In what was shaping up to be the perfect sequel to McLaren’s stellar day out in Monza, some late wet weather mayhem saw ‘Team Papaya’ rueing a missed opportunity at potentially another race win, and in spite of all of the chaos, it would be a familiar duo standing atop the podium in Sochi.
After a fairly regulation Friday practice, Saturday brought the rain to Russia, which was severe enough to completely postpone the entirety of Free Practice 3. Fortunately for the drivers and the fans, all of the cars were able to take the track for the start of the first qualifying session, except for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who had already taken an engine penalty which automatically set him at the back of the grid for Race day. There were no true surprises during Q1, however like Verstappen, Leclerc had decided to also take his engine penalty for this race, and therefore did not take the track for Q2. In addition to Verstappen and Leclerc, two other notable names failed to progress into the final stage of the wet qualifying session, the Alpha Tauri of Pierre Gasly, and also Sebastian Vettel in the Aston Martin.
This meant that once again George Russell would be starting amongst the top 10 in the field for Williams, demonstrating the capabilities of the team in the wet conditions. The top 10 shootout would come to be somewhat of a cat and mouse affair, in which strategy and timing eventually decided the order of the grid. With the rain halted and the track beginning to dry out a substantial amount, the drivers, triggered first by Russell, made the bold move to switch on to slicks to put in much quicker times. For Russell and the other drivers that made the decision early, the tactic paid off drastically, as they were able to put in multiple push laps before the chequered flag. For the Mercedes drivers however, they left it a fraction late to get the maximum performance from the tyres, with Lewis Hamilton at one point knocking into the wall on his way to the pits. Eventually, all drivers were fitted with the softs, and it was McLaren’s Lando Norris who claimed his maiden pole position in F1, ahead of former teammate Carlos Sainz, and George Russell in third, who continues to give his all for Williams before he departs for Mercedes next season. Hamilton managed to claim fourth on the grid, whilst Ricciardo backed up his last qualifying with another impressive 5th place.
In what was seen by the majority as a Mercedes strategic ploy to halt the progress of Verstappen at the back of the field, Valtteri Bottas took yet another engine penalty, just one race after taking an engine change in Monza. The conditions were overcast yet dry, some drivers elected to start on the medium compound, while others in the top 10 aimed to extend their first stints on the hards. Off the start line, it became quickly apparent the power of the slip stream around Sochi, as those that didn’t excel out of the box were able to use the slower start to their advantage. Both the McLaren’s of Norris on pole, and Ricciardo in 5th, got away quite well compared to the others around them, however Sainz would take the lead through the first few corners. Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso squeezed Ricciardo and Hamilton into backing out, however the Aussie and the Brit would quickly move back past Alonso early on.
This is where much of the movement ended for a considerable amount of time, as there were two DRS trains that began to form at both ends of the timesheet. Norris and Sainz moved away and began their own battle up top, whereas George Russell kept a string of 5 cars stuck to the back of each other with nowhere to move because everybody was receiving the slipstream. Further down the order, Mercedes ‘plans’ to slow Verstappen became essentially useless after 6 laps, as the Red Bull overtook Bottas with very little resistance put up by the Fin. Verstappen continued rolling up the field alongside Charles Leclerc, as further up the track, Stroll and Russell were the first to hit the pit lane on laps 12 and 13, and they were joined by Carlos Sainz just a lap later, after he was passed back for the lead by Norris. The early pit strategy left both McLaren’s and Mercedes in a dilemma, however all three decided to stay out longer. As all of this was happening, the experienced heads of Perez and Alonso began to creep up into promising positions on the harder compound.
As shown in Monza last time out, Hamilton could not get past the McLaren of Lando Norris, and this time it was Ricciardo keeping the 7 time World Champion behind him. Ricciardo would be the one to bite the bullet and pit on lap 22, however a cruel twist in proceedings saw a dreadfully slow pitstop for the Aussie, which put him back on the track much lower than planned. This left Hamilton, who was now in fresh air, to build a big window in which he could come out of the pits in front of the Aussie, which he did a few laps later. Norris, despite remarking on multiple occasion how comfortable he felt, was brought in on lap 28. Ricciardo’s slow pit stop was the worst possible scenario for all except Hamilton, as he quickly closed up behind Norris because of the free space he was granted. After another herculean show of tyre preservation and despite a horrendous stop of his own, Sergio Perez moved in front of the Aussie Ricciardo, as he eyed his own podium finish. Just as the race felt like it was coming to a predictable end, enter the rain. Radios were in full effect as drivers and strategist contemplated their options. With just 6 laps remaining, it was again George Russell who seemed to trigger the abundance of pit stops that would follow.
Just a lap later, both Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo moved on to the intermediate tyre, which would prove to be a positive move towards the end. Out of all drivers on the grid, it was in fact the two leaders in Norris and Hamilton who were eager to continue on through the wet. For Hamilton’s sake, he was overruled and forced to pit with 4 laps remaining, however Norris would stick to his word and stay out, a decision that would prove costly. Almost as soon as Norris made his defiant act, the rain came down heavier, and the drivers left on slicks were tiptoeing around on ice essentially. Norris tried to maintain control, however the difference in tyre was too much, as the young brit eventually slid off the track allowing Hamilton to go through and take the lead. Alonso, Perez and Leclerc also seemed to leave their stops too late as they dropped down the order as the race concluded.
Hamilton would push ahead and win the Russian Grand Prix, grabbing his 100th career victory and the championship lead in the process. Taking advantage of all the chaos, Max Verstappen finished in an amazing second place, considering he started from the back of the grid, while Sainz did what was required for third. Ricciardo was again left wondering what if, as a fourth place finish seemed like the minimum that he may have been able to achieve if not for the pit error. Bottas found his way into P5, while a dejected Norris trickled home in P7, just mere laps away from claiming his first victory in Formula 1, and also back to back wins for McLaren.
Should McLaren have overruled Norris’ decision? Will anyone ever get close to Hamilton’s record 100 GP victories? Let us know in the comments!
Pioneer Australia 