2019 Formula One Russian Grand Prix

[Paul Jeffrey]

Welcome to the central discussion thread for the 2019 Formula One Russian Grand Prix from Sochi.

Russia plays host to the 16th round of the 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship, and with Ferrari on a run of three consecutive Grand Prix victories, the last of which was scored by four time World Champion Sebastian Vettel, the action on track continues to hot up as the season heads into it's final stages.

Despite the recent Ferrari resurgence, both driver and constructor championships appear all but over this year, leaving the final few races as a personal challenge for the drivers to state their authority heading into the new season.

Can Bottas lay to rest the ghost of 2018 in Russia? Will Hamilton be able to get back onto the top step of the podium? Have Ferrari got what it takes to continue their recent performance trend? We should find out this weekend!

Like what we do at RaceDepartment? Follow us on Social Media!

 

 

[Filip Carlén]

Sochi is a hard track to say what car is going to be the fastest. Long straights, fast long corners and short, slow corners all in a mix. But no doubt that Mercedes has been fast here since 2014, when they started, but Ferrari has been bad in Singapore for the most as well, and they had both pole and a 1-2 so... A I said, hard to say. I think Ferrari might be on to something. With Vettel having some self-belief as well as Leclerc wanting to win after he got "tricked" in Singapore, I think they'll have a good chance.

 

[Paul Glover]

 

[oldswinner]

View attachment 326323
Welcome to the central discussion thread for the 2019 Formula One Russian Grand Prix from Sochi.

Russia plays host to the 16th round of the 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship, and with Ferrari on a run of three consecutive Grand Prix victories, the last of which was scored by four time World Champion Sebastian Vettel, the action on track continues to hot up as the season heads into it's final stages.

Despite the recent Ferrari resurgence, both driver and constructor championships appear all but over this year, leaving the final few races as a personal challenge for the drivers to state their authority heading into the new season.

Can Bottas lay to rest the ghost of 2018 in Russia? Will Hamilton be able to get back onto the top step of the podium? Have Ferrari got what it takes to continue their recent performance trend? We should find out this weekend!

Like what we do at RaceDepartment? Follow us on Social Media!

 

 

[oldswinner]

Does F1 really need this GP? Or is it just a time filler that prevents a good track from being included?

 

[Nick Hill]

My spidey sense says this one has Lewis's name all over it.

Lewis will be in near tears thanking the team on the radio, Wolff will be reacting like he just put a man on the moon, commentators will be acting like Lewis just overcame some enormous obstacle. Meanwhile, 80% of us will be disinterestedly clicking off the tube as soon as we're sure there were no mid field last lap hijinx to be aware of.

 

[NDG]

Don't wanna jinx it but... Right after the summer break, Ferrari is rumored to have found some certain marigold that creates wins. We'll see if it's powerful enough to end the Mercedes monopoly on this track.

 

[John Hill]

I have mixed feelings about this, but I will probably watch. I hate the fact that the F! circus is going there and looks the other way in regards to the dictator and murderer, Vlad Putin. F1 went to South Africa when the whole world was boycotting that country. The Olympics went to Berlin in 1936, despite Hitler being in power and using the Olympics as a propaganda tool. Thankfully Jesse Owens made Hitler's "Superior Race" claims look idiotic. It's beyond politics, it's propping up a dictator who is killing people and getting involved to subjugate our elections.

 

[Koen Verlinde]

One of the most artificial tracks on the calendar that often create boring races. We'll see what happens I guess.

 

[BrainsBush]

The four Honda powered cars get a 5-place grid penalty. And Kvyat has to start from the back of the grid because his car is almost completely new besides the battery.

And still voted for Max to win this race...yep too opportunistic?!

 

[Richard Wilks]

I have mixed feelings about this, but I will probably watch. I hate the fact that the F! circus is going there and looks the other way in regards to the dictator and murderer, Vlad Putin. F1 went to South Africa when the whole world was boycotting that country. The Olympics went to Berlin in 1936, despite Hitler being in power and using the Olympics as a propaganda tool. Thankfully Jesse Owens made Hitler's "Superior Race" claims look idiotic. It's beyond politics, it's propping up a dictator who is killing people and getting involved to subjugate our elections.

Please RD, i know the foruns here are very free, and we apreciate this. but politics are something that i wish are not brought up here. It just gives me a sour taste in my mouth, simracing and racing are our hobbies and passions, we don't need to have divisive statements regarding politics involved.

Nothing personal against the poster, just a general comment.

 

[Thang Nguyen]

Highlight from last year's race:
Valtteri, it's James

 

[Ho3n3r]

Highlight from last year's race:
Valtteri, it's James

2019 Edition

 

[Filip Carlén]

Does F1 really need this GP? Or is it just a time filler that prevents a good track from being included?

It's expected to be changed for 2021, but no word on what will replace it. https://www.racefans.net/2019/09/26/russian-grand-prix-expected-to-leave-sochi-after-2020/

 

[paracletus]

Don't care about politics, just don't rate the track at all.
Predicting a Daniel Kivyat victory today.

 

[Deleted member 561801]

I hope once again that Sebastian Vettel will win another victory. And for Kimi i also hope he'll have a great race...

 

[NDG]

Voted for Bottas just because of 2018 team order. But another Ferrari win after the summer break will not ruin my watching, Charles or Vettel taking it home yeah

 

[Nick Hill]

Interesting, Merc not running well. My pissy doom & gloom about Hamilton running away in a snooze fest may have been hasty.

You know what the quandary is now though, right? We have all been wanting to fast forward to 2021 for the new regs, but every indication from the second half of this season has been that we have a relatively open (bearing in mind this is still F1 - haves/have nots) championship on our hands.

 

[aphidgod]

I think the championship is a foregone conclusion for 2019, but there's a reasonable chance we'll get an interesting 2020 before the regs change. Of course we all thought that about 2019 after Ferrari had the better car in 2018, but being Ferrari they decided to sh-- the bed for the first half of the season.

Here's hoping for better next year. It'll at least be entertaining to see the Germans squirm a bit for the next few races.

 

[NDG]

Mind you guys Merc is yet to have a DNF this season. I'm not hoping for it, but it's gonna be very interesting if that happens. 6 more races! when merc pulled off that 8 straight wins, it's amost unimaginable. But another team doing that is not entirely impossible. Just saying. It's gonna be a long wait, but the championship is still alive, only it is currently in the E.R. Ferrari trying it's best to revive it.