

    Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley and Pierre Gasly were the only retirements. Both suffered spins on lap four, managing to return to the pits where they both retired with brake failures.

RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 25 Points
2. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / + 18 Points
3. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 15 Points
4. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 12 Points
5. Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / + 10 Points
6. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia / + 8 Points
7. Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco / + 6 Points
8. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark / + 4 Points
9. Esteban Ocon / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France / + 2 Points
10. Sergio Perez / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 1 Point
11. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France
12. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany
13. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
14. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain
15. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
16. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / Belgium 
17. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain
18. Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

RETIRED - Pierre Gasly / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France / Brakes
RETIRED - Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand / Brakes

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
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GP3 - Russia - Sprint Race - RESULTS

GP3 - RUSSIA - SPRINT RACE - RESULTS

1. David Beckmann / Trident / Germany / + 15 Points + 2 Points (Fastest Lap)

2. Joey Mawson / Arden International / Australia / + 12 Points

3. Richard Verschoor / MP Motorsport / Netherlands / + 10 Points

4. Anthoine Hubert / ART Grand Prix / France / + 8 Points

5. Juan Manuel Correa / Jenzer Motorsport / USA / + 6 Points

6. Gabriel Aubry / Arden International / France / + 4 Points

7. Tatiana Calderon / Jenzer Motorsport / Columbia / + 2 Points

8. Leonardo Pulcini / Campos Racing / Italy / + 1 Point

9. Ryan Tveter / Trident / USA 

10. Jannes Fittje / Jenzer Motorsport / Germany

11. Pedro Piquet / Trident / Brazil

12. Devlin DeFrancesco / MP Motorsport / Canada

13. Sacha Fenestraz / Arden International / France*

14. Simo Laaksonen / Campos Racing / Finland

15. Diego Menchaca / Campos Racing / Mexico

16. Jake Hughes / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

17. Giuliano Alesi / Trident / France

18. Callum Ilott / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

RETIRED - Nikita Mazepin / ART Grand Prix / Russia / Crash

* - Notes Fenestraz is replacing Julien Falchero at Arden International for the rest of the 2018 season

NOTE: Only 19 drivers participated as Niko Kari has stepped up to Formula 2 for the rest of the 2018 season

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GP3 - Russia - Feature Race - RESULTS

GP3 - RUSSIA - FEATURE RACE - RESULTS

1. Leonardo Pulcini / Campos Racing / Italy / + 25 Points + 4 Points (Pole)

2. Nikita Mazepin / ART Grand Prix / Russia / + 18 Points + 2 Points (Fastest Lap)

3. Anthoine Hubert / ART Grand Prix / France / + 15 Points

4. Richard Verschoor / MP Motorsport / Netherlands / + 12 Points

5. David Beckmann / Trident / Germany / + 10 Points

6. Simo Laaksonen / Campos Racing / Finland / + 8 Points

7. Jake Hughes / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain / + 6 Points

8. Joey Mawson / Arden International / Australia / + 4 Points

9. Juan Manuel Correa / Jenzer Motorsport / USA / + 2 Points

10. Tatiana Calderon / Jenzer Motorsport / Columbia / + 1 Point

11. Gabriel Aubry / Arden International / France

12. Jannes Fittje / Jenzer Motorsport / Germany

13. Callum Ilott / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain 

14. Giuliano Alesi / Trident / France

15. Pedro Piquet / Trident / Brazil

16. Sacha Fenestraz / Arden International / France*

17. Devlin DeFrancesco / MP Motorsport / Canada

18. Ryan Tveter / Trident / USA / DNF**

RETIRED - Diego Menchaca / Campos Racing / Mexico / Mechanical

* - Notes Fenestraz is replacing Julien Falchero at Arden International for the rest of the 2018 season

** - Notes Tveter completed at least 90% of the race distance and was qualified as finishing the race, despite his retirement

NOTE: Only 19 drivers participated as Niko Kari has stepped up to Formula 2 for the rest of the 2018 season

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GP3 - Russia - Free Practice - TIMES

GP3 - RUSSIA - FREE PRACTICE - TIMES

1. Anthoine Hubert - 1:53.146 / ART Grand Prix / France

2. Jake Hughes - 1:53.427 / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

3. Nikita Mazepin - 1:53.466 / ART Grand Prix / Russia

4. Giuliano Alesi - 1:53.530 / Trident / France

5. Pedro Piquet - 1:53.691 / Trident / Brazil

6. Ryan Tveter - 1:53.786 / Trident / USA
7. Tatiana Calderon - 1:53.860 / Jenzer Motorsport / Columbia

8. Leonardo Pulcini - 1:53.884 / Campos Racing / Italy

9. Joey Mawson - 1:53.958 / Arden International / Australia

10. Richard Verschoor - 1:54.038 / MP Motorsport / Netherlands

11. David Beckmann - 1:54.066 / Trident / Germany

12. Sacha Fenestraz - 1:54.096 / Arden International / France*

13. Juan Manuel Correa - 1:54.306 / Jenzer Motorsport / USA 

14. Devlin DeFrancesco - 1:54.500 / MP Motorsport / Canada

15. Simo Laaksonen - 1:54.544 / Campos Racing / Finland

16. Gabriel Aubry - 1:54.579 / Arden International / France

17. Diego Menchaca - 1:54.593 / Campos Racing / Mexico

18. Callum Ilott - 1:54.899 / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

19. Jannes Fittje - 1:55.338 / Jenzer Motorsport / Germany

* - Notes Fenestraz is replacing Julien Falchero at Arden International for the rest of the 2018 season

NOTE: Only 19 drivers participated as Niko Kari has stepped up to Formula 2 for the rest of the 2018 season

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Russian GP: Driver Preview Quotes

ASTON MARTIN RED BULL RACING

Daniel Ricciardo - “Sochi is a pretty unique circuit, it’s very flat and open. In some ways it feels like driving flat out in a car park, but it’s a surprisingly enjoyable lap. Apart from the long straight, there’s a lot going on and it’s a layout that keeps you thinking. It’s definitely grown on me since we started racing there. The track surface has also improved over the last few years. When we first went there the track was very slippery but the grip levels have improved as the track has rubbered in, making it a more enjoyable circuit to drive. It’s not a track I’ve had an amazing result at and it doesn’t really play to our strengths, but this is racing, so anything can happen. I guess I need to go out and find Max a decent 21st Birthday present, (laughs) or maybe I will just dedicate my race win to him.”

Max Verstappen - “This year’s Russian Grand Prix will be a special one for me. It is my 21st birthday on Sunday, so hopefully I can make it one to remember. I think I celebrated my 18th there also, so it won’t be new to have my birthday in Sochi. I feel Russia is an up and coming Grand Prix as it still feels quite new to me. As well as being in the Olympic Park the track has a unique layout. The views from parts of the track and the hotels are really nice. On one side you have the mountains and on the other, the sea. It’s not the best track for our car so it’s vital to get the set-up right for specific corners, we know we will lose time on the long straights so cornering is key.”

ALFA ROMEO SAUBER F1 TEAM

Marcus Ericsson - “I look forward to being back in Russia. The Sochi Autodrom is quite a difficult track with low grip making it a challenge to get the tyres and car to work well on this specific type of surface. In terms of driving, the most complex part of the circuit is the last sector, which is quite technical. It is important to have a good car set-up and balance to make sure that you can get a good lap time. After a strong last weekend, it will be interesting to see what we can do at the next Grand Prix. I can’t wait to be back in the car.”

Charles Leclerc - “It will be interesting to drive at Sochi for the first time. It is a new track for me, but I have driven it in the simulator in the past so I am fairly familiar with its layout. The corners on this circuit are all quite consistent and similar. For me, it will be all about getting into the rhythm of the track and being up to speed as soon as possible.”

RENAULT SPORT FORMULA ONE TEAM

Nico Hülkenberg - "I enjoy travelling to Russia. It’s an interesting place with plenty going on and lots of things to do. Sochi is still a fairly new venue to the Formula 1 calendar, but it is an enjoyable circuit to drive, and the Russian atmosphere is always quite good."

Carlos Sainz - "Sochi is quite a long lap with three different sectors. The first is mainly full throttle with a long straight followed by a never-ending left-hander. The second sector flows well and is taken fairly fast with another long flat-out section leading into sector three, which is quite slow. The most special thing about the track is probably the long turn three, which puts the neck to work."

RED BULL TORO ROSSO HONDA

Pierre Gasly - “I raced in Sochi in GP2 twice, coming second in the feature race in 2015, but it was a while ago, so it’s three years since I last drove there. I also raced at the Moscow Raceway circuit in Renault 2-litre and 3.5. That gave me the chance to be a bit of a tourist, visiting Red Square and some of the other sites and it’s pretty impressive. That’s one of the nice side effects of doing this job, that you get to see parts of the world you might not otherwise.

    Sochi is a relatively new venue and an unusual place, as it was home to the winter Olympics. The atmosphere around the outside of the circuit is strange, as there’s nothing much around it except the former Olympic village. Many of the corners are quite similar in nature, but the final part of the lap especially is pretty technical. Will the Sochi circuit suit us? That’s hard to tell as recent races have not always gone as we expected. It would be satisfying to get a good result here, not just in itself, but to give us a boost before going to Suzuka the following week for Honda’s home race.”

Brendon Hartley - “I’ve only ever been to Russia for a marketing event and that involved being there for less than 24 hours, so the weekend will be an interesting experience for me. Therefore, this will be another new track for me and last week I drove it in the simulator. It’s fair to say, our Singapore performance was not what we wanted so we will be working hard back in the factory to try and find ways of moving forward. It’s a case of hitting the re-set button, while building on the positive aspects with the aim of looking for points in Sochi.”

RACING POINT FORCE INDIA FORMULA ONE TEAM

Sergio Perez - “I was very disappointed with the result in Singapore, but dealing with difficult days is part of the job. I have turned the page already and I am looking forward to Sochi, where I am sure the outcome will be very different. I can’t wait to get back in the car and get the points the team deserves.

    The Russian Grand Prix brings up some really great memories from three years ago, when I finished on the podium. It was an unexpected result, in a way, and I remember the struggle at the end of the race because I had nothing left of my tyres. It was a fantastic day for us. I quite like Sochi: the event is getting bigger and better every year and they try really hard to put on a good race.

    The track has a street circuit feel, even though it’s quite a quick and flowing lap. It is hard to overtake and qualifying is very important. Turn three is the most memorable corner of the track. It is very demanding on the front right tyre and it reminds me of turn eight in Istanbul. It’s a great corner from inside the car: you really feel its energy from entry to exit.

    I am feeling positive about this weekend and I think we’ll be competitive. Singapore did not bring us the result we expected but the performance and balance of the car were very good. If we can carry that pace forward to Sochi, we should expect a strong result. I think the new upgrades still have some potential to unlock and hopefully we will be able to do so in Russia.”

Esteban Ocon - “We had a terrible weekend in Singapore, leaving empty-handed despite having a great car and the pace to score well, so I am determined to bounce back immediately in Russia. We have made some improvements with our upgrades so I think we will be competitive once again in Sochi. We can score points with both cars and we will work hard to achieve this.

    I enjoy the Sochi track: it’s going to be the third time I will have raced there. I had a very successful weekend there in GP3 and last year it was the place where I made it into Q3 for the first time in Formula One. Those are some good memories and hopefully we will have more of them when we return.

    The track is quite fun to drive, especially the final sector, which is my favourite. There are a lot of left-right changes of direction and 90-degrees corners, which I really enjoy. The weather can be a bit uncertain at this time of year, but I think we can be strong if it’s wet or dry. The target is to be in the top ten in both qualifying and the race, and hopefully we can be the best of the rest.”

WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - "It is pretty cool to compete in the Olympic village. It definitely feels like we are in Russia and it is very beautiful scenery with the mountains, snow and sea. What they have done to the place with the infrastructure is incredible and they have done a top job. The track is great and enjoyable to drive. Last year in qualifying I nearly got to Q3, but I didn't get to do the warm-up lap I wanted, and around there it is quite important to get the tyre working properly. I am sure it will be a great weekend for the team, especially as this will be Sergey's first home race."

Sergey Sirotkin - "My home race is always good, but as with anything in life, there are ups and downs. It’s obviously a big pleasure to race in front of my home crowd. I get a lot of support from all over the country, but at the same time it will be a very busy weekend for me. There will be a lot of work to do, much more than compared with other weekends, so it’s going to be very intense. It won’t be easy to manage my time and energy, whilst still being able to perform at my best. That said, it’s still a weekend I’m looking forward to, but I know it’s going to be tough!"

HAAS F1 TEAM

Romain Grosjean - “Sochi should be a good track for us. It’s key to get the tyres to work in Russia, and that’s something we haven’t done very well in the past. I’m sure this year we’re going to be much better. I’m very much looking forward to getting there and enjoying it.

    I do quite like the fast turn three. It’s a very high-speed corner, flat out, then just going into turn four, coming out of the corner, then braking straight away for turn four. I think the corners flow into each other quite nicely. It’s a good track to drive.”

Kevin Magnussen - “I think Sochi is a pretty good track. It’s not a low-speed track as such, but it’s not a high-speed track either. It’s got very wide, medium-speed corners.

    It’s a good track with some challenging corners. I’d say it has unique shaped corners, with some good opportunities for overtaking. I like turns six, seven and eight as they’re high speed. Turn three is a bit hard for your neck, it goes on and on. It can be a little bit tiring on your neck.”

    In 2016 I had a good first lap. Quite a few people messed up and lost things like front wings and so on. I made up lots of positions with that. I then had a really good race after that to finish seventh. It’s quite a fun track, and good for overtaking and racing. I think we should have a good race there.”

McLAREN F1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - “It feels like a long time since we last raced in Russia as the race was much earlier on the calendar last year. It also feels longer for me since I didn’t make the start due to reliability issues, so I’m looking forward to finally racing in Sochi again.

    Last weekend was definitely a boost for everyone. We have had at least one DNF over the last few races, so crossing the line with both cars was positive, and something we need to keep working on every race. It was great to get points too, and the aim is always to keep scoring at every possible opportunity.

    We know some of the coming races won’t be as favourable to us as Singapore, and there will be tracks that won’t suit our car as much. With every race we’re pushing hard, learning a lot and trying to maximize what we have. Sochi is a fun circuit with a very interesting and unique layout with its 90-degree corners, so let’s see how our car performs there.”

Stoffel Vandoorne - “After the last race, I hope we can continue to make progress in Russia and keep moving forward. Although I had a disappointing qualifying in Singapore, we once again showed that our race pace is stronger, so it’s important that on my side I can get the best result possible on Saturday to give us the best chance on Sunday.

    I felt very comfortable in the car, we had pace and I felt like we could keep pushing. Strategy and tyre wear will once again be very important during this race, and especially getting a good read on the durability of the Hypersoft tyres from Friday onwards.

    This track won’t be exactly the same for us in terms of performance as Singapore, as the layout is very different and it’s a challenging configuration. But I’m focusing on each weekend individually, race-by-race. Hopefully we can have a smooth Friday and start the weekend strong so we can make the most of every session.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

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Russian GP: Track Schedule

RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX 2018 - TRACK SCHEDULE

September 27th / Thursday

11:00 - 13:00 - Pit-Lane Walk (4-Day-Ticket-Holders Only)

15:00 - 16:00 - Press Conference

15:00 - 17:00 - Pit-Lane Walk (4-Day-Ticket-Holders Only)

15:50 - 17:45 - Drivers Autograph Session (TBC)

17:30 - 18:30 - Pit-Lane Walk/Truck Tour (F1 Experience - F1 Experience Guests Only)

September 28th / Friday

11:00 - 12:30 - Free Practice #1

13:00 - 14:00 - Press Conference

13:50 - 14:20 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

13:50 - 14:20 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

15:00 - 16:30 - Free Practice #2

18:30 - 19:00 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

21:00 - 22:30 - Lukoil Run The Track

September 29th / Saturday

09:00 - 09:30 - Team Pit-Stop Practice

09:00 - 09:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

12:00 - 13:00 - Free Practice #3

13:20 - 13:50 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

13:20 - 14:15 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

15:00 - 16:00 - Qualifying

18:00 - 18:30 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

September 30th / Sunday

12:20 - 13:00 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

12:25 - 12:55 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

12:30 - 13:00 - Drivers Track Parade

12:45 - 13:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

13:54 - 13:56 - National Anthem

13:57 - 13:59 - Aerobatic Flyby (TBC)

14:10 - 16:10 - Race

* - Subject to change

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Russian GP: Free Practice #1 - Re-Cap & Times

RUSSIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Kimi Raikkonen brought Ferrari to the top of time sheets in the first free practice session of the Russian GP weekend. The Finn lapped a quickest time of 1:36.074 around the Sochi circuit. Team-mate, Sebastian Vettel was a bit further down in 5th, but still quick with a 1:37.230. Vettel also turned some heads when he spun during the session, but was able to keep it out of the wall.

    Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton took the 2nd and 3rd spots respectively, lapping in the 1:36's. Max Verstappen took the 4th spot with a 1:37.174. Verstappen had reported a few technical issues with the Red Bull, but didn't encounter any serious mechanical trouble. 

    Sergey Sirotkin was granted to sit in for Hulkenberg at his home circuit, but never got a chance to set a time. The Renault lost power shortly into the session and Sirotkin was able to pull off to the side of the circuit. But one the car was taken back to the garage, it never came back out. Vandoorne also reported power issues towards the end of the session and it is looking likely that the McLaren driver will take a 15-Place-Grid-Penalty for Sunday's race.

    The session was briefly red-flagged after Esteban Ocon's engine cover came loose and flew off on to the track. Once it was removed, the session got back underway. Ocon finished the session in 10th with a 1:38.065 while Perez finished up in 7th with a 1:37.457.

TIMES:

1. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:36.074 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

2. Valtteri Bottas - 1:36.119 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

3. Lewis Hamilton - 1:36.681 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

4. Max Verstappen - 1:37.174 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:37.230 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

6. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:37.290 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia

7. Sergio Perez - 1:37.457 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

8. Felipe Massa - 1:37.900 / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil

9. Lance Stroll - 1:37.944 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

10. Esteban Ocon - 1:38.065 / Force India-Mercedes / France

11. Daniil Kvyat - 1:38.496 / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia

12. Kevin Magnussen - 1:38.747 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

13. Fernando Alonso - 1:38.813 / McLaren-Honda / Spain

14. Carlos Sainz - 1:38.976 / Toro Rosso-Renault / Spain

15. Jolyon Palmer - 1:39.158 / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

16. Romain Grosjean - 1:39.533 / Haas-Ferrari / France

17. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:39.541 / McLaren-Honda / Belgium

18. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:39.731 / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

19. Marcus Ericsson - 1:40.079 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

20. Sergey Sirotkin - NO TIME SET / Renault-Renault / Russia*

* - Notes driving in FP1 only

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Russian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - McLAREN HONDA FORMULA 1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - "Sochi Autodrom is an interesting circuit. A mixture of challenges, and ones which I think will be tackled quite differently this year with the new regulations for 2017. For example, Turn Three last year used to be tricky and you needed to be very precise – it's a multi-apex left-hander which means good car balance and control are important to not get out of shape mid-corner. This year, though, it will likely be taken flat, so I'm looking forward to seeing how the feeling in the car has changed around this circuit. 

    There are two long, slightly-curved straights and high-speed corners, which means this circuit will be challenging for us with the package we have, but our car is also very well-balanced, so I hope we can get the most out of the many 90-degree corners that make this circuit so unique. Although it's technically a city circuit, it's pretty fast overall and the track itself is wide, so it usually provides close racing and good overtaking opportunities. 

    A positive result for us in Sochi will be to finish the race with both cars, first of all, as we've suffered a few reliability issues over the past couple of weekends. I followed the test in Bahrain and I'm pleased that we were able to secure a lot of valuable data from both the car and the power unit, and I know everyone at McLaren-Honda is working hard to put that to good use to aid our progress as quickly as possible. The season is long, but there isn't much time between races, especially fly-aways, for development, so the laps we managed on the final day of the test were a big positive for us and hopefully will be beneficial to us over the next few races."

Stoffel Vandoorne - "I've raced in Sochi before and had good results there. It's where I clinched the GP2 championship in 2015, so that's definitely a plus point for me going into the weekend. We've not been so lucky recently on my side of the garage and I've missed quite a lot of valuable mileage, but I hope we can improve that situation this weekend. 

    After a difficult couple of weeks, the last day of the Bahrain test was very encouraging, both for me and for the whole team. It was a boost we needed and provided us with a lot of useful information about the direction we are taking the whole package in, so we go to Sochi with a better feeling than we had on Sunday night after a disappointing race. 

    As I've said before, on tracks like this where straight-line speed is important, we know we'll already be slightly on the back-foot heading into the weekend. Our focus should definitely be on maximising our track time and working on reliability. If we can have a clean weekend from that point of view and no issues with the car, it will give us the best chance to find performance for the race, and we'll give it our best shot with the package we have."

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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Russian GP: Circuit Preview

RUSSIAN GP - CIRCUIT PREVIEW + 2016 STATS

Name: Sochi Autodrom

Location: Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia

Opened: September 21st 2014

Length: 3.634 Miles

Capacity: 55,000

Runs: Clockwise

Turns: 19

Race Laps: 53

2016 STATS

Pole Position: Nico Rosberg

1st Place: Nico Rosberg

2nd Place: Lewis Hamilton

3rd Place: Kimi Raikkonen

Retirements: Rio Haryanto (Collison), Nico Hulkenberg (Collision), Sebastian Vettel (Collision) & Max Verstappen (Power Unit)

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Russian GP: Track Schedule

RUSSIAN GP - TRACK SCHEDULE

April 27th / Thursday

15:00 - Drivers Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

15:15 - 19:15 - Pit-Lane Walk (PUBLIC) 4-Day-Ticket-Holders Only

15:50 - 17:45 - F1 Drivers Autograph Signing

April 28th / Friday

09:45 - 10:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

11:00 - 12:30 - Free Practice #1

13:35 - 14:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

15:00 - 16:30 - Free Practice #2

17:00 - 18:00 - Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

April 29th / Saturday

08:30 - 09:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

09:00 - 09:45 - Team Pit-Stop Practice

12:00 - 13:00 - Free Practice #3

13:20 - 14:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

15:00 - 16:00 - Qualifying

April 30th / Sunday

10:20 - 11:20 - F1 Drivers Autograph Signing

13:10 - 14:20 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

13:30 - Drivers Track Parade

13:45 - 14:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

14:46 - National Anthem

15:00 - 17:00 - Race

(Subject to change)

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Russian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX - RACE 

Nico Rosberg was in control in Sochi, taking the first grand slam of his career with a pole position, fastest lap, and a race win in the fourth race of the 2016 championship, whilst team mate Lewis Hamilton took on the challenge of starting tenth to finish second. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen completed the podium.

The return of the power unit problem that Hamilton saw in China ruled the Brit out of the third qualifying session and put him in tenth on the grid whilst team mate Rosberg started on pole. A new gearbox gave Sebastian Vettel a five place grid penalty, lining him up alongside his friend from China, Daniil Kvyat.

It was a fantastic start for Rosberg off of the line, with Raikkonen taking second place from fellow Finn Valtteri Bottas. Behind them, Felipe Massa kept fourth whilst Hamilton burst through the field.

Behind them, chaos.

Vettel had gained off of the line, pulling up alongside Red Bull’s Daniel Riccardo. Behind him, Kvyat was flying, right into the rear of the Ferrari. Riccardo was sent wide but Vettel kept going, only for Kvyat to crash into him again and send the Ferrari spinning.

After the crash at the last race, Vettel was not best pleased.

“Today it was not my fault, there was nothing I could have done differently, nothing I would change. I don’t dislike him (Kvyat), but I think he did a mistake two weeks ago, he made a mistake today but it doesn’t help me now. Obviously I would have loved to drive the car today to feel if we could keep the same balance into the race, but for the future nothing has changed. Of course I’m disappointed but we’re already focused on the next race.”

Once the crash had been cleared and the safety car returned to the pits, Hamilton was back on the move, quickly overtaking Massa and catching up with the all Finn battle for second place. He would have to wait until the pit stop window to make another place though, allowing Rosberg to drive off into the sun set.

A quick stop for Williams kept Bottas just ahead of Hamilton after the pit stop, but the Mercedes driver was within DRS range, and overtook the Williams as Raikkonen headed into the pits. The Ferrari came out between the two of them, gaining the place from Bottas.

Hamilton was in net second and set off to catch his team mate, but a water pressure problem kept Hamilton from getting too close and Rosberg finished the race with a gap of over 18 seconds to his team mate.

Behind them, Raikkonen finished third. The Finn said it was the best he could do for the weekend.

“It’s a pity not to be fighting for the win, but we take this result and keep on working to put ourselves in a better position.”

Further down the field, Williams took a fourth and a fifth place finish in a rather quiet second half of the race, closing the gap to constructors’ championship rival Red Bull. It was a good race for the team, but more was expected after qualifying put them in such a promising position.

“The car performance is going forward, even in race trim today,” said Williams’ head of performance, Rob Smedley. “We had improving pace against Ferrari and Mercedes and that’s what we need to keep heading towards… We’ve developed the car a lot, but we need another two or three tenths, and we just need to keep developing it, in all areas. Nobody is free from finding performance in Formula One, and certainly not at Williams, but I think we got the most we could have done out of today.”

Also having a good day was McLaren, with their first double points finish since Hungary last year. The pair started the race outside the top ten but benefited from the chaos ahead of them in the opening laps. Alonso was promoted into seventh by the time the safety car came out, and gifted another place with Toro Rosso driver Max Verstappen was forced to retire.

Jenson Button had a more challenging race, battling just outside the top ten with Romain Groskean, Sergio Perez, and Carlos Sainz. In the closing stages of the race, a lock up from Sainz allowed Button to catch up and take the place, finishing the race in tenth, giving the team their best finish of the season so far.

Renault’s Kevin Magnussen, Haas’ Romain Grosjean, and Force India’s Sergio Perez also took points from Sochi.

RESULTS:

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany / + 25 Points

2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 18 Points

3. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 15 Points

4. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland / + 12 Points

5. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 10 Points

6. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain / + 8 Points

7. Kevin Magnussen / Renault-Renault / Denmark / + 6 Points

8. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France / + 4 Points

9. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico /  + 2 Points

10. Jenson Button / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain / + 1 Point

11. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Australia

12. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Spain

13. Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

14. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

15. Daniil Kvyat / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Russia

16. Felipe Nasr / Sauber-Ferrari / Brazil

17. Esteban Gutierrez / Haas-Ferrari / Mexico

18. Pascal Wehrlein / Manor-Mercedes / Germany

RETIRED - Max Verstappen / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Netherlands / Engine

RETIRED - Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari / Germany / Crash

RETIRED - Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany / Crash

RETIRED - Rio Haryanto / Manor-Mercedes / Indonesia / Crash

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring

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Russian GP: Qualifying - Re-Cap & Results

RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX - QUALIFYING

Nico Rosberg stormed to Pole Position for the Russian GP while Lewis Hamilton was unable to set a time in Q3 due to a Power Unit failure. Sebastian Vettel qualified 2nd but will start 7th due to his grid penalty for a gearbox change.

HOW IT WORKS:

Q1 = 18 minutes. All cars allowed to go out. At the end of the session, the six slowest are eliminated.

Q2 = 15 minutes. The remaining cars go out. At the end of the session, the six slowest are eliminated.

Q3 = 12 minutes. Final 10 cars go out. The final order at the end of the session is how the grid will line up. Fastest car starts from Pole Position.

GRID LINE-UP

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

2. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland

3. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

4. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil

5. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Australia

6. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

7. Sebastian Vettel* / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

8. Daniil Kvyat / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Russia

9. Max Verstappen / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Netherlands

10. Lewis Hamilton** / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

11. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Spain

12. Jenson Button / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain

13. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany

14. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain

15. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France

16. Esteban Gutierrez / Haas-Ferrari / Mexico

17. Kevin Magnussen / Renault-Renault / Denmark

18. Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

19. Felip Nasr / Sauber-Ferrari / Brazil

20. Pascal Wehrlein / Manor-Mercedes / Germany

21. Rio Haryanto / Manor-Mercedes / Indonesia

22. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

* = 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for Gearbox change

** = Did not set time in Q3 / Power Unit failure

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

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