After a short break, the F1 paddock will reconvene at the Sochi Autodrom this weekend for the fourth round of the 2016 season.
It will be the race’s third appearance on the F1 calendar, following the series’ debut at the tricky street circuit in Russia in 2014.
The circuit winds around the famous Olympic Park, used to host the Winter Olympic Games in February 2014. It finally brought F1 to Russia after numerous failed plans over the last 30 years or so.
Daniil Kvyat is the only Russian driver on the 2016 grid and will be eager to impress for Red Bull on home soil. He is now in his second season at the front-running team, having raced for Toro Rosso in his debut F1 season in 2014.
A lap of the 3.637 mile circuit kicks off on the start/finish straight. The pit lane is to the right and feeds cars back out on track just after the fast right-hand kink of Turn 1. The flat-out section continues with a long straight, which is where the first DRS zone will be, before the heavy braking zone for the following chicane.
The second corner is a challenging left-right section. It is the best overtaking spot on the track and the wide exit means there is room to run side-by-side. We saw plenty of drivers taking to the run-off area over the 2015 weekend.
The third turn is an unusual, long left-hander. Speed builds throughout and it is similar to Turn 8 at Istanbul Park. Some regard it as the best corner on the Sochi circuit. Turn 4, a slow, 90-degree right, features a tricky braking zone as it immediately follows the previous corner.
A short straight is next up, bringing the first sector to a close, before the 90-degree right-hander of Turn 5 (there are a lot of similar corners at the track!). The sixth bend is a quick right-hand kink, with the medium-speed left of Turn 7 – which has a huge run-off area on the exit – next up.
After a short flat-out section is the double-apex left of the eighth and ninth corners, with the 90-degree right of Turn 10 soon after. The long back straight, containing two kinks, is where the second DRS zone will be. With the 13th and 14th corners, the first in the final sector, making up a slow right-left complex, this is another strong overtaking opportunity.
The last part of the lap is challenging and requires a good rhythm. The left-right chicane of turns 15 and 16 follows before the medium-speed right of Turn 17. The entrance to the pit lane is on the short straight just prior to the penultimate corner. The final bend is a similarly slow right-hander.
With several flat-out sections, the circuit does put a strain on the V6 Turbo power units. Pirelli will bring the, medium, soft and super-soft tyres to Sochi, the same compounds nominated for the opening three rounds. The new ultra-soft was not selected.
Last year’s Russian GP included some eye-catching moments, including Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen’s brilliant battle late in the race that ended in tears. Lewis Hamilton won for Mercedes, with Sebastian Vettel second after Nico Rosberg retired early on with reliability woes.
Sergio Perez completed a memorable podium for Force India after a strong strategy call. Romain Grosjean retired after a heavy impact with the Turn 3 barrier while Carlos Sainz Jr failed to finish thanks to a brake problem. He had suffered a big hit in practice but was granted permission to race.
The race has moved to an early season slot, having previously taken place towards the end of the year. 2016 has proved to be highly exciting so far, hopefully that will continue in Russia. Mercedes looks set to be competitive but Ferrari and Red Bull appear closer. The long straights will suit Williams, while the midfield fight behind will be as close as ever.
Russian Grand Prix Fact File
Location: Sochi, Russia
Track Length: 3.636 miles
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 18
Laps: 53
First race: 2014
Tyre compounds: Super-soft, soft and medium
2015 race winner: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2015 pole position: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m37.113
2015 fastest lap: Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1m40.071
Live on: Sky Sports F1 (highlights on Channel 4)
 |
| © Red Bull Content Pool |
The circuit winds around the famous Olympic Park, used to host the Winter Olympic Games in February 2014. It finally brought F1 to Russia after numerous failed plans over the last 30 years or so.
Daniil Kvyat is the only Russian driver on the 2016 grid and will be eager to impress for Red Bull on home soil. He is now in his second season at the front-running team, having raced for Toro Rosso in his debut F1 season in 2014.
 |
| © Mercedes |
A lap of the 3.637 mile circuit kicks off on the start/finish straight. The pit lane is to the right and feeds cars back out on track just after the fast right-hand kink of Turn 1. The flat-out section continues with a long straight, which is where the first DRS zone will be, before the heavy braking zone for the following chicane.
The second corner is a challenging left-right section. It is the best overtaking spot on the track and the wide exit means there is room to run side-by-side. We saw plenty of drivers taking to the run-off area over the 2015 weekend.
The third turn is an unusual, long left-hander. Speed builds throughout and it is similar to Turn 8 at Istanbul Park. Some regard it as the best corner on the Sochi circuit. Turn 4, a slow, 90-degree right, features a tricky braking zone as it immediately follows the previous corner.
A short straight is next up, bringing the first sector to a close, before the 90-degree right-hander of Turn 5 (there are a lot of similar corners at the track!). The sixth bend is a quick right-hand kink, with the medium-speed left of Turn 7 – which has a huge run-off area on the exit – next up.
After a short flat-out section is the double-apex left of the eighth and ninth corners, with the 90-degree right of Turn 10 soon after. The long back straight, containing two kinks, is where the second DRS zone will be. With the 13th and 14th corners, the first in the final sector, making up a slow right-left complex, this is another strong overtaking opportunity.
 |
| © Scuderia Ferrari |
The last part of the lap is challenging and requires a good rhythm. The left-right chicane of turns 15 and 16 follows before the medium-speed right of Turn 17. The entrance to the pit lane is on the short straight just prior to the penultimate corner. The final bend is a similarly slow right-hander.
With several flat-out sections, the circuit does put a strain on the V6 Turbo power units. Pirelli will bring the, medium, soft and super-soft tyres to Sochi, the same compounds nominated for the opening three rounds. The new ultra-soft was not selected.
Last year’s Russian GP included some eye-catching moments, including Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen’s brilliant battle late in the race that ended in tears. Lewis Hamilton won for Mercedes, with Sebastian Vettel second after Nico Rosberg retired early on with reliability woes.
Sergio Perez completed a memorable podium for Force India after a strong strategy call. Romain Grosjean retired after a heavy impact with the Turn 3 barrier while Carlos Sainz Jr failed to finish thanks to a brake problem. He had suffered a big hit in practice but was granted permission to race.
The race has moved to an early season slot, having previously taken place towards the end of the year. 2016 has proved to be highly exciting so far, hopefully that will continue in Russia. Mercedes looks set to be competitive but Ferrari and Red Bull appear closer. The long straights will suit Williams, while the midfield fight behind will be as close as ever.
Russian Grand Prix Fact File
Location: Sochi, Russia
Track Length: 3.636 miles
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 18
Laps: 53
First race: 2014
Tyre compounds: Super-soft, soft and medium
2015 race winner: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2015 pole position: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m37.113
2015 fastest lap: Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1m40.071
Live on: Sky Sports F1 (highlights on Channel 4)
No comments:
Post a Comment