Just a few days after the Singapore Grand Prix, F1 drivers will now head west for the 16th round of the 2019 Formula One World Championship, which is known as the Russian Grand Prix.
Compared to the narrow and twisty nature of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, the Sochi Autodrom is defined by two long straights, a couple of 90-degree medium-speed corners, and a horseshoe-shaped turn built for high-speed.
Mercedes have been the team to beat in this circuit especially with teammates Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, and Nico Rosberg taking turns in winning the title.
But it won’t come easy this time as Ferrari is on a roll with their drivers winning in the Belgian, Italian, and the recently-concluded Singapore Grand Prix.
Can their resurgence be enough to topple Mercedes? SBOBET is here to give you a quick preview on what’s ahead on Sunday.
Talking points
Sebastian Vettel on a high
The month of September has been good to the Prancing Horse as they bagged home three consecutive awards in Spa, Monza, and in the Marina Bay. Charles Leclerc emerged victorious at Spa and Monza while Vettel was the winner in Singapore.
That has to feel good especially for Vettel, especially after experiencing one mishap after another for the past few races. The German driver had low expectations coming into Singapore and was in danger to be banned for one-race ban after compiling nine points.
The four-time World champion did a masterful job in Singapore. He took advantage when Ferrari decided to bring him in into the pits earlier, and he left his teammate Leclerc suddenly trailing.
The said strategy irked Leclerc as he lambasted his team over at the radio. But at the end of the day, the Monegasaque driver settled down and was happy for his teammate Vettel instead.
It also did help that Vettel has been getting support through the messages and handwritten letters that he received over these past few days, and perhaps that helped him to be in a better place mentally.
“When you read the notes that people are struggling in life, and some were very intimate about it, it gets to you. So it gave me a lot of belief and confidence to keep on trying,” bared Vettel.
Red Bull and Toro Rosso slapped with grid penalties
All four drivers from Red Bull and Toro Rosso will be meted grid penalties at the Russian Grand Prix.
This development was confirmed when engine partner Honda announced that it will introduce new specifications for their engines this weekend ensuring their competitiveness in the next Japanese Grand Prix.
Honda-powered drivers have already exceeded their maximum allocation of power unit parts, putting the likes of Verstappen, albon, and Gasly at the further back.
However, the one that was affected the most will be Daniil Kvyat, who is having more power unit parts replaced. He will come in with a new internal combustion engine, turbocharger, MGU-H, MGU-K, and some new control electronics.
Verstappen seems unfazed though, as he remains optimistic about his chances going up against Mercedes and Ferrari.
“You might lose a little bit of time to the guys ahead but realistically speaking, I think you would anyway qualify in fourth or fifth, so it’s not going to change a lot,” said Verstappen.
Mercedes as the underdogs?
The elephant in the room is that Mercedes will be the heavy favourites coming into Sochi, but Lewis Hamilton insists that they are the underdogs.
Since its inaugural event back in 2014, Mercedes have shared all of the trophies between Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, and Valtteri Bottas.
The British driver isn’t buying into any hype, as he believes that the Ferrari boys will hold the aces not only for Sunday, but for the remainder of the season as well.
“We will not be favourites at any of the next six races. We know how fast Ferrari have been on the straights, so there isn’t a short-term fix, but there are other areas we can do better in,” remarked Hamilton.
It will be interesting on how Hamilton will respond to this one, especially since his last win was back in August at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Nonetheless, he is still the outright leader in the standings with 296 points.
Should Mercedes fail to take the chequered flag on Sunday, it will be the first time since the beginning of the hybrid era in 2014 where they have gone four rounds straight without a victory.
History
The Russian Grand Prix actually dates back to 1913 where Benz’s Georgy Suvorin won the title. However, it only lasted until the year after that with Willy Scholl bringing home the trophy at the time.
More than a century later, the said event has still been dominated by Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton has won it three times (2014, 2015, 2018), while Nico Rosberg (2016) and Valtteri Bottas (2017) won one apiece.
What are the odds?
Given their dominance in recent years, betting on Mercedes might be a safe bet. However, it’s expected that Ferrari will do whatever it takes to stop them especially with their resurgence lately.
Looking as the Russian Grand Prix 2019 odds in the Asian Handicap market, Ferrari are placed at 1.80 odds to win in their head-to-head against Mercedes who are pegged at 2.02, which indicates a close fight ahead.
Barring any unfortunate incidents, I expect a better performance and some Russian Grand Prix 2019 highlights from Lewis Hamilton. However, it won’t come as easy as before this time with challengers like Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel lurking on the wings.
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