F1 | Russian Grand Prix 2019: preview and weekend times

Opening hours

Friday September 27st
Free practice 1: 10.00pm-11pm
Free practice 2: 14.00pm-15pm

Saturday 28rd September
Free practice 3: 11pm-00pm
Qualifying: 14pm-00pm (delayed on TV15 from 00pm)

Sunday September 29th
Grand Prix: 13pm (delayed on TV10 from 8pm)

We remind you that you can also follow the Sochi weekend on our F1GrandPrix portal, with live and real-time updates.

Previous race

After two years (Hungary 2017, ed.) Ferrari achieved the double. Sebastian Vettel climbed to the top step, Ferrari's strategy was excellent but Charles Leclerc, second and rather controversial during the race, did not like it. Max Verstappen's Red Bull concluded the podium and managed to get the better of Lewis Hamilton in fourth.
Completing the top 10: Bottas, Albon, Norris, Gasly, Hulkenberg and Giovinazzi.

Mercedes therefore off the podium, but Ferrari's strategy was truly successful! Excellent performance for Antonio Giovinazzi who was the leader of the race for a moment but his race was conditioned by a wrong strategy by Alfa Romeo in calling him to the pit stop too late.

It was a long race, with 3 safety cars on the track but there was no shortage of excitement!

Circuit

Name: Sochi Autodrom

Place: Sochi, Russia

Construction: the agreement to host the Grand Prix in Sochi was signed in 2010, between the group of Formula 1 companies and the promoters of the GP, OJSC Center Omega, in the presence of Putin, who provided considerable support for the construction of the circuit and the Olympic town that hosted the winter games in 2014. The track was designed, like many others, by architect Hermann Tilke. It has a capacity of around 55.000 seats and alternates fast sections with more technical ones. However, it is a semi-city route, which includes approximately two km of roads normally open to traffic.

Distance per lap: 5,848 km

Number of curves: 18, twelve on the right, six on the left

Direction of travel: clockwise

Technical data:

Downforce:	Low	Medium	High
Throttle opening: 56% of the lap
Fuel consumption per lap: 1,89 kg/rev
Full speed: 330 km/h
Possibility of safety car: 50%
Travel time in the pit lane with stop: 29 seconds
Overtaking possibilities:	Easy-to-use	Medium	Difficult
Winners from pole position: 2, out of 4 editions raced on this track
Worst starting position for a winner: third (Bottas 2017)

Special features of the route: this circuit imposes high stress on the engine, as full throttle is required for approximately 60% of the lap. Additionally, Curve 2 subjects the thruster fluids to a lateral acceleration of more than 3g for more than six seconds. A high aerodynamic load is required to allow the cars to remain glued to the asphalt in the numerous curves at medium/high speeds. On this track there are 62 gear changes per lap, approximately 3.286 in the entire GP. The hourly average is around 212 km/h.

Brakes:

Circuit Category:	Light	Medium	Hard
Number of braking sessions: 12
Time spent braking: 19% of the lap
Energy dissipated during braking during the GP: 134 kWh
Total load on the brake pedal during the GP: 71.020 kg
More demanding braking: the first braking at turn 2

DRS zone: on the main straight, between turn 1 and turn 2 (with detection point before turn 1) and on the straight between turn 10 and turn 13 (with detection point just before turn 10)

Rubber:

These are the sets of Pirelli tires chosen for the Sochi Grand Prix

What have teams ordered off the # F1Sochi the menu?#RussianGP ???????? # Fit4F1 https://t.co/zaZjkqFg67 pic.twitter.com/9ZErX78Swc

- Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) September 17, 2019

Different strategy for the Mercedes drivers with Lewis Hamilton who will only have one set of hard tires and one more set of medium tires available compared to his teammate, Valtteri Bottas who will have two sets of hard tires and one less set of medium tires available. The choices for the Ferrari drivers are the same as for the Red Bull drivers.

RECORD

Test lap: 1:31.387 – V Bottas – Mercedes – 2018
Race lap: 1:35.861 – V Bottas – Mercedes – 2018
Distance: 1h28:08.743 – V Bottas – Mercedes – 2017
Driver victories: 2 – L Hamilton
Team victories: 4 – Mercedes
Driver pole: 2 – N Rosberg
Pole team 3 – Mercedes
Best driver laps: 1 – V Bottas, S Vettel, N Rosberg, K Räikkönen
Best team laps: 2 – Ferrari
Driver podiums: 3 – L Hamilton
Team podiums: 6 – Mercedes

Hall of Fame

1. 2014 L Hamilton – Mercedes
2. 2015 L Hamilton – Mercedes
3. 2016 N Rosberg – Mercedes
4. 2017 V Bottas – Mercedes
5. 2018 L Hamilton – Mercedes