Russia – The Prospects for the Race
New battle expected at the front of the race for this Russian Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc, once again impressive in qualifying, will have the opportunity to confirm his great form at the moment. A review of race prospects.
Leclerc’s Revenge and Team Play.
Once again delivering a superb performance in qualifying, Charles Leclerc continues to impress. Armed with a formidable and surprising SF90, the Monegasque will once again start from pole position. Leading on a straight line, the starting line should allow the Ferrari to maintain its lead from the first corner.
This will be crucial for the battle for the podium between the two Mercedes and Vettel’s Ferrari. Sandwiched between the two Silver Arrows, the German will be able to use the full power of his engine block to try to catch up with his young teammate right from the start of the Grand Prix.
Once again trailing, Valtteri Bottas is clearly not the favorite to repeat his performance from last year. His English teammate seems to be the only one capable of breaking the Italian team’s winning streak.
Normal race conditions, probable safety car.
Initially forecasted, the rain will ultimately not be part of this Russian Grand Prix. The sun will heat the Russian asphalt, and the temperature should be around 20°C.
With 15 safety car appearances over the past 4 editions, the probability of its intervention here is 80%.
The McLaren-Renault battle
With a valuable 4th place in the constructors’ championship at stake, the stakes are high for both manufacturers. Confirmed as the favorites “of the others,” the McLaren and Renault drivers will have to secure as many points as possible to take advantage of Honda’s penalties. Opportunities will need to be seized to garner maximum rewards in the standings.
Pride surge for Romain Grosjean
A surprising 8th at the start, the Franco-Swiss startled the field with his fickle Haas. Regularly struggling with race pace, Romain Grosjean will have to manage his strategy well and be opportunistic to earn valuable points for the American team.
Honda drivers on their way back to the top
Penalized, the different Honda drivers will start far behind the front runners, with Albon starting from the pit lane. The task seems possible for Max Verstappen, 9th, but difficult for his teammate.
The announced strategies
Pirelli announces two possible one-stop strategies, depending on the tires used. 53 laps will be completed on the Russian circuit, whose asphalt is slightly abrasive. The two Mercedes will be equipped with medium tires at the start, while their Italian rivals will be equipped with soft tires, as will the rest of the top 10 at the start. This allows the following forecasts to emerge:
– Départ en soft puis choix des gommes hard: un seul arrêt prévu pour ce choix pneumatique avec une entrée aux stands attendue entre le 14è et 22è tour.
– Départ en médium puis choix des gommes hard: l’arrêt est dans ce cas attendu entre le 16è et 24è tour de course.
