Russian Grand Prix: Presentation and predictions from the editorial team

Olympic circuit, without the medal of the show…

We will have to cover, on Sunday, 5,872 kilometers 53 times, which is 309 kilometers of race.

Lewis Hamilton holds the track record, with a time of 1’31”304, set during his pole position in 2020.

Alas, this layout constructed in the middle of the 2014 Olympic Park is not conducive to crazy races, at least not to lively races. The immense -almost- straight starting line nevertheless allows for beautiful aspirations, while the large left curve that follows it has been the scene of beautiful maneuvers: Charles Leclerc overtaking Kevin Magnussen on the outside in 2018, for example.

For the rest, not much else to sink our teeth into, apart from chaotic departures and sometimes spectacular clashes.

Russia joined the F1 calendar in 2014. Only Mercedes has triumphed there. Ferrari, by holding the top positions in 2017 and 2019, had good chances to succeed.

This is where Valtteri Bottas won his first victory in 2017…but also his last, last year! Perhaps he will find himself back in the lead on a track he likes.

Rain and big question marks

The non-race in Belgium made a lasting impression, sparking new debates, notably on the ability of F1 cars to race in heavy rain.

On the other hand, Sochi seems to have a very bad surprise in store, as the track and paddock have been flooded!

However, we can remain optimistic, as the services of the circuit are hard at work to ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible.

This would then be the first Russian Grand Prix to take place in the rain. Beware of mistakes and outsiders ready to take advantage of any mishaps among the leaders! All the more reason since Max Verstappen, penalized three places after the crash in Monza, will not be able to start higher than 4th place… it’s up to him to play to keep the lead of the championship!

The editorial predictions

Romain (Beaussier) sees in his crystal ball a flawless performance by Lewis Hamilton, with pole position and the win. This scenario would allow him to take back the championship lead, whatever happens to Verstappen.

Our Sétois, Guillaume, predicts a pole position for Bottas, but a victory for Hamilton. If this scenario unfolds, we can directly think of team orders!

Morgan, for his part, is betting on an untouchable Bottas, both in qualifying and in the race.

Finally, Romain (Mathon) tackles a big hill: a qualification won by Hamilton… but he sees Lando Norris emerge for a first victory in Formula 1!

I personally bet on a technical failure on the two cars competing for the title. Taking the rain into account, we could see Sergio Pérez particularly in shape in qualifications, while the victory will be decided between him and Charles Leclerc, who also likes this track.

Let’s not think about a home performance from Nikita Mazepin, that would be too crazy… or would it?