2017 Russian Grand Prix - Sochi Autodrom, April 28-30

[Juzh]

"Ok Lewis/Valterri, fuel is critical"

I get the feeling btw that Ferrari has less of a fuel consumption 'issue' compared to Mercedes, but i can be completely mistaken.

I remember Ferrari telling Vettel that fuel wasn't a problem after the first few laps on Australian GP (I think, could as well be Bahrain). So they are monitoring it as well.

Edit: It was not exactly mentioned as fuel, but you can push is what the team mentioned to Vettel.


18 To Sebastian Vettel
Have you set to mode to push? Move it, and then back to push, please. OK now it’s fine. Bottas one second behind.
18 To Sebastian Vettel
We don’t need those back-offs, you can push.

SC saved the day in Bahrain.

[evered7]

"Ok Lewis/Valterri, fuel is critical"

I get the feeling btw that Ferrari has less of a fuel consumption 'issue' compared to Mercedes, but i can be completely mistaken.

I remember Ferrari telling Vettel that fuel wasn't a problem after the first few laps on Australian GP (I think, could as well be Bahrain). So they are monitoring it as well.

Edit: It was not exactly mentioned as fuel, but you can push is what the team mentioned to Vettel.


18 To Sebastian Vettel
Have you set to mode to push? Move it, and then back to push, please. OK now it’s fine. Bottas one second behind.
18 To Sebastian Vettel
We don’t need those back-offs, you can push.

SC saved the day in Bahrain.

For the Mercs maybe,
Lap 14 To Valtteri Bottas

Reset your diff. Ricciardo is the car behind you. Ricciardo is on soft tyres. Vettel is on super-soft. HPP two to one. And we need to be saving fuel where we can.

[dans79]

For the Mercs maybe,
Lap 14 To Valtteri Bottas

Reset your diff. Ricciardo is the car behind you. Ricciardo is on soft tyres. Vettel is on super-soft. HPP two to one. And we need to be saving fuel where we can.

No, just for Bottas who was using higher engine modes at the start of the race to keep Vettel behind because of his tire pressure issues.

[Juzh]

For the Mercs maybe,
Lap 14 To Valtteri Bottas

Reset your diff. Ricciardo is the car behind you. Ricciardo is on soft tyres. Vettel is on super-soft. HPP two to one. And we need to be saving fuel where we can.

No, just for Bottas who was using higher engine modes at the start of the race to keep Vettel behind because of his tire pressure issues.

Everyone would have massive problems with fuel in bahrain had it not been for the SC which saved the race.

lap 3
To Lewis Hamilton:
Try to improve lift-and-coast efficiency. Verstappen 0.5 behind.

lap 9:
To Kimi Raikkonen
Pace is good, Kimi, you were quicker than the guys in front. Just think about being smart with the fuel saving now.

Even after SC Vettel was so hard wired into lift and coast he needed to be reminded it's not needed anymore.

It there's not any SC periods in russia it'll be just another fuel save fest as it was in previous years.

[Artur Craft]

This year has been pretty good so far but I dont think anything can save us from the worst track layout on the calendar. Happy to be wrong, but it's just such a crap circuit layout!

I agree. This circuit is horrible and blend. I didn't follow any of the previous Sochi races but if what was said is true, then power should matter quite a lot and, if so, Ferrari will not be that close to Mercedes. I don't say this to annoy any Ferrari fan, it's just a fact that Mercedes still have an edge with their PU.

I don't see pole being much faster than high 1:34.

Maybe Rosberg could have done 1.34 already last year if he went full beams on Q3.

[godlameroso]

He missed the apex in turn 5, otherwise he pretty much nailed the lap. Maybe a 1:33 or high 1:32 is possible having driven it some more.

[Phil]

Even if the Mercedes get the front row to themselves, I expect things to be really damn close on Sunday. You can get a large tow if you can follow the car in front closely and the Ferrari have been pretty consistent and strong on race starts...

[godlameroso]

Even if the Mercedes get the front row to themselves, I expect things to be really damn close on Sunday. You can get a large tow if you can follow the car in front closely and the Ferrari have been pretty consistent and strong on race starts...

Agreed, the corners that precedes the two straights are lower speed corners that rely more on mechanical than aero grip. The problem is that it's very difficult to pass into 2-3 chicane, and turn 12 makes setting up the pass for 13 very tricky as Raikkonen showed Bottas that time.

Then you have to worry about an over under move through the very low grip 14. Braking for 5 would probably be the only other place you can realistically pass, but only if the trailing car can follow close through the long left of turn 4, with the added aero and tire grip it should be easy flat regardless of whether a car is following or leading. We shall see.

[Sevach]

Now cutting will be more difficult.

[godlameroso]

How high are the orange kerbs at the apex?

[F1NAC]

How high are the orange kerbs at the apex?

50mm

[iotar__]

Now cutting will be more difficult.

- Why? As long as you slow down in a meaningless manner keeping all the advantage it's OK, like Ham in Mexico. Whiting clarified that or perhaps he was cheating .

- Maybe it's a bad angle but does it solve everything? Especially during 1st lap traffic.

[GPR-A duplicate2]

Why? As long as you slow down in a meaningless manner keeping all the advantage it's OK, like Ham in Mexico. Whiting clarified that or perhaps he was cheating .

Like Nico slowed down on double waved yellow in Hungary last year and still took pole.

[Phil]

Drivers Press Conference Part 1

(Bottas, Kvyat, Grosjean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1uHh-A8cE4

[dans79]

Why? As long as you slow down in a meaningless manner keeping all the advantage it's OK, like Ham in Mexico. Whiting clarified that or perhaps he was cheating .

Like Nico slowed down on double waved yellow in Hungary last year and still took pole.

why you waste your time?