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#1013 2019 Russian Grand Prix

2021-04-06 01:00

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#2019, Fulvio Conti, Translated by Susanna Fortolan, Giulia Mizzoni,

#1013 2019 Russian Grand Prix

After the end of the race in Sngapore, the Formula 1 moves to the Mar Nero to play the sixth edition of the Russian Grand Prix. In Marina Bay the Scud

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After the end of the race in Sngapore, the Formula 1 moves to the Mar Nero to play the sixth edition of the Russian Grand Prix. In Marina Bay the Scuderia Ferrari has conquered the third consecutive victory and the first double of the season with Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc. The German driver is back to winning after more than a year thanks to a race strategy and of many updates brought on the SF90. In Sochi, since the opening of the circuit, held on 2014, has always been the Mercedes to win, but since the previous races the results may be different. The Anglo-German team doen’t win a race since the end on the summer break and on the last Grand Prix they have not managed to conquer a place on the podium. With a Ferrari that is returning to the top of the World Championship and the Red Bull Racing is always very competitive, the Mercedes restoring order by taking advantage of the advantages of this circuit that has always reserved for them. Sebastian Vettel has resumed trust after the victory in Singapore and, as result, now it increase the ambition of victory before the Russian Grand Prix:

 

"It was very nice to be at the center of the podium after so much time that I don’t won. After the trouble of the last few weeks, it was good to have a Sunday night where I could rest with ease. Also, the champagne was very good, I have tasted it after a race that was very hot. To be honest, I don’t believe in this type of messages. Obviously, this year few races went well, other less. In general, if you are honest with yourself, you know that you’ve done a perfect work and when not. I'm the first critic of myself when I don’t get the results I expect. This is not the first difficult season for me. We had high hopes at the start of the season but quickly we realized that it wasnt as we expected. The challenge is to find the perfection and to win races, it is all focused on this, but the time is going through fast. Monza was very complex. I thinked, in general, to do very well. For Sunday I had good sensation and the car was very good, as Charles has shown. I was happy for the team, it was an important race for us, but I was disappointed by myself because I failed to do what I wanted. I don’t want that the mistakes depend on me, but I want to move on. In Singapore I didn’t think about Monza and I won’t even do it here. Obviously it will be nice to go back on track after a victory, but I will only focus on the next to weekend. I will have more confidence in myself but at the end I want to know what to do ti measure up. But sometimes, when the things go to the wrong way, it’s not easy to take note. We hope that there is a bomber effect (folowing the example of the striker who starts scoring regularly after having clicked) for the next six races. The support that I received from the outside, by the fans from Italy that also in Singapore, and it was really nice, they gave me strenght. I also received many personal messages, that talked about various experience and how the various people have managed ups and downs of their life. This is my passion, but when the people are talking about real life, it change the view. This took me with the feet on the ground".

 

But the victory of Vettel it has created bad moods inside the team. During the race a team-order has favoured the German driver, causing a bad reaction aside Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver started from the pole position but he had to settle for a second place, but at the time of what happened Charles Leclerc reacted in an excessive way. Then, the Monegasque driver reprocessed the situation and he realized that he had exceeded in his behavior:

 

"I believe that my reaction was a little over to what should be and this shows that I have so much to learn. In a situation like this there was no need to do so. The team made the right thing, we finished in first and in second place. We wouldn’t have finished in first and in second place with a different strategy, so this is the most important thing. So I have so much to learn and to improve, so that it won’t happen again in the future. From the car is always very difficult, there’s always a lot of adrenaline. I need, in this situations, to control myself more and - how can I say politely - to be quiet. I will learn from this and I make sure this won’t happen again".

 

The Russian Grand Prix will be the home race for the Russian driver of the Toro Rosso, Daniil Kvyat, back in Formula 1. Unfortunately, however, for Kvyat can be a difficult race, that’s because for every team that are equiped with the power unit Honda, will undergo with a grid penalty. The news arrives from the Japanese company, that has decided to bring a new ICE Spec 4 for the next six Grand Prix. 

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So Max Verstappen, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly will have a penalty and they will be forced to the loss of five position on the starting grid, while Daniil Kvyat will start from the last position, having changed all the elements of the Power Unit. With the Red Bull Racing that has to serve his penalty on this Grand Prix, so both Mercedes and Scuderia Ferrari will have more opportunity to win. But you still have to pay attention on what could happen between Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton, after the edition of the 2018 Russian Grand Prix, when the Finnish was forced to let pass and he let, his team-mate, win. But, Valtteri Bottas said that he is not thinking anymore about what happened: 

 

"I dont think about it anymore, it happened next weekend. On Thursday we discuss it on the factory, there was a meeting, but what we said stay there. We have rule inside the team with precise indication for both the drivers, I hope that this situation does not happen again. the Ferrari has improved so much, the Red Bull is near evey weekend, I have a good advantage of points to manage, but there are still many up for grabs, we need to focus on our short-term goals, the first one is to win this race".

 

While Lewis Hamilton adds:

 

"I don’t think I need the help of Bottas. It was never my philosophy, I want to do my work alone. i never asked something like that, and if you are looking on the next year, I hated that experience and I wanted to not to find myself in this position again. I don’t think I need help to do a work that I can do, aside from my team, but in terms to make a better job all together in the weekend. but now I’m fighting against Valtteri for the championship, so I’m not expecting that he is going to help me. i think that if he will fight for the victory on the last race, it could be more different. So what happened has nothing to do with me. Nor I and nor Valtteri we had a imput on the strategy. we had a quick debrief and he has raised it’s concerns, but there’s nothing that I can do on this. I think that Valtteri understood that had nothin to do with favoritism inside of the team, because has never been so. It's a situation that in which we wanted to be, but we will try to make sure to not being in this situation another time".

 

For many years the Scuderia Ferrari approached to the victory of the Russian Grand Prix, without being able to complete the task. the day before of the race, Sebastian Vettel is not only hoping to reverse the positive trend of the Mercedes, but he is talking of the pleausure of racing on this circuit: 

 

"It’s already few years that we are racing in Russia and the Sochi Autodrom is another of this track where we were close to the victory without ever reaching it. We have good memories, as the first row all occupied by the Scuderia Ferrari two years ago, but I missed again the last step to be competely satisfied. I like the circuit, it is, in his way, unique because it goes near the installations and to the Medal Plaza of the Winter Olympic Game and this really affect me. There are few similar turns, all very technical that are not very easy to tackle in terms of entry, braking and ability to rotate the car effectively and without sacrificing tires. About the guide is one of the most technical track and for this here is more rewarding to be able to put together the perfect lap, especially in qualifying".

 

The Scuderia Ferrari team principal, Mattia Binotto, is curious to see how the SF90 will behave on the circuit of Sochi:

 

"After the victories of the last three races we are eager to go in Russia, on a track that, once again, is different, to understand and to verify how It will behave our latest developments. Sochi has among its features the long straights and a very smooth asphalt, on which once again know how to make the most of the tires is not obvious and that requires set up and aerodynamic configurations that are very different from the one of Singapore. In Sochi the weather conditions will be changing, so it’s important to be ready for every occasion. Moreover to have a good balance of the car can be decisive".

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Butt they need to pay attention to the rivals. Toto Wolff, team principal of the Mercedes, after the race in Singapore, under the expectations, he promises a battle:

 

"Singapore was difficult for us, we had our cards to play to win the race and for the qualify, but we failed for many reasons. We made a bath of humility, that it’s always okay because it’s a methodical and low-profile approach that we built our successes. We analyzed everything and I’m sure that we will stand on track stronger as we have always done after a disappointing weekend where, however, the merits must also be recognized to the opponents. From seven races to this side we are involved in a close battle with our competitors and we must be perfect in all respects if we want to get on the top step of the podium. Sochi, in the past, was a favorable circuit for us, but this it means nothing when on Friday we will be on track. We can’t wait to start, we are ready for the battle on track".

 

It will be a strange Russian Grand Prix for the team Red Bull Racing, that with a new power unit Honda, they will have to serve a penalty with both the drivers. Nevertheless, Max Verstappen does not despair:

 

"I’m happy for the podium in Singapore and the team made a good call with the strategy of the race, but I’m already focused to the race in Russia, where there are more opportunities for overtaking. The shape of the track is not congenial, but is almost unique, with most of the turns of 90 degree. They are not usual in the rest of the Championship and will be a challenge to pass from high speed, to the turn with low speed to pull off the max in the breaking from our car. The Ferrari were very fast in Singapore and the straights of Sochi are good for them, but we have few ideas on our performance of last Sunday and we will do further analysis hoping to in,prove for the Russia".

 

For Alex Albon is the debut on the circuit of Sochi with a Formula 1 car, since until now he raced in Russia only with Formula 2 cars:

 

"I raced in Sochi when I was in F2 and I won, so it’s a track that I enjoy it so I can’t wait to get back on a circuit that is familiar to me. The track is made, for the most, by turns of 90 degree, so if you are good in one, you will be good in all. Also there are good possibilities of overtake, with also long straight and it will be different from the hot and wet Singapore. I feel more and more at ease, with the car, race after race and I’m having fun working with the team, because I’m knowing them better. In Russia my target is to make the most from what I learned and to push for the best possible result for the team".

 

Not only Honda, also the Mercedes takes in Sochi a new specific of the power units, installed only on the Williams Racing of Robert Kubica. The Polish driver, so, is penalized of 15 positions on the starting grid for the replacement of different power unit components. On Friday 27 September 2019 the FIA announces that it has extended the introduction of a single supplier for braking systems, starting from the 2021 season, despite the fact that a pre-agreement with Brembo had already been reached. The decision is due to the need for further studies on the impacts of such a regulatory variation. The day after the McLaren announces that they made a deal with the Mercedes for the supply of the power until from the 2021 to the 2024, that it will involve the end of the collaboration with Renault, signed on 2018. The previous collaboration between McLaren and Mercedes, started in 1995, ended in 2014. With pride Cyril Abiteboul, managing director of Renault Sport Racing, says:

 

"Since our partnership started, the McLaren was taken from the ninth to the fourth position of the Constructors Championship. So we can consider that our partnership with McLaren is a success. But this will not last over the end of this contract, that it will at the end after the 2020. So it seems that Renault and McLaren have different ambitions for the future. All the different elements of this decision have been carefully evaluated in recent weeks. 2021 will be a crucial season for all the teams and it’s important for us to have a clear and precise vision of the power and of the ambitions of our competitor. This decision is aligned with the vision of the Renault to become a team that has, as target, to return at the top of the F1. Renault will continue to honor his effort with McLaren Racing also the next season, so as it was always been during the long story of engine providers".

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Zak Bown, CEO of McLaren Racing, adds:

"This deal is an important progress on our long term plans to return to the victory in F1. Mercedes is a reference point, both as a team that aspower unit, so it’s natural that be entrusted at this partnership to take our company to the next fase of our trip. This announcement is an important message for our investors, employees, partners and fans. We are committed to bring back the McLaren to the top of the F1".

 

And also the team principal of the Mercedes, Toto Wolff, is happy for the deal that has been reached with the team McLaren:

"We are really happy to give the welcome back to McLaren on the family Mercedes-Benz. Both the brand have a glorious history, but with this partnership that is looking to the future and it has the target to open a new era. McLaren is doing a great season with the Renault engines. We hope that this long term deal with the team of Woking can to mark another milestone for McLaren, which could lead it back to the F1 top".

 

After the problems of the last seasons, the Federation decide to rule the eventual off-track, at the second turn of the track. From this edition they are using polystyrene blocks positioned outside it: if the driver fails to face the curve correctly, passing in the left, totally, of the first element of the bump, where they have to zigzag between the three blocks. Also, it will be two zones, that are indicated by the FIA, where the drivers can use the DRS: the first zone is placed between turn 1 and turn 2, with point to determine the detachment between drivers placed after the turn 18; the second zone is placed between the turns 10 and 13, with detection point pointed before the turn 10. Lastly, the ex Formula 1 driver Emanuele Pirro is chosen as Assistant Commissioner for the competition. In the past, the Italian has done so on several occasions, the last time at the Belgian Grand Prix. For this Grand Prix the Pirelli offers the choice between the tires with compound C2, C3 and C4. Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport Director, declares at the eve of the Russian Grand Prix:

 

"After the return of the Grand Prix in autumn, of last year, it will be very interesting to see if there will be changes compared to the last edition. At Sochi we are gonna take C2, C3 and C4, the three compounds at half of the others: a selection harder than the one we made in 2018 that should adapt very well to a wide variety of conditions. This circuit mainly emphasizes longitudinal loads, rather than lateral ones, with a wide evolution of the track throughout the weekend. One of the keys to obtain a good result here is to find the right set-up and the best strategy to better deal with the different race conditions. In 2018 Valtteri Bottas signed the new record of the track: we will see if this year they’ll lower it again".

 

On Friday 27 September 2019, during the FP1, Charles Leclerc on Ferrari set the fastest lap, the Monegasque marks a time of slightly less of the best time of the first Free Practice of Season 2018. Max Verstappen follows the Monegasque driver, turning less than 0.1 seconds away, exploiting - at the end of the session - the path of the track that in the meantime turns out to be cleaner. In third place the other driver of Scuderia Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel. The cars of Maranello seem competitive not only on the fast lap, but also on the race pace, even with an understeer. In fourth and in fifth position the two Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, that were using the Medium tires, in contrast with the first three drivers of the ranking, to obtain the performance. The Mercedes cars were the best with the Medium tires, even if Valtteri Bottas is forced to interrupt his session early because of a DRS problem. Daniel Ricciardo is the protagonist of an accident on the lap of return into the box, at the end of the session, damaging the posterior part of his Renault, hitting the barriers. The car is fixable for the rest of the day, without the gearbox change. Instead, the collision it was close in the pit lane, when Lewis Hamilton, at the enter of the pit-lane, had to avoid contact with Romain Grosjean, who proceeded very slowly on the lane itself. 

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A technical problem, however, has limited the tests for Daniil Kvjat, forced to leave his Toro Rosso on the track, due to a power problem. During the FP2 Max Verstappen set the best time in the afternoon. The Dutch driver is the only driver that has set a better time of the one of Lewis Hamilton, in the same session of the 2018 Grand Prix. The Dutch precedes Charles Leclerc. Then the two drivers of the Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton. Also in this session the English driver a collision when, in full trajectory, avoids the contact with Alex Albon. Sebastian Vettel is in fifth position, with over a second of detachment from the time of Max Verstappen, but the Ferrari confirm their competitiveness on race pace. The German precedes Pierre Gasly and Sergio Perez. Alex Albon, the other Red Bull Racing driver, is behind on the ranking, penalized by the need, for the technicians of the Anglo-Austrian team, to repair an oil leak due to a breakage of the fund. Technical problems also recur on the car of Daniil Kvjat, who has difficulty getting on the curbs due to a strong vibration of the car. Kvjat was close  to an accident with the other Toro Rosso driver, Pierre Gasly. At the end of the first day of practice, Max Verstappen that will be penalized on the grid, talk about what worked on his car:

 

"Today was very positive and the car was working well with both the tires. We followed our program, we tried a lot of things about the installation and got a good balance, especially in the last sector, but even the first with the long straight seemed competitive. When you have a good feeling with the car, when it comes alive on the last sector, that is pretty cool after the strange weekend we had in Singapore. It seems that tomorrow it may rain, so this will mix up the things, but we also hope that the car will do a great job in these conditions. Obviously we will try to do our best on the qualify because we will have a penalty of five positions that it will be applied after the session, so we need to be very fast. At least you can overtake here and if you are fast you can arrive at the first group. It’s only Friday and it’s too early to make predictions because everyone will improve, but it’s a positive start".

 

Alex Albon had to face some extra difficulties, he set the sixth time during the morning and the tenth in the afternoon but it was delayed by a damage at the floor of his car:

 

"This morning the session went well, but this afternoon I suffered a few damages at the floor after I went off in turn 4, so that means that we lost some performance and it was a shame. This delayed things and when we got back on track it was an endless traffic jam when everyone engaged in long runs, so I didn’t do any clean lap. I tried to stay away from the problems, better as I could and I heard that Bottas was right behind me but I didn’t know that Lewis was right behind him so stand on his way it was my fault. It was only one of the things that happened to me in this session, but I don’t want to say that I lost the session because surely I learned something. It’s encouraging me to see where is Max and to see that the car is competitive again. I think that the car is fast and the pace is good. I need to work on it and to have a session more clear tomorrow. I’m building my feeling with the car and this needs time, but regard of Singapore, I think that we are on the right road".

 

The Ferrari is, once again, very competitive on the fast lap, but especially on the race pace. About this, anyway, Sebastian Vettel says:

 

"This Friday was a little strange. We tried few things and we need to decide what to maintain and what no in the car. The Red Bull it seemed to be very fast in the morning and also in the afternoon, particularly on the third sector. I think that we can improve, Especially in terms of balance, putting everything together we should have a better day tomorrow. Few runs went well, others no, so we need to be sure to understand why and then decide the right direction. But I’m happy enough. The car was fine in few moments, so I have the trust that it will be so also tomorrow".

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Charles Leclerc, instead, it was more satisfied:

 

"The day was good enough. I think that the Red Bull are quite strong, but we are focused on ourselves. We have much time to gain on the lap time. The balance was not the one that I hoped, especially in qualifying configuration, but on race pace we seemed very strong, and it’s a good thing. It’s about the balance for the qualify lap. It’s a track where the rear tires struggle a bit in the last sector, so maybe you need to compromise the first section a little bit to get better in the third, and we’re struggling to find the balance in this respect. I’m happy, but we need to keep working on this. The Mercedes is very strong team and we need to work hard, to the max and we hope we can continue in our positive moment".

 

For Lewis Hamilton the weekend of Sochi It started off abnormally. The British driver ended, in the two session of practice, in fifth and in fourth position, always behind his team-mate. Hamilton says that the team will work hard ahead of the qualify, but he is excited to the idea of fighting with the Red Bull Racing and the Ferrari, now it seems have lit the competition deference the beginning of the season:

 

"It was a day of discovery and of exploration. it didn’t start badly, even if we are improving, but the others made progress in a fastest way and they improved faster than us. Our rhythm was slightly better during the second session but we are not where we want to be. It’s great to see that the battle is lighting up, but we want to fight with the others, for this we are working so much. Tomorrow it will be a difficult day, I hope it rains. I don’t think I already drive on the wet here, so it could be interesting".

 

Lewis Hamilton speaks about the increadible speed shown by the Ferrari on the straight:

 

"We are loosing 0.8 seconds from the Ferrari in the straight. We are improving. But they progress at a very serious pace, now we’re just trying to figure out how to get the car forward, but it’s not an easy task. At first the set-up was good, then for some reason shrank and then has improved at the end of the FP2. Tomorrow will be a difficult day, but I hope it rain. I heard it will rain, obviously I have trust on my guys. I don’t believe that what we are getting from the car is the max. The was the key problem that we had in the last three races. We are still trying to solve the situation. It’s not easy. It’s great to see that there’s competition, but we want to be there to fight".

 

And Valtteri Bottas adds:

 

"I think that on Sunday we we stand a good chance, actually for tomorrow I hope in the rain. I think that we could have more possibility on qualify. Today was good, there have been no big problems with the set-up of the car, maybe few problems of grip. Today Red Bull and Ferrari were a bit too fast".

 

The Team Principal of the Mercedes, Toto Wolf, is not happy of this first few laps:

 

"It has been a negative day. To say it without mincing words, we don’t have the pace. We are having trouble to get the right key. We didn’t improve, we didn’t put much effort into improving the car, that’s probably one of the reasons. It seems that others have proportionately gained and we lost. In the end it all depends on how you make the tires work, which is a very complicated aspect. On the last three races we didn’t get the pole position and during the race we have always recovered, until we hit the Ferrari exhaust. But we couldn’t get past it on the straights, but we could have done it in the corners. If we had understood where to act, we would have already done it, now it seems that we lack grip".

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But the technical director of the Mercedes, James Allison, explains the reason for this delay:

 

"Here in Sochi we didn’t bring anything, but in Japan we will have new pieces, even if nothing big, but still useful. Obviously the Ferrari is stronger than before, but but we also made mistakes. I believe that it’s impossible to say who is the favorite, anyone who should bet decisively on a team or a driver would show great courage. At this moment it’s impossible to predict what will happen, which is definitely fun for everyone, but stressful for us".

 

It also has been a difficult day for Carlos Sainz Jr., that with his McLaren faced some unforeseen problems:

 

"It has been very difficult da, the truth is that we are not where we would like to be. We tried few things during the FP2 but did not work in the right direction. It will be a complicated weekend for us, because in sector 3 we are not able to generate any grip. At this moment the situation is similar of the one of Singapore: we don’t find grip, so there are few question marks and tonight there is a lot of work to do. Solve problems of set-up will not be easy, because we had two session bu we couldn’t do it. With the pace that we have, they will overtake us".

 

But Lando Norris is confident, because the team is working hard to solve every type of problem:

 

"We are working on everything. Sometimes the problem is the track, or me as driver, but today the main difficulty was the car. Of course, I still have to improve in driving, main difficulty was the car. Sure, I still have to improve in driving, that’s because this is my first real weekend here with F1, but I haven't found the right trust to push to the limit, as I want. We will do few changes during the night. Singapore was a great race for us but this doesn’t mean that we’ll do well here too. We can hope for a seventh and an eight place for the race, but here will be more difficult than in Singapore. There we could have pulled out even with few mistakes, here would cost us positions. We will give our best tomorrow, hoping to go to Q3".

 

For Sergio Perez the first day of practice was successful:

 

"A auspicious day. I think that it has been the best Friday of the season in terms of understanding and progress. We worked a lot on aerodynamics, and I’m very happy with the day. I can’t wait for tomorrow and for Sunday. The conditions could change at any time, so we need to be ready to react in time, trying to find a couple tenths so we can fight for a good position".

 

And also Lance Stroll admits he have been almost immediately at ease with his Racing Point at the circuit of Sochi:

 

"I am happy for how it went today, the car behaved itself. There are still some things to work on in terms of balance, but at the moment we seem quite competitive. Tomorrow anything can happen, and a bit of rain could be added. Singapore has been the first race with the new package and sometimes it needs more than a weekend to find the right balance. We have to work on few things, but we are not in bad conditions".

 

To the group of happy driver of the results of this first day of practice there is also Daniel Ricciardo:

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"Today it started quite well, but the accident that I had at the end FP1 it made us waste some time in the afternoon. The mechanics did a really good job to repair the car quickly. We have few things to improve, but we are not in a bad position, there are only few details to fix. I think that we can improve in few areas so there’s a lot of work to do. Here the back has difficulties and we are looking for the right balance. I’m not too worried, Nico had a decent pace and I think that tomorrow it’ll be okay".

 

And Nico Hülkenberg:

 

"Today has been a positive day. I like the track, it’s great to be back driving here. In general, it wasn’t a bad day. The car seemed fine since the beginning and I felt immediately at ease. I haven’t been as satisfied since the afternoon, we have changed a couple of things in the setup, which we will examine and try to improve. But, on the whole, it was not bad and I feel confident".

 

The same cannot be said for George Russell, in difficulty in finding the right mechanic grip:

 

"I didn’t have any grip, but I think that for everyone was so. I’m not the biggest fan of this circuit. It has a little grip, and with all of the way out is not as daunting as other circuits, but it went according to expectations. With the new tires we didn’t found the behavior we wanted to have. We made our fastest lap on the second lap, and not in the first one as usually, so there is space for improvements. We are quite slow on the straight and this doesn’t help us. Our performance of today it was not so good as could have been: we should be closer than the lap times suggest". could have been: we should be closer than the lap times suggest".

 

Even if Robert Kubica is a veteran of the Formula 1, the Polish driver never raced in Sochi:

 

"Sochi is a new track for me and it’s always good to test new challenges with different layout. But today, was one of the hardest day for me in terms of balance and of general grip. This type of circuit where you need to have a lot of speed, and the turns are short. You need to have a good entry stability and confidence in the machine, which we do not have yet. We need to control the data and we hope to improve for tomorrow".

 

Daniil Kvyat, that in Sochi is racing at home, didn’t start well the race weekend. A lot of problems they slowed him in both of the sessions:

 

"The FP1 were not an ideal start of the day, so on the FP2 we we had to recover the mileage we had lost and try some things we couldn’t test this morning. I needed to get back to the track and find my references, which I did, and we ended up having a productive afternoon session. We made everything that we planned, so we are ready for tomorrow. At the end, we completed a decent number of laps for our analysis of the race pace and we hope to have enough data to understand what we need for Sunday. There are always possibilities, so we will do our best to get them. We knew that our weekend was compromise by the penalty We will meet them. However, we will do our job and see how far we can catch up during the Grand Prix".

 

It went better to Pierre Gasly, that he has been able to carry out the work that Scuderia Toro Rosso established:

 

"It has been a really good Friday. I’m happy of the progress that we made between the FP1 and FP2, because it seems that we went on the right direction. We ended the day with the sixth best time, that it’s always positive. I think that looking to our situation thinking about the penalty of Sunday, we We really need to make sure we have a strong car and prioritize the set-up for the race rather than qualifying. Tonight there is much to analyze, but overall it was a positive day".

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It was a positive day also for Romain Grosjean, that he made few different tests during the practices session:

 

"Today it has been a good enough day. On the FP1 I made the tenth place, while during the FP2 I couldn’t do a lap with the soft tires because of some problems: I brought the clearance from the ground as low as possible to the rear, but this caused some blockages. I think that it has been a good day. The pace on the long run it wasn’t so bad and the car seemed to be okay. Also today we made few aerodynamic tests, changing the anterior wing and things like this. We are working on things that we can do for tomorrow , but we are positively surprised".

 

While Kevin Magnussen is not happy but not even disappointed of the results obtained in this first day of practice:

 

"Not too bad, not too well. I think that we are where we were expecting to be. The race pace seems good, at least during the first session, while on the second one we haven’t done much. We extended the first manche to try to know something more about the soft tyre. It seems that it works well, but it can be better. We need to continue to study all this unpdates and to analyze all our data, but I hope that I can arrive at the point where we can focus only on the performances".

 

Saturday 28 September 2019 during the FP3, Charles Leclercset the fastest lap, ahead of 0.316 seconds from the other Scuderia Ferrari driver, Sebastian Vettel. The Monegasque it’s the only driver that lapped under the 1'33"0. With few problems of set-up, Lewis Hamilton is, anyway, in third position, at 0.4 seconds from the best time. The British driver precedes his team-mate, Valtteri Bottas, and Max Verstappen, fifth. The car of the Dutch driver is more competitive with the Medium tires. The Red Bull Racing driver was also the protagonist of a spin, but without consequences. At the sixth place it ranks Romain Grosjean on Haas; the American team confirm his competitiveness placing Kevin Magnussen at the tenth place. Daniil Kvyat continues, instead, to have technical problems, he ended early his session due to a problem of the power unit on his Toro Rosso. The long-awaited rain doesn’t hits the track during the qualify, that are held with dry track. Daniil Kvyat, the only Russian driver of the Championship, due to few technical problems that have conditioned the free practice, decides not to take part to the qualify, on his home Grand Prix. In Q1 Sebastian Vettel is the first one to get on track; the German, that used the Medium tires, ruin his first lap on the third sector, closing with 1'39"560. Shortly after, his team-mate, Charles Leclerc, lowers the limit bringing it to 1'33"613. The two McLaren drivers, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Land Norris, place in less of a second. The Haas driver Magnussen makes even better, placing himself between the two Ferrari, to five tenth to the time of Charles Leclerc. Shortly after Lewis Hamilton set the best time, with Soft tires, with a time of 1'33"230: Max Verstappen ranks to 0.138 seconds from the time set by the World Champion. More detached remains the team-mate of the British driver, Valtteri Bottas, at half a second. Then the session stopped to the accident of Alexander Albon, that lose the control of his Red Bull Racing in turn 13. Right after the accident is carried out a medical control, but fortunately the Thailand driver leave the car independently. At the restart of the session just over six minutes left. Scuderia Ferrari sends Sebastian Vettel back to track, collapsed at the last place of the ranking. The German set the best lap with a 1'33"032. Also the McLaren, with Lando Norris seventh and Carlos Sainz Jr. sixth, are improved. Also Romain Grosjean improved, but he stays tenth, while Kevin Magnussen scale till the sixth place. Pierre Gasly improved, marking the eleventh place, also as Antonio Giovinazzi. Kimi Räikkönen, the two drivers of the Williams, George Russel and Robert Kubica, with Alex Albon and obviously Daniil Kvyat, that did not take part of Q1. In Q2 Max Verstappen set the best time, and it ranks ahead of the two Mercedes drivers. 

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The Dutch, with Medium tires, scored a time of 1'33"092. This limit has been improved by Charles Leclerc, that lap in 1'32"434. This last performance is not improved by Sebastian Vettel, that stays detached by 0.6 seconds. The first five drivers are apart by 0.8 seconds, while the others are more detached, with Pierre Gasly, tenth, to 1.517 seconds. On the last few minutes of the Q2 all the drivers tried to improve their performance: Lance Stroll ruin his performance with a mistake, while Sergio Pérez, even without clear mistakes, does not improve. The two McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz Jr., rise in sigh and in seventh position, before that Romain Grosjean will overtake them. Daniel Ricciardo ranks in ninth position, ahead of the other Renault driver, Nico Hülkemberg. Antonio Giovinazzi, improved, but he stays in thirteenth position, the two Mercedes drivers, got on track with Soft tires, but they don’t improve: so the eliminated at the end of the Q2 are: Pierre Gasly, Perez, Antonio Giovinazzi, Kevin Magnussen and Lance Stroll. At the start of the Q3 Lando Norris score the reference time, turning in 1'34"108. But this time is soon improved by Nico Hülkemberg. Right after, Valtteri Bottas ends his lap in 1'32"632, with Lewis Hamilton that does it better for only 0.027 seconds. The arrival of the two Ferrari turned the ranking: Sebastian Vettel beats of 0.230 seconds the time of Lewis Hamilton; but In turn the German is preceded by Charles Leclerc, who close in 1'31"801, 0.3 seconds better than his teammate. With the second attempt Sebastian Vettel score, in the third sector, the exact same time of Charles Leclerc, during the first attempt. The Monegasque, anyway, right after lowers the limit again and he ends the Q3 turning in 1'31"628, that is 0.425 seconds less than the time of Sebastian Vettel. Max Verstappen, already penalized, is third, before that Lewis Hamilton ends his lap score the best time. It complete the second row, with Sebastian Vettel, the other Mercedes driver, Valtteri Bottas. For Charles Leclerc is the fourth pole position in a row in this World Championship. It’s the first time that a Ferrari driver gets four starts, from the pole position, in a row since Michael Schumacher, that in turn he gained the pole positions in the last four races of the 2000 season; the series of the German driver continue also in the next season, for a total of 7 consecutive pole position. At the end of the qualify, the Red Bull Racing decides to replace the floor of the car of Alexander Albon, because of the accident of the Q1. The Thailandese driver Willa have a penalization of 20 positions on the grid: fifteen for the replacement of different components of the power unit and five positions for changing the gearbox. The penalty has no practical effect, however, given that the Thailandese driver will start from the pit-lane. At the end of the practice, Charles Leclerc – unaware of Scuderia Ferrari’s previous records - he is surprised by the result obtained in practice. But, of course, he says he is satisfied with the work done so far by his team:

 

"The last one to make four pole position it was Schumacher? It’s a very special feeling, but I don’t want to think about the statistics for now, I want to focus on my work. The road for tomorrow is long. The start is very good. We were competitive for all the weekend. Today the car was very funny to drive. I believe that the team made a good work anticipating track changes and adjusting the car from time to time in the best way. In qualifying we started to focus mainly on ourselves and this seems to bear fruit. As far as I’m concerned, I keep working on my lack and I’m studying as much as I can. My last lap in Q3 was great, apart the moment when I lost the back of the car in the turns 16 and 17. In the complex I can be satisfied of this result, even if now i’m focused on the race. Our race pace of the FP2 was good and this is positive. We start with different compounds from our rivals but I don’t believe that there’s this big difference between the Soft and the Medium in terms of degradation. The car gave me fantastic sensation and it’s amazing being on pole, I don’t know if it’s an advantage since there’s a long straight after the start. Tomorrow the start will be very important, as always but here maybe more. Anyway it’s the best place where you can start".

 

Once again Sebastian Vettel will start behind the Monegasque driver. Even with the mistake in Q1 that put the German driver in trouble, the qualify is not entirely disappointing. But Sebastian Vettel has another idea:

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"Obviously I’m not entirely happy, I couldn’t get the best out of the car. What happened in Q1 ruined my session, but from that moment we managed to put things right. For turn 1 the road is long. We have a different strategy in compliance of the Mercedes. We have the speed, so we will try to keep the pace. The start? Obviously we need to start well, that we will worry about the rest of the things. We certainly have a potential advantage by standing back, but if you’re behind, you’re always trying to tell you that. We will se tomorrow".

 

At the end of the qualify, Lewis Hamilton is back to talk about the increadible speed that the Maranello cars has in the straight:

 

"The session has been difficult. Our rivals are really increadible on the straight, they have something more than we do. They look like jets. I gave everything until the end. The team made a great work. We were able to push without giving up and I’m glad we could put it all together at the end. I didn’t expect to be in the first row, so it’s something special. Strategy? Yes, we knew that they have more power and we tried something different. On the last races we stayed behind till the end. We had the possibility to choose another strategy. The team did a great work to put us on this position. It’s a long way for the turn 1. It’s not the best thing to start with the Hard, but I will try to take the wake and pass Charles if it is possible. It will still be difficult. I will try to make a good start".

 

Also Max Verstappen, at the end of the practice, speaks about the amazing performance of the Ferrari, compared to the practices held on Friday:

 

"To be sincere yesterday went well, but it has been a bit strange because the Ferrari weren’t fast on the straight. Today they have made the most of the engine and once you gain a second in the straight is really a lot and it’s hard to compensate. Apart from that I think we have struggled a bit more on the last sector, today there was a bit of wind and we struggled more. I couldn’t make the most of the car’s potential, but we got between the two Mercedes and that was the best possible result for us. During the race it will be important to have a clean start and then we will try to recover few positions. Realistically the target is the fifth position or maybe more".

 

The Scuderia Ferrari doesn’t gained more than six pole position in a single season since the far 2008, while this year they have already seven of it. About this, the team principal, Mattia Binotto, says:

 

"As we saw yesterday we had a fast car, but we need to realise the potential. Charles made a good lap, he made few little mistakes but this shows that the potential was even greater. Seb, third, could be also better than second at the start. Obviously you would always want o be in the first row, but it’s okay also in this way. We have a better set-up between the anterior and the posterior so the car is easiest to drive. Having more load we slip less and the tires worn less. If we are looking to the comparison between the straight and the turns, we always lose less in the turns. Still we are losing something, on the third sector, we don’t do the best time as in the first and in the second,  but now the difference in the turns is little and this is the proof that the car grown up. This is a slippery track and it’s easy to make mistakes. We always need to push to the limit. The drivers are trying in every single turns to make the time. So we are putting them under pressure. I believe that they are feeling it from four races. We are ot anymore in Belgium, or in Monza or in Singapore, so i think that they understood. But the difference is little, we are not talking about a big difference. Not for nothing we are ot in first and in second position, but in first and in third position. We know that since here we’ll play it till the end with this little differences. On their strategy, we are expecting something different because we will start with different tires. We are sure about our choice, we will try to understand what it is behind them to be better prepared. The Soft will give us an advantage at the start with more grip and here in Russia the start is crucial. The first things for tomorrow is to focus on the start, till turn 3 to try to mantain or gain positions. It is not a matter of defining hierarchy: one is first, the other one is third. As a team, the better thing is not to lose positions from the rivals. Both shall help each other to keep others behind. Leave the first lap having maintained or even gained positions will be decisive for the rest of the race".

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But the man of the Scuderia Ferrari shall pay attention, because Lewis Hamilton will start from the second position, while Valtteri Bottas could take advantage of the wake of the cars that will be ahead him, starting from the fourth position and take advantage of the long straight:

 

"It has been difficult today. On the last sector, in turn 13, almost every lap, sometimes more sometimes less, I had a snap on the posterior and in both the lap of the Q3 I couldn’t get around the problem. I had this type of snap and the posterior was overheating. This for the sector 3, very difficult and I don’t understand why. The start? We thinked that if we were in the first row the Ferrari would overtake in turn 2 at the start. We will start with Medium tires, that could be a good things".

 

During the Q1 Alexander Albon made a mistake that it has cost him dearly. The Thailandese driver have to start from the pit-lane: 

 

"When you lose this cars there’s not so much tp do, they are very fast. I had the wind in the back that pushed me and I was surprised at this point. We will see for the race, we had a decent race pace during the FP3".

 

Taking advantage of the penalty that Max Verstappen has to serve, Carlos Sainz Jr. Will start the race from the fifth position. But, the Spanish driver is not sure he can do a good race: 

 

"After yesterday I knew it  would be a difficult day, but already on the FP3 the car was competitive and we made other progress to put together a good lap in the Q3, that I wanted so much after Singapore. We don’t know, because, unfortunately, yesterday was a difficult day. On the simulations of yesterday we were slow, so I don’t know how it goes tomorrow. Today we made much progress with the car and I don’t know if will keep us going better on the long run".

 

Lando Norris follows his team mate, placing himself in seventh position. The British driver exlains what are the strenghts of his team mate, towards him:

 

"Carlos was very good on the use of the breaks, that are not my strenght. Particularly, I started my lap slowly, then I improved. I feeled more at ease in the middle sector, with the middle-fast turns. If yesterday anyone had asked me if I was satisfied of my performance I would have said no, yesterday we were almost at the level of the Williams or near. But we’ve made improvements during the night and I think that we can look in tomorrow with more confidence. The most important thing is to overtake Hülkemberg".

 

Antonio Giovinazzi had different expectetions on his qualify. The Italian driver, in fact, will start from the twelve position:

 

"We didn’t make one more step respect of the FP3 and we have to understand why. Onestly we made the max, we could not do more, but starting tomorrow from the twelve position we have the freedom, to choose the strategy that could be an advantage. After the FP2 we were enough positive, but this morning we started to understand that was not so easy. At the end I managed to make a lap that was almost perfect, less than two tenths from the Q3, so I’m happy even if the delusion stay, because the expectations were much higher".

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And also Kimi Raikkonen can say the same. But with the difference that the Finnish driver couldn’t get into the Q2:

 

"I have no idea why the things it happened. Until now the weekend it has been enough complicated. We made important changes for the qualify and I felt like the things were going on the right way, but then I went wide in turn 10 so I lost that lap. That’s it".

 

The Haas confirms, instead, the technical progress, that with Romain Grosjean was able to gain the ninth position:

 

"It has been a good session of qualify, but difficult due to the strong wind. I’m happy to be back in Q3. The set-up it was very different in few turns, that required different front wing inclinations, but they knew that the hybrid-spec would suffer a lot from this variable wind. The race pace was encouraging, so I hope to play well our opportunities for tomorrow".

 

Better performances confirms also by the one of Kevin Magnussen in the qualify:

 

"The car was good, I only made a mistake in Q2. Nothing would have changed if I had used the hybrid-spec (version of the VF-19 halfway between the latest evolution and that of Melbourne, ed) that Grosjean had yesterday. It’s always an Haas. I have enough of all this differences to explain that confuse me too,, but this is not the main problem. Both the versions work well enough. Simply I made a mistake and this pisses me off".

 

Due to the penalty that he has, someone asked if Pierre Gasly did pre-tactical not failed to reach the Q3 purposely, to have the free choose of the tires for the race. But th French driver denies this theory:

 

"We have not avoided the access in Q3 for strategic play, I don’t believe that we have the pace to afford to make this type of match games. We only tried to gave everything that we had, we know that for us is not easy to enter into the top-ten on the qualify, when everyone get on with the engine. At the end of the lap of Q2 I was very happy because I made a good lap. At the end I am in eleventh place, tomorrow I will start from the sixth place and I will try to go up to the group and to score few points".

 

Sergio Perez is visibly disappointed at the free practice, that have seen him excluded from the Q3, even if the Racing Point seemed to have the potential to be between the first ten of the ranking:

 

"Today we were expecting something more, expecially regarding the close detachment. We wantd to be in Q3, but when in Q2 I arrived in turn 7 I hit the curb more violently than I should have and I lost some time. I was very near and it was a shame, but I’m very optimistic for tomorrow. We have a fast car and I think that we have a chance to score points".

 

As the Mexican is disappointed, also his team-mate, Lance Stroll, can’t be satisfied of how the things went on the qualify:

 

"The session started well: I have the set-up that I was looking for in the first sector, on the middle speed turns and everything seemed promising. Then, when I arrived in turn 7 with high speed, I lost the posterior, I went wide and I ruined the lap. It’s a shame because today I wanted more. But, with a good strategy I think that tomorrow we can battle for the points".

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Sunday, 29 September 2019, at the start of the Russian Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel takes the lead using the wake of the car of Charles Leclerc, overtaking bothe the Monegasque driver and Lewis Hamilton. In the back there’s a contact between Romain Grosjean and Antonio Giovinazzi, that force the race direction to send on track the safety car. Behind Kimi Räikkönen start before the lights go down but he stopped right after, but being overtaken by the other drivers: then the Finnish driver will be penalized with a drive throught. To the driver of the Alfa Romeo Racing are also removed two points from the Superlicence for the jumping start. At the restart the ranking see, behind the first three, Carlos Sainz Jr., Valtteri Bottas, Lando Norris and Sergio Pérez. In the following laps Charles Leclerc asks, by the radio to his team, that Sebastian Vettel give him the position, after he favored him by giving him his wake to overtake Lewis Hamilton. But the German driver makes several fast lap, always keeping a certain margin on his team-mate. At the seventh lap Valtteri Bottas overtakes Carlos Sainz Jr., going up at the fourth place. At the eighth lap Max Verstappen overtakes Sergio Pérez, gaining the eighth place. The Dutch continues it’s recovery also on the next lap, overtaking Lando Norris and then Carlos Sainz Jr.. At the lap 14 Nico Hülkemberg rises in eighth position after he overtakes Sergio Pérez. Three laps after the German drver of the Renault makes the pit stop, to fit the Medium tires, but due to the slowly of the pit-stop he drops in seventeenth place. Between the lap 20 and the lap 21 the two McLaren drivers stopped at the box, where they put the Medium tires. At the lap 23 it stops also Charles Leclerc, that goes to the use of the Medium tires: that is the choice also for Sergio Pérez, that it stops the next lap. On the same lap Alexander Albon, after a long battle, overtakes Pierre Gasly and he rises in eighth position. The other Scuderia Ferrari driver, Sebastian Vettel, stops to the box at the lap 27. During the next lap, after being back ahead of Charles Leclerc, the German is forced to retire for a power loss of his engine. The race direction decides to send on track a virtual safety car, since the car of Sebastian Vettel was in a danger position. 

 

The two Mercedes drivers are taking advantage of this situation, that enter in the pit to make a pit-stop. The two drivers go by from the Medium tires to the Soft tires, with Lewis Hamilton that rejoined the race in front off Charles Leclerc, that now it’s second, and ahead of Valtteri Bottas. Also Max Verstappen fit new Medium tires. The Dutch is now fourth, ahead of Carlos Sainz Jr., Kevin Magnussen and Lando Norris. At the restart George Russell ends up off track: that involves a new safety car. In this period Charles Leclerc decides to make a new pit-stop, moving to the use of the Soft tires. The Monegasque went back on track at the third place, behind Valtteri Bottas. At the restart Charles Leclerc puts pressure the Finnish driver, being able to reach less than a second, being able to use the DRS. The Ferrari driver try, for few laps, to put pressure on the Mercedes driver, but failing to overtake him. On the last laps pass from the tenth to the sxth place, between the lap 32 and the lap 42, while during the lap 44 Sergio Pérez overtakes Kevin Magnussen and gained the seventh place. During the lap 48 Alex Albon overtakes also Carlos Sainz Jr., and  moves to the fifth place. After the 53 laps planned, Lewis Hamilton wins the Russian Grand Prix and he gains his victory number 82 of the history of the World Championship, ahead of Valtteri Bottas and Charles Leclerc. For the British driver is the Grand Prix number 143 in which he was in the lead, atleast for a lap. In this way, the Mercedes driver set a new record. Also, Lewis Hamilton get an extra point for the fastest lap of the race. It's the sixth victory in a row for the Mercedes in Russia, a victory that brings back a smile on the face of Toto Wolff, by now in abstinence of a victory from the Hunghary. The British driver, now near to the victory of the sixth World Championship, earns the ninth season victory and the fourth in Russia, interrupting the positive moment of the Scuderia Ferrari. Max Verstappen ends in fourth place, ahead of Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz Jr., Sergio Pérez, Lando Norris, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkemberg. At the end of the race, Lewis Hamilton can not do anything but thanks his team:

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"It’s been the result of an increadible work of all the guys, because we never give up and we always push. This result makes me incredibly inspired, it’s an amazing achievement considering how fast the others were today. The car was fantastic, a big thank you to all, here and in factory. Honestly I don’t think much about the Championship. We are all working because it’s becoming more difficult race after race, we are trying to make a step at the time without fall. Today the heads of Stoccarda will be very happy. We were waiting this victory for so long and for me every success is always like the first one. I don’t feel like I’m lucky today. I don’t rely much on luck. You have to put yourself in the right position at the right time. Qualifying for second place was very important for today, as was keeping me close enough to Vettel in the first part of the race. I repeat, it’s all a matter of being in the right place and in the right moment. Sebastian, instead, was definitely unlucky. We could have competed in the end, he with the Medium and I with the Soft, but that is not what happened. The team worked hard as always during this weekend, thinking to improve the car. There’s no rapid solution, but today we were able to do all the things we had to do and we got more out of it than we did last weekend. We got closer to Ferrari’s performance and we were able to win the race today".

 

With this victory Lewis Hamilton takes his advantage, on the ranking of the Driver Championship, to 73 points respect to his team-mate, Valtteri Bottas, and 107 points regard to Charles Leclerc. Valtteri Bottas completes the double of the Mercedes team even with a race a bit anonymous, that saw him fight in the final phase to keep the second position:

 

"Obviously the start was important, and starting fourth and finishing second it’s not bad. For us it has been a good race, back to the victory with a double. The first stint it’s been difficult, but then at the end I managed to keep Charles behind, so it’s positive. We thinked to have a good pace today, we believe we could win. We have to rise the level in the qualify, while the race pace is good".

 

The Mercedes team principal, Totò Wolff, is back to smile. And answering to who say that his team is back to the victory exploiting favorable situations, the Austrian manager answers:

 

"Lucky? I don’t know, but a day someone says that it’s better be lucky than work much. In our sport the lucky goes against you one time and the other goes in your favor. Today we had the strategy to go long with the stint, to hope for a Safety Car and has arrived. For this we take this victory, it’s important. I’m always negative and yesterday we saw that the Ferrari had a car that was very fast. So on paper they have lost the victory and we gained one. We have to do few things. We need to find what we went wrong. The most important thing is to understand that".

 

In these days it was discussed the rivalry between Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc. And in the same way it was discussed of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, that in Sochi they could have fought to win the race. About this, the Mercedes team principal says:

 

"I have my problems, Binotto has his. We know the situation, the same is also with Valtteri, they are drivers that can win races and championship, as it happened with Nico. It’s normal in a team that is playing ahead to manage and to understand this situations. Better harmony in Mercedes than in Ferrari? No. It’s the same situation. We have to handle the rivalry between drivers. For that it’s the same thing in Ferrari as at us".

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For the Scuderia Ferrari the Russian Grand Prix has become, suddenly, a race to forget. Sebastian Vettel was forced to a retire at the lap 28 for a problem to the hybrid part of the engine, affecting his result and the one of Charles Leclerc. A situation created also because of the stall of the decisions of the engineers of the Maranello team, who once again have waited too long, before making the stop to the Monegasque driver. The Russian Grand Prix end to the series of victory of the Scuderia Ferrari started with the Belgian Grand Prix. In addition to the reliability problems, which were almost missed by the Maranello team in this half of the season, another problem arose after the Singapore Grand Prix: communication problems between the team and the drivers. During the first 28 laps the audience a has witnessed a continuous exchange of words between engineers and pilots, in which they alluded to an disrespected pact that led Charles Leclerc to complain several times. The Monegasque driver that started from the pole and, as established, helped Sebastian Vettel to overtake Lewis Hamilton, giving the wave and being overcome in turn without resisting. However, the German took advantage of the favorable situation by remaining in the lead, surprising Charles Leclerc who expected the return of the position. The only solution of the team is the one to use an ambiguous pit stop strategy to tidy up the places between the two drivers. Despite the misunderstanding, the situation seemed to have stabilized, if not that a lap after the pit-stop of the German driver, the car stopped. At the end of the race, the team principal of the Scuderia Ferrari, Mattia Binotto, try tries to bring order between the two drivers, still excited and bitter by the results. 

 

"The deal? I can only say that there was and I stuck to it".

 

Sebastian Vettel answers:

 

"The deal? I don’t want to talk about it but I respected it, it’s a shame because we could have ended with a first and a second place".

 

In the post-race Charles Leclerc says:

 

"Our pace was positive enough. Be back on the podium it’s positive, unfortunately for the team that the second car has not reached the finish line. For our part, the race was positive, the Mercedes is fast on the race pace, faster than in qualify. We have to improve in this. The team radio and the first laps? We have to talk with the team, but the strategy was the one to give the wake to Vettel and be first and second on the straight, that is what happened. Then I’ll have to speak better with the team to clear the situation. We worked very well. We had the pace to beat Valtteri, but when when I was near him everything was overheating. At this point the situation after the Safety Car was the best one that we could achieve".

 

And from what he have said so far, he adds:

 

"I expected that gap from Sebastian on the first part of the race. I made two laps pushing very near to him and then the tires overheating. So, after that i lost a lot of time. But I think that the team understood the situation and they let me pass ahead with the pit-stop. What happened it’s a shame, the engine problem of Seb allowed to the Mercedes to have fastest pit-stop than our with the Virtual Safety Car and from then on, it was hard for us. I want to understand why we didn’t made the change at the start, but there’s no problem with me. At the end they did it later, so everything it’s okay. On the strategy, I believe that we made the right choice, but we couldn’t know that there would be the Virtual Safety Car a few laps later. The performance of the car it was positive and this is always good. Shame only for the result, but according to me in this weekend we showed that the team is doing a great work and we need to be proud about this. Obviously today did not go in our direction, but sometimes it happens and we could not predict anything".

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While Sebastian Vettel try to ease the tension, saying:

 

"We wanted to be first and second but it was not so. I had a good start. At the beginning I was fast to open a big gap. Before the race with Leclerc we had a deal that was clear enough. Maybe I lost something, certainly we will talk about it. We are bitter".

 

The main problem is about the communication gap inside of the team, and Mattia Binotto takes responsibility for what happened:

 

"Before the race we said that to win we need to be perfect and we were not so, on more than one front. Today we left it there so bitterness is so much and there is sorrow. We must however be encouraged by this weekend to car performance. We need to look forward and there will be other races in which to make up for. To win you have to be reliable, it is the starting point. We have not been this year and not even today. Today Vettel had a problem with the power unit, the hybrid part. We asked to the driver to stop the car as soon as possible for safety reasons. To think about the safety, you have to stop it there. Then of course we were 100 meters from the pit lane, are all considerations that one can do but safety always comes first".

 

A big protagonist of this Russian Grand Prix it was Alex Albon. The Thailandese driver shown, once again, that deserved the promotion from the Toro Rosso to the Red Bull Racing obtained since the Belgian Grand Prix. Albon is the author of a comeback that saw him climb up till the fifth position without making any mistakes:

 

"We were a bit unlucky  with the Safety Car, but the fifth place is a great result. I wanted to make up for it after yesterday’s disappointment and we managed brilliantly. I had my spirits under my heels after the crash of yesterday, but with the team we never give up, so this result is for them. The pace was good and this allowed me to make a lot of overtakes, but obviously I don’t want this also for the next races. I hope for a more linear weekend in Japan. Overtaking is not so easy. I had to battle with Pierre and Daniil and it wasn’t easy, because when you are stuck in the traffic you lost greatly the downforce. I need to work again on few things on myself: for example, I want to be more consistent from the start of the weekend. It won’t be easy, since the next track will be new for me, except for Abu Dhabi".

 

As his team-mate, also Max Verstappen was the author of an exceptional comeback in the race:

 

"I think that the fourth position is the best result for us today, with a bit of lucky for the retire of Vettel at the half of the race. I’m satisfied of the points I took home, in view of the penalty and of the rhythm of Ferrari and Mercedes. There wasn’t much to do for me once I got rid of the traffic of the mid-table cars, in fact from there I did a nice piece of a solitary race until the Safety Car recomposed us with the first ones. Today we were slower of the first three, but on the last laps it has been difficult to keep their pace with the Medium tires while they had the Soft tires. Without any doubt we maximised the result, but we know that our target are the podiums and the victory, so we have other work to do because the others are very strong. I can’t wait to go in Suzuka to give the max on the home race of the Honda".

 

The last overtake made by the Dutch driver of the Red Bull Racing, that assured him the fifth position, it was the one carried out against Carlos Sainz Jr., who nevertheless stood out in the race for the duels in which he found himself co-star.

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"I’m happy, It was a useful race to recover after a few unfortunate episodes. At the start I tried to attack Hamilton, but there was nothing to do. Later, I knew I had to defend myself. In the end my concern wasn’t Albon, but Perez. While Alex approached, I was only thinking about not losing time to to allow Perez to step up. Overall, it has been a great race. Battle with Ferrari and a Mercedes is about pride. We will try to keep us on this pace in Japan to secure the fourth place between the Constructors".

 

Maybe was less spectacular, but also his team-mare, Lando Norris, it has been the author of a good race, ended in eight position:

 

"My first stint it was good, with a decent pace, but then with the VSC after the pit stop shook things up. The cars that came out of the box during the Virtual Safety Car were slowly, preventing me from pushing as much as I would have liked, and so I was vulnerable to cars behind with cooler tires. But overall it was a good weekend with more points for the team, a good prize for their hard work".

 

Nico Hülkemberg ended the Russian Grand Prix in tenth place. Then, the German driver admits that today you could get a better result:

 

"The car deserved a better position of the tenth. Today all that could go wrong it seemed to go wrong: a bad start, a slow pit-stop and an unlucky timing with the Virtual Safety Car. It’s a shame because there was the potential for a better result. So go away with a points is a bit frustrating. The center of the grid is full and the things will remain in this way for the rest of the season. We need to achieve the max on the next races".

 

It was unlucky also Daniel Ricciardo, was involved in a accident that then forced him to the retire during the lap 24:

 

"Unfortunately, our race it was basically ended from the start. I had to much damage on the car to continue, that is a shame. Everything was a bit chaotic in turn 2, I had the inside for the 4 and I thinked that I was safe. I was hit, having a puncture and a damage on the floor. I will look at it from the perspective that if I try to qualify higher on the grid I will be less likely to get involved in negative episodes. I will take responsibility for this, but as far as the accident, I was a passenger".

 

Despite the end of the qualify, Kevin Magnussen was not excited about his start position, the Danish driver was the author of a regular race, which allowed him to enter in the top-ten and to gain two points:

 

"I think that it has been a positive weekend in terms of race pace, also in Saturday we were fast and for my fault in the Q2 so we didn’t get into the Q3. The car was perfect. During the race we had a good rhythm, I made a good start gaining few positions, I had a great first stint followed by a second stint that was enough. I lost few positions at the end and I get a stupid penalty, stupid because on the episode I lost a position on Pérez, beyond that I didn’t gained any time and earn dirt on the tires. I think that, in any case, I think I can speak for all the team when I’m saying that it’s a great relief to be back to the battle since the start of the weekend. All the team made a great work so we can be proud".

 

Romain Grosjean can’t say the same, because the French driver is, once again, the author of an accident that did not allow him to end the race:

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"There’s nothing more to say, the TV pictures speak for themselves. We worked hard all the week and we had a competitive car, with which hunt the points. There was a notable pressure on us because we had the car to arrive in Q3, didn’t happen often during the season. Obviously our race was ruined in turn 4, I didn’t have the opportunity and the time to react. I can say that it’s a disappointing afternoon, and it’s hard to tolerate because I was sure to be able to battle for the points. Be thrown out at the first lap it’s always bad".

 

The Haas team principal, Guenther Steiner, adds:

 

"Unfortunately Romain was involved in a accident at the first lap that ended his race, but obviously there was no penalty, because it’s okay (ironic, ndr). At the end Kevin lost a position and they gave him a penalty completely right.so we lost two points for the nine place, that it’s better than nothing. Kevin battled very hard at the end and all the team worked a lot to be back to gain points".

 

While Antonio Giovinazzi, talking about the contact with Romain Grosjean and Daniel Ricciardo, says:

 

"Obviously it wasn’t the race that I was hoping to do. I was stuck between Ricciardo and Grosjean at the first lap: I didn’t know if Daniel known that I had Romain on the outside, but at the end we were in the middle. I tried to get me out of that situation to avoid the contact, but it wasn’t enough and we touched. We need to control if there were any damages on the car. It was a good shot and then the car didn’t act like before".

 

Also for his team-mate, Kimi Raikkonen, the day has been negative. The Finnish driver ended the Russian Grand Prix in thirteenth place:

 

"It was a very difficult race till the start. I anticipated the lights and we we immediately realized that a penalty would come. We made our best and we closed the gap with the other cars thanks to the Safety Car, but at the end we couldn’t get past the thirteenth position. The last four races were very difficult for us, we need to understand what happened and try to improve. It seemed that we were strong in Spa, so the potential is here: we need to be back at that level".

 

Even if during the weekend the Racing Point did not prove to be very competitive, Sergio Perez maneged to end the race in seventh position:

 

"For us it has been a great race. I’m happy that we maximized the result. Also I think that this is one of our best race, of the one that I remember. We had a great start and optimal tyre management between the different stint, knowing when to battle and when to manage the car; this is the big difference. We were lucky with the Safety Car, but we recovered exploiting every single and minimal opportunity. From the summer break we are back in shape and we are winning many important points; in Sochi we worked hard and we gave the max that we could, that was the best possible result".

 

While for Lance Stroll it was difficult to to extract all the potential of the car during the race:

 

"For me it has been a difficult race and running off the points is a shame. I spent a lot of time on the traffic and I wasn’t happy about the set-up of the car. I had difficulties to keep the tires under control and the posterior tires slipped a lot. This costs me a lot of time on the restarts, so Hülkemberg overtook me. Despite this, I have to say that the car, during the weekend, was more competitive, we take this positive considerations and we keep battle until the end of the season".

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The team principal of the Racing Points, Otmar Szafnauer, is satisfied of the work made by his driver and of the six points gained, in particular, by Sergio Perez:

 

"Today we raced very well, making the most of the racing circumstances and differentiating strategies on our cars. At the start Sergio and Lance made very fast laps, but the Safety Car at half of the race closed the gap and permitted to few rivals to put new tires, as Hülkemberg. The time of the exit of the Safety Car doesn’t helped us, in a special way looking to the race of Lance. We shown a great rhythm on the last twenty laps, with Sergio that overtook Magnussen and Lance that was aggressive on Hülkemberg and Norris. For us it’s a shame that we didn’t gained points with both of the cars, but looking to the story of the race, we give the welcome to this great six points, important for our championship".

 

For Daniil Kvyat the Russian weekend, that it was more an ordeal than a pleasure, it closes with a twelfth final position:

 

"I made a great race. It was challenging for all the team to start from the back of the grid and to the end the race so near to the points zone. I made a great start and funny battles: I battled until the last lap, so I’m happy with my race. So it can be considered a good Sunday, considering the problems of the days before. Unfortunately I didn’t get any points, the team would have deserved them".

 

The Russian driver has the satisfaction to finished the race ahead of his team-mate, Pierre Gasly, that failed to get the best out of his car in the race:

 

"It has been a quite challenging day for us, I hadn’t the rhythm to try to get points. I tried to gave the max, but there was nothing more to do. I find myself battle also with Daniil: we battled for the twelve position, that always gives you the opportunity to try to get into the points if something happens in front of you. I tried to do what I could, but we weren’t enough fast today: it has been a difficult day. Considering we’ve done worse than what we’ve done at the start of the weekend, we need to analyze what happened and to focus to have a better rhythm in Suzuka".

 

So it ended the sixteenth race of the World Championship of Formula, with the return to the victory of Lewis Hamilton and the communication problems inside of the Scuderia Ferrari, that robbed the team of Maranello of a possible victory. Another technical problem for the Italian cars, after three races where there were no technical problems. The World Championship stops in Japan, for the seventeenth race of the season 2021. In Suzuka the Mercedes can win well in advance of the Constructors' World Championship, since to win the sixth consecutive title the Anglo-German team has to conquer only 14 more points than the Maranello team, As for the Drivers' World Championship, Lewis Hamilton will still have to wait for some Grand Prix before he can put the seal on his sixth title. However, in Japan the challenge could definitely involve only the two Mercedes drivers. If Lewis Hamilton did not lose more than 4 points to Charles Leclerc, 7 to Max Verstappen and 24 to Sebastian Vettel, then the only driver who could worry him about the title would be his teammate, Valtteri Bottas.


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