F1 Russian GP 2020 Pre-race Talking Points

Lewis Hamilton scoring pole position was not exactly unexpected given the dominance of the Mercedes team in this year’s F1 season. However, seeing Max Verstappen plant his Red Bull Racing-Honda in second place raises hopes for an exciting start to the Russian Grand Prix. 

History beckons

Lewis Hamilton’s career win tally in F1 currently stands at 90. If he wins tomorrow’s Russian GP, he would have tied Michael Schumacher’s record of most wins in F1. Of course, the year in which Schumacher reached that mark, him and Ferrari were locked in a close battle with Fernando Alonso and Renault. F1 is far different now than it was in 2006 and the gap between Mercedes and the rest that was established in 2014 has essentially remained the same. It is one of the main reasons why F1 is getting such a huge shake up in 2021 and 2022 with regards to its regulations. 

Verstappen charge

Late session brilliance by Max Verstappen placed the Dutchman on the front row alongside Hamilton’s Mercedes on the starting grid for Sunday’s race. The Sochi Autodrom’s start-finish line is a long way from the opening corner and Verstappen could get a chance to steal the lead from the Briton. Another factor to consider is that Verstappen will start the race on more durable tyres than Hamilton. The second segment of qualifying was disrupted by Sebastian Vettel crashing that caused the session to be stopped. With Hamilton on the verge of getting eliminated, he was forced to use softer tyres to set a time. The rules state that the tyre compound on which drivers set their best times in Q2 is the compound they have to start the race on. So Verstappen, along with Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas both start on medium compound tyres while Hamilton will be on softs. The drivers with harder tyres can potentially go further into the race before having to stop for a new set of tyres. 

Perez makes a statement

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Potentially left without a seat for 2021, Sergio Perez made a statement by qualifying fourth for the Russian GP, while his Racing Point-BWT Mercedes teammate Lance Stroll was just 13th. Stroll is being retained by the team while Sebastian Vettel will be taking Perez’s seat as Racing Point morphs into Aston Martin next season. The reliable Mexican was forced to miss two rounds this year due to testing positive for COIVD-19 and trails Stroll in the standings. His qualifying performance was a reminder to his bosses that they are letting go of a valuable asset while retaining the driver who happens to be the son of the team’s owner. 

Rapid Ricciardo

The battle to be the ‘best of the rest’ behind Mercedes and Red Bull Racing-Honda continues as Renault continues to consistently show good pace on all kinds of circuits. At the fast and flowing Mugello Circuit, Daniel Ricciardo was fourth and almost scored a podium finish. The two Renaults were fourth and fifth at Spa and sixth and eighth in Monza. Ricciardo, who leaves the team at the end of the season, has led the charge for the French manufacturer who will become Alpine (a Renault subsidiary)  from 2021. Fernando Alonso will lead Alpine from next year but their here and now is the rapid Aussie who qualified fifth for the Russian GP. Teammate Esteban Ocon was seventh and a strong points finish will bring them closer to McLaren-Renault and Racing Point that are currently third and fourth in the standings.