SOCHI REVIEW BY BEN STEVENS
Friday
Ah, Russia… Home of vodka, babushka
dolls, and Donald Trump’s sex tape – not to
mention the Russian Grand Prix.
A relatively new race on the calendar,
Sochi is yet to really leave its mark on F1,
although with the ongoing tussle between
Ferrari and Mercedes, perhaps that changes
this year.
Starting with a camera shot of Jos
Verstappen in the pits, Friday practice at the
Sochi Autodrom similarly gave us the promise
of a fight simmering just beneath the surface.
Heading into the weekend all indications
pointed to Mercedes returning to the top on a
circuit that emphasises engine power, instead,
we saw Ferrari take charge right out of the
gate.
Topping the timesheets for both FP1 and
FP2, Ferrari seemed to have if not parity on
pure horsepower, better traction under braking
to make up the difference.
Drivers were getting caught out left-and-
right on Friday, but while the Ferrari quickly
settled in to hitting its marks, Mercedes never
seemed to gain a similar level of comfort,
suffering numerous offs – particularly for
Lewis Hamilton – through both sessions.
Still, it’s hard to bet against the Silver
Arrows and their magical engine boost button
on race day, but more than any race before
this season, they’ve got some serious work to do.