2018 VTB Russian Grand PrixFormula 1

[baldgye]

Back in 2014-2016 they couldn't care less about this, they were under no threat from other teams, they could have them fight, they won't do it again, or they would, they could sign either Ocon, Ricciardo or Alonso, they didn't. What does it tell us?

Ocon wasn’t ready yet for a top drive and I’m not sure how we would have handled it. Sure it looks like the wrong choice now, but on September it seemed like he had a good seat at FI.

Ricciardo was my bet, but he’s an unknown and being pretty solidly beaten by his far more unfortunate (reliability wise) team mate. I’d put him and Bottas on a similar level pace wise, Riccy is just balls to the walls with the moves.

Alonso was never going to happen. Pipe dream, Vettel was a more likely signing...


All in all, Bottas was the best option for next year and this when they did.
Ricciardo was the closest option, but he’s slower than Max (who you’d probably say is slower than Lewis) and has been beaten by him when both cars have worked properly... so it would be a bit of a sideways move...

 

[EDK]

Thought I was watching a Gran Turismo replay, with those audible start lights.

Yeah, they've done that for at least the last 3 or 4 races. I don't like it. I don't mind having a sound, but I don't like that air horn sound they are using. It's also so loud that it drowns out the engines revving up, which seems counterproductive.

However, it's better than the Heineken Star starting lights.

I wouldn't mind if Sochi gets removed from the calendar.

This.

At least they finally figured out they needed to bring softer tires. The first year, Rosberg changed to mediums at the end of lap 1 due to car damage, and he was able to run until the end of the race on them.

This was the best Sochi race to date, but it still wasn't what I would call a good race.

 

[baldgye]

Yeah, they've done that for at least the last 3 or 4 races. I don't like it. I don't mind having a sound, but I don't like that air horn sound they are using. It's also so loud that it drowns out the engines revving up, which seems counterproductive.

However, it's better than the Heineken Star starting lights.

This.

At least they finally figured out they needed to bring softer tires. The first year, Rosberg changed to mediums at the end of lap 1 due to car damage, and he was able to run until the end of the race on them.

This was the best Sochi race to date, but it still wasn't what I would call a good race.

To be fair, in the post race press-conference Lewis said that the track is bad for racing. He explained that the first sector is the fastest, then it gets progressively slower. By the time you’ve come to the end of the 3rd sector your tyres are too hot and you can’t really make use of the straight. It’s why Lewis and Bottas couldn’t pass a slower Red Bull.
His suggestion was to do it in reverse and that this could make it a bit more exciting... tho they might have to remodel the run off for the (current) final corner, I’d be game for seeing that!

 

[EDK]

To be fair, in the post race press-conference Lewis said that the track is bad for racing. He explained that the first sector is the fastest, then it gets progressively slower. By the time you’ve come to the end of the 3rd sector your tyres are too hot and you can’t really make use of the straight. It’s why Lewis and Bottas couldn’t pass a slower Red Bull.
His suggestion was to do it in reverse and that this could make it a bit more exciting... tho they might have to remodel the run off for the (current) final corner, I’d be game for seeing that!

Right, and likely lots of changes to the various run off cut outs around the track (they normally jut out and cause a hazard in the reverse direction of a track, unless the track is designed to be run both directions).

There was talk at one point about a Moscow city course, which I think would be welcome as compared to the current solution.

The frustrating thing is that these temporary circuits CAN be done well. Australia, and especially Canada, typically feature great races.

Turn 3/4 is at least somewhat interesting here at Sochi, but to Lewis' point, that final section just has no flow.

Maybe they should just connect turns 13-16 and make it a straight? Looks like there's some sort of overpass there, but there's not a building in the way.

 

[Touring Mars]

His suggestion was to do it in reverse and that this could make it a bit more exciting...

It certainly would, though they would have to make the wing mirrors quite a bit bigger!

 

[baldgye]

Right, and likely lots of changes to the various run off cut outs around the track (they normally jut out and cause a hazard in the reverse direction of a track, unless the track is designed to be run both directions).

There was talk at one point about a Moscow city course, which I think would be welcome as compared to the current solution.

The frustrating thing is that these temporary circuits CAN be done well. Australia, and especially Canada, typically feature great races.

Turn 3/4 is at least somewhat interesting here at Sochi, but to Lewis' point, that final section just has no flow.

Maybe they should just connect turns 13-16 and make it a straight? Looks like there's some sort of overpass there, but there's not a building in the way.

Yeah I think with redesigning the run offs, it run in reverse would be the best solution?

You could connect 13 and 16, but then you’d just have two massive straights and some **** in between... like a worse Monza...

 

[EDK]

You could connect 13 and 16, but then you’d just have two massive straights and some **** in between... like a worse Monza...

I was thinking that would make it more like Canada, which seems to work.

But reverse could be good.

I'm for anything that would make it more exciting, it's kind of a waste of a race as it stands now.

 

[baldgye]

I was thinking that would make it more like Canada, which seems to work.

But reverse could be good.

I'm for anything that would make it more exciting, it's kind of a waste of a race as it stands now.

Indeed, I’m assuming that’s why this year it was so late in the season... praying for rain to make it interesting

 

[Jimlaad43]

Shameless self-promotion, yes, but I have done a video on how to fix Sochi

 

[Whodoyouthink]

My suggestion is scrap Sochi and run at Moscow Raceway....it's FIA Grade 1 at least, so it's probably 80-90% there infrastructure wise. All the on-board videos I've seen make it out to be a more interesting track.

 

[Liquid]

You can remove it from the calendar, fine, but you'll have to come up with a track to replace it which will pay the extortionate fee to be in the F1 Big Boy Club. Seemingly only these plutocratic, oligarchic countries (Russia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, China, UAE) with direct government funding can comfortably afford these white elephants.

 

[Whodoyouthink]

You can remove it from the calendar, fine, but you'll have to come up with a track to replace it which will pay the extortionate fee to be in the F1 Big Boy Club. Seemingly only these plutocratic, oligarchic countries (Russia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, China, UAE) with direct government funding can comfortably afford these white elephants.

Moscow Raceway would keep Russia happy...being that it's still in Russia .

Someone found a slightly old video of Ocon giving a virtual lap tour. The more I watch stuff on the track, the more I actually like it. Can't the fans force enough influence to change 1 measly track, especially if it's within the same country? Although, I'm sure with that logic, many would argue for that to work on any number of tracks on the calendar. Anyway, here's the video:

 

[baldgye]

Moscow Raceway would keep Russia happy...being that it's still in Russia .

Someone found a slightly old video of Ocon giving a virtual lap tour. The more I watch stuff on the track, the more I actually like it. Can't the fans force enough influence to change 1 measly track, especially if it's within the same country? Although, I'm sure with that logic, many would argue for that to work on any number of tracks on the calendar. Anyway, here's the video:

It looks a much better track, reminds me of Turkey. But turn one seems like it would be a difficult place to make a move stick

 

[TheElbows]

Boring race, but I was not disappointed when I thought "I bet GTP will be crapping their drawers over team orders...". You did not disappoint. As usual, I can't help but imagine a lot of the vitriol is due to the driver and not the incident.

Shame Max's car wasn't very good on softer tires at the end of the race. Again though I think they also waited 3-4 laps too long on that change. He wasn't gaining time on anybody in the last 4-5 laps before his stop ---- unless they were praying for a yellow flag incident. Nothing irks me more than late-race changes onto soft tires when the driver has absolutely zero chance of creating a result.

Max at least had, what, ten laps?

 

[Jimlaad43]

Boring race, but I was not disappointed when I thought "I bet GTP will be crapping their drawers over team orders...". You did not disappoint. As usual, I can't help but imagine a lot of the vitriol is due to the driver and not the incident.

Shame Max's car wasn't very good on softer tires at the end of the race. Again though I think they also waited 3-4 laps too long on that change. He wasn't gaining time on anybody in the last 4-5 laps before his stop ---- unless they were praying for a yellow flag incident. Nothing irks me more than late-race changes onto soft tires when the driver has absolutely zero chance of creating a result.

Max at least had, what, ten laps?

He went slow to preserve the engine. They weren't going to get any places, no matter what he tried anyway.

 

[spacecowboy73]

I heard during one of the practice sessions on Sky, Crofty said they interviewed Verstappen about how to make the track better and Verstappen replied saying just make it an oval. The implication was that you can't fix it.

Turn 3 and the braking zone for turn 13 really are the only interesting things about this track in my opinion, oh I guess the setting is kind of nice with the amusement park, Black Sea and mountains in the background as well.

 

[baldgye]

I heard during one of the practice sessions on Sky, Crofty said they interviewed Verstappen about how to make the track better and Verstappen replied saying just make it an oval. The implication was that you can't fix it.

It was actually Alonso, he was asked to draw improvements you could make the the track and he just drew an oval

 

[spacecowboy73]

It was actually Alonso, he was asked to draw improvements you could make the the track and he just drew an oval

That's funny, could've swore Crofty said it was Verstappen. Could he have been wrong??? Anyway thanks for the pic!