Of the Russian and Eifel GPS

25-27 September 2020 Sochi Autodrom

THE MAIN EVENT

Smooth of surface, flat of kerb and long of straight, the street circuit around the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics is something of an outlier in Formula 1 terms since it tends not to be hard on tyres or damaging to machinery. Its low-degradation nature has tended to make for one-stop races in the past, which is why Pirelli is bringing compounds from the softer ends of its spectrum.

Though it’s not famed for creating great racing, Sochi Autodrom is not without its hazards; the combination of very fast corners with walls in close proximity means collisions often have alarming consequences. It’s also unusual in that very few grands prix here have been won from pole position, owing to the fact that Turn 1 is a kink rather than a hard stop, enabling canny racers to take advantage of the slipstream on the approach to Turn 2.

2019 RACE RECAP

Ferrari went into meltdown as its attempt to stagemanage the race went awry. Charles Leclerc qualified on pole with Sebastian Vettel third but, having used Leclerc’s tow to get by Lewis Hamilton, Vettel then surged into the lead. Having not contested the move as per the team’s plan, Leclerc was livid when Vettel refused to move aside.

As Vettel continued to ignore team orders, eventually the Ferrari pitwall appeared to hang him out to dry, bringing Leclerc in first and enabling him to undercut his team-mate. Vettel’s car then broke down, causing a Virtual Safety Car which enabled Hamilton to pit and get ahead of Leclerc.

KEY CORNER: TURN 3 A ring around the singing fountain which once guarded the Olympic flame, this long constant-radius bend is a stern test of machinery and driver resolve owing to the proximity of the barriers on the outside of the corner.

RACE DATA

Venue Sochi Autodrom

First GP 2014

Number of laps 53

Circuit length 3.633 miles Longest straight 0.667 miles Elevation change 6.234 feet Race distance 192.466 miles Lap record 1m35.761s Lewis Hamilton (2019)

F1 races held 6

Winners from pole 2

Pirelli compounds C3, C4, C5

CAR PERFORMANCE Downforce level Medium Cooling requirement Low Fuel consumption 1.98kg/lap Full throttle 51%

Top speed 213mph Average speed 136mph

TIMETABLE (UK TIME)

Friday 25 September Practice 1 09:00-10:30 Practice 2 13:00-14:30 Saturday 26 September Practice 3 10:00-11:00 Qualifying 13:00-14:00 Sunday 27 September Race 12:10

Live coverage Sky Sports F1 Highlights Channel 4