Formula 1's next stop on its world tour is to the former Winter Olympic facility in Sochi, Russia for round 16 of the 2019 World Championship. Motorsport Week takes a look at the key talking points ahead of its return to the shores of the Black Sea.
Can off-form Mercedes maintain record?
For only the second time in Formula 1’s hybrid era Mercedes has gone three races without a victory. That acts as a testimony to its exceptional results across the past six years as well as the recent resurgence of Ferrari. If there was one venue that Mercedes would be keen to return to then it’s Sochi. Mercedes has not been beaten at Sochi Autodrom since its arrival on the calendar in 2014, while the company’s record extends back to 1913/14, when it won both Russian Grands Prix to be held on the roads of St. Petersburg. Mercedes cannot yet clinch a record-equalling sixth Constructors’ Championship but a win would put it back on the right path. The team has often been at its most potent off the back of a disappointing result.
A chance for Bottas?
Valtteri Bottas is rapidly running out of chances to keep the 2019 world title alive and there are now just six of 21 rounds remaining. Lewis Hamilton holds a 65-point advantage and, in the worst-case scenario, could have his first match point as early as the following Japanese Grand Prix. It is therefore up to Bottas to keep the fight alive and Russia is surely a good place for the Finn to claw back some points. During his Williams days, he typically excelled at Sochi Autodrom, coming agonisingly close to pole in 2014, while in 2017 he delivered his maiden victory at the venue. Last year he would surely have doubled up but for the team instructions that favoured Hamilton at a critical juncture in the title fight. Win or bust? It’s getting to that stage.
A supreme September?
Ferrari had not won a race since last October but in the month of September, it has secured an unexpected hat-trick. Okay, the first two victories in Belgium and Italy were far from a surprise as the brutal straight-line speed of the SF90 came into play, but few seriously expected Ferrari to challenge in Singapore. That it came away with a 1-2 finish was a testament to a perfect set of circumstances, as its updates worked, it got its car in the optimum operating window, it nailed the strategy, while Mercedes missed its chances and Red Bull went missing. Ferrari can cap a spectacular September if it can secure success in Sochi, one of only three circuits on the calendar where it has yet to triumph.
Can Sainz get back on track
Carlos Sainz Jr. was the in-form midfielder heading into the summer break as he held a firm grip on seventh place in the championship. A string of top results meant he raked in the results, but since the summer break, he has yet to add to his tally. It mirrors the start of his campaign, in which he remained point-less after the first trio of events before his fortune turned. Sainz Jr. suffered a power failure in Belgium, a loose wheel scuppered his chances in Italy, while a hit from Nico Hulkenberg on the opening lap in Singapore stymied his prospects. Sainz Jr. still holds a sizeable 24-point lead over next highest-placed midfielder Daniel Ricciardo, but after a few disappointing races, it’s time the plucky Spaniard’s fortune turned around.
Will Shwartzman secure home title triumph?
The tight turnaround time between Macau and Abu Dhabi means the FIA Formula 3 Championship is not heading to the season finale with Formula 1 and Formula 2, so atypically its title decider is taking place at Sochi this weekend. Several highly-rated Formula 1-linked proteges have been racing in the category this season but heading into the final round it is Ferrari-backed Robert Shwartzman atop the pile with a comfortable 33-point advantage over Prema team-mate Jehan Daruvala, with 48 up for grabs. Fellow Ferrari youngster Marcus Armstrong, Red Bull junior Juri Vips and Renault’s Christian Lundgaard have all had their moments but are now mathematically out of contention after a wretched Monza weekend for all three. There could also be a coronation in Formula 2, with Mercedes Formula E-bound Nyck de Vries standing a chance of clinching the secondary crown ahead of the Abu Dhabi finale.
