2019 Russian Grand Prix - Sochi Autodrom, 27 - 29 September

[matt_b]

Don't forget race starts in just 3 hours time, easy to get caught out with this one.

[atanatizante]

Hard tyres are no option here for 2 reasons: a). 1.2 sec slower than S Tyre and 0.6 to M tyre and b). it has a higher working window from 105 deg. C and could be hard to heat them up knowing we could have some low 28 deg. C at the end of the race...
Btw. here was a one-stop when the track temp was +45 deg. C!
And on the same note Merc could have a sizable shot on when they should pit, for seeing what did Ferrari in the first stint on S Tyre...

[Cuky]

Yet again a big accident in F2. They're not showing a replay of it as they still don't have news on the condition of Matsushita and Mazepin
https://twitter.com/FIA_F2/status/1178226259295379456

[MtthsMlw]

Yet again a big accident in F2. They're not showing a replay of it as they still don't have news on the condition of Matsushita and Mazepin
https://twitter.com/FIA_F2/status/1178226259295379456

He was extracted from the car and driven away in an ambulance.
At least thats what written on twitter by spectators at the track.

Edit:
He's fine!

[Cuky]

On F1TV they have now told that both drivers are OK with no fractures.

And from replays it seems that Mazepin is 100% at fault. He went out in T2 and returned unsafely ignoring bollards which Aitken did go around. And he then clipped Aitken and went of into Matsushita

[Restomaniac]

On F1TV they have now told that both drivers are OK with no fractures.

And from replays it seems that Mazepin is 100% at fault. He went out in T2 and returned unsafely ignoring bollards which Aitken did go around. And he then clipped Aitken and went of into Matsushita

Completely Mazepin’s fault. He blind sides Aitken and then torpedos Matsushita.

[MtthsMlw]

I think this will be Leclercs toughest race after the summer break, he can hope that Vettel quickly gets past Hamilton.

[Restomaniac]

Well watching F2 it’s looking like DRS is useless.

[F1Krof]

I think this will be Leclercs toughest race after the summer break, he can hope that Vettel quickly gets past Hamilton.

Don't worry, it will the their easiest race for Ferrari's. There is little to no degradation on this track. Even though it has two long straights it is very hard to overtake as the last sector is very twisty, a good traction out of the last corner will suffice to cover the position.

And as for Mercedes' strategy starting on Meds is no feat of advantageous strategy, its just they're desperately trying something different as they have no alternative. The tires will not play any role here, even if they do, going Soft - Medium towards the end its better because you can push the Meds without worry. So yeah, its gonna be a Ferrari one two, it's just a shame that my bookie doesn't have F1 quotes

[drunkf1fan]

Why would he?

Why did Vettel hit Webber, why did Rosberg hit Hamilton, why did Prost/Senna hit each other, why did Schumi hit...... everyone he hit. At some point stress, pressure and wanting to win combine to usually create cars coming together. It would make sense that at some point Vettel is fighting wheel to wheel and feels like he can win a race, or beat Leclerc in the championship and maybe to the title and that at that time he'll make a mistake and push to far or do something deliberately in the heat of the moment. To deny these things happen when we have ample evidence of it is kind of crazy.

Does that mean Vettel will hit Leclerc, no, or that if he hits him it was intentional rather than hard driving gone wrong, no. But the chances of them tangling as the pressure ramps up and Vettel at some point feels the need to race harder than he should is more likely than not imo.

Look back at Vettel's history, he is the youngest WDC and at that time everyone praised him. He is super fast.

If I remember correctly, he beats Lecrec in qualy and race till canada. In canada he said over radio that "he will not kill Lecrec's" qualifying. After that incident he is not performing well in qualy.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say here. Are you saying he was ahead in the qualifying battle and points or that you think he beat Leclerc in all races and qualifying till Canada? Because in Australia the team held Leclerc back from passing Vettel as he caught him and had much better pace with like 1/3rd of the race to go maybe. He got Ferrari's first pole in Bahrain and was on for the win before the failure. He was 2/100ths behind Vettel in China qualifying, and quite a bit faster in Q1 (6/10ths) and first runs in Q2 in Baku before screwing it up, etc.

Vettel was also pushed ahead in the race in China and then they kept Leclerc out. Vettel had more points and was doing okay but we're talking about a much much less experienced driver, with the first time having a car anywhere near that performance level and he outqualified Vettel in the second race and was a good margin faster than Vettel before Vettel spun in Bahrain. Leclerc looked faster in Baku, and Monaco but mistakes were made in both that ended up with Vettel behind. In raw pace and qualifying Leclerc has looked faster really since Bahrain.

In terms of moving/retiring. Again 30mil is 30mil, he has a contract for next year. If you're going to retire why on earth wouldn't you take that final 30mil and honestly why on earth would RBR offer him a contract at this stage. If he can get 30mil and intends to retire soon why accept half that or less from RBR for a single season when he can just take the pay day before retiring from Ferrari? I can't really see any reason for him to leave or any viable options for him to leave to for next year.

[atanatizante]

This time Merc going longer in the first stint could beneficiate for a late SC phase, something they were chasing with no luck in Singapore ...

[Unc1eM0nty]

I think Ferrari will use hard compound after softs, then Mercedes stays longer on medium to have younger tyres at the end of the race, but it will be hard to overtake Ferrari on straights. Maybe same situation as it was in Monza

I think with DRS Mercedes can overtake on the straight, the key is getting close enough, they need better drive of the last corner, maybe fresher tyres can give them this.

The problem in Monza was following through parabolica, a fast corner onto a straight played to Ferraris strength, here it's different.

[jumpingfish]

I think Ferrari will use hard compound after softs, then Mercedes stays longer on medium to have younger tyres at the end of the race, but it will be hard to overtake Ferrari on straights. Maybe same situation as it was in Monza

I think with DRS Mercedes can overtake on the straight, the key is getting close enough, they need better drive of the last corner, maybe fresher tyres can give them this.

The problem in Monza was following through parabolica, a fast corner onto a straight played to Ferraris strength, here it's different.

Yeah let's see in the race, hope there are no SC/VSC or technical failures to break the strategies

[LM10]

Toto confirmed again that they stopped developing in Germany. And Ferrari confirmed that their Singapore update was the last one of the season.
Of course, before these time points, both teams were splitting their work load for current and next season, but now they’ll probably almost completely shift to next season. Mercedes a couple of months earlier.

Then I wonder what this talk about the Mercedes update at Suzuka is about.

[MtthsMlw]

Race prediction:
Ham - Lec - Vet