After 14 entertaining races, F1 is heading to the Sochi Autodrome for the 2021 Russian Grand Prix. Much is at stake as the battle for the championship is closer than ever. Only five points separate Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in the race for the drivers’ title.
Understandably, the two championship leaders dominated the headlines this year. However, there are also highly competitive fights that brew down in the order as well.
Here’s a look at five stories to watch out for in the Russian Grand Prix:
Title fight between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton
After 14 races it looks like neither Max nor Lewis are ready to take their foot off the accelerator and Monza was a perfect example of that. Towards the end of the race, the two men got tangled up in the first chicane, resulting in a frightening accident that could have been fatal for Hamilton.
Thanks to the protective halo, the Briton escaped a serious injury after Verstappen’s car drove over the roof of the Mercedes. That being said, Hamilton also lost an opportunity to overtake Verstappen in the overall standings on a track where Mercedes looked fast.
Verstappen also came out of the accident uninjured, but will regret the slow pit stop that set him back in the first place. He also received a three-place penalty for the Russian Grand Prix because the stewards held him responsible for the accident.
On the way to Sochi, a track Mercedes has usually been ahead of the game and is expected to be strong this weekend too, Verstappen’s penalty shoot-out will put him at a greater disadvantage. In addition, the Red Bull team hinted at a possible power unit (PU) change for the Dutchman this weekend. This means that he will fall even further behind at the start of the race.
All of this bodes well for Hamilton, who can expect an airy triumph. The Brit is looking forward to a trouble-free weekend and the chance to overtake his title rival in the drivers’ standings.
Valtteri Bottas and Mercedes against Red Bull
With the penalties from Verstappen and the pace of Mercedes, it looks like Hamilton won’t face too much of a challenge up front. His team-mate Valtteri Bottas, however, knows his way around the Sochi Autodrom pretty well.
The Finn has two wins, a pole and five podiums on the track. His expertise goes back to the very first on-site race. Bottas drove for Williams back then and finished third. After joining Mercedes in 2017, he was at the top of the Russian Grand Prix podium in his debut season for the German team.
After a strong result at the Italian Grand Prix in 2021 despite a penalty shoot-out, Bottas has the drive, confidence and experience to win. Not to mention he’s on the road with Mercedes and will be driving for Alfa Romeo in 2022.
Regardless of which driver is ahead, Mercedes is well positioned to capitalize on. They lead Red Bull in the Formula 1 constructors’ championship with 18 points and will try to increase that gap this weekend.
Meanwhile, Red Bull expects a tough weekend. With Verstappen’s penalty shoot-out and a flood of poor performances from Sergio Perez, the team are hoping for luck on their side. Regarding the coming weekend, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told F1.com:
“We also have to take the starting penalty for Max, but in Sochi that is not such a big handicap because of the strength of the tow up to Turn 1. I looked at the results at the Russian Grand Prix and 2018, Max went from last to first before making his pit stop. We finished second there last year, but we’ve never won on this track… I’m looking forward to it and to see how we get through. “
Fight in midfield
All eyes will be on the close title fight between Hamilton and Verstappen. But there are some interesting, close fights for places P3 and P5 in the constructors’ championship.
The battle between McLaren and Ferrari for P3 is as close as that between the championship contenders. The British squad leads the Italian team with only 13.5 points in the overall standings.
With Daniel Ricciardo finding shape in the McLaren and Sochi being a performance-sensitive circuit, the Mercedes-powered car could be ahead this weekend.
Constructors’ championship after the Italian Grand Prix Credits: F1
Another fiery battle is that for P5, for which three teams are fighting: Alpine F1, AlphaTauri and Aston Martin.
AlphaTauri is only challenged by Pierre Gasly, who has a hot run this season, while rookie Yuki Tsunoda continues to struggle.
Alpine F1 has seen strong form lately, with both drivers consistently finishing in the points.
However, Aston Martin are on their way back as they continue to struggle to finish races and hope to be able to change things from that point forward.
Antonio Giovinazzi and the second Alfa Romeo seat
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The upcoming Russian Grand Prix at the Sochi Autodrome will be the penultimate race on site. Earlier this year, F1 management announced that the race would be relocated to Autodrome Igora Drive north of St. Petersburg from 2023.
The Sochi Autodrome has hosted F1 races since 2014 and Hamilton has the most wins (4). The track has never seen a non-Mercedes car climb the top step on the podium. The track is laid out around the Winter Olympic Park, which took place the same year the track made its debut. The F1 will return to Sochi for one final race in 2022 before the switch occurs.
Edited by Sandeep Banerjee
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