Race 2021 F1 Russian Grand Prix Full Race Replay
Race 2021 F1 Russian Grand Prix Full Race Replay
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Race Info
Date 26 September 2021
Official name Formula 1 VTB Russian Grand Prix 2021
Location Sochi Autodrom, Krasnodar Krai, Russia
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 5.848 km (3.634 miles)
Distance 53 laps, 309.745 km (192.467 miles)
Formula One Russian Grand Prix 2021 What to Watch
The 2021 Russian Grand Prix will take place at Sochi Autodrome after 14 thrilling races. The battle for the title is more intense than ever, therefore the stakes are enormous. In the race for the drivers' championship, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are only five points apart.
It makes sense that this year's headlines have focused mostly on the two guys at the top of the rankings. Lower down the list, though, there are other hotly contested battles in the works.
Here are five tales to keep an eye on at the Russian Grand Prix:
The championship match between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
Monza was a prime example of Max and Lewis' seeming unwillingness to take their foot off the gas pedal after 14 races. The two guys became entangled in the first chicane late in the race, which culminated to a terrifying collision that might have been Hamilton's demise.
Verstappen's car crashed over the top of the Mercedes, but the Brit was spared catastrophic injuries because of the protective halo device. Aside from that, Hamilton missed a chance to pass Verstappen in the standings at a circuit where Mercedes appeared to be moving quickly.
Although Verstappen was unscathed in the accident, he will be held accountable for the delayed pit stop that first caused him to fall behind. He was also given a three-place grid penalty for the Russian Grand Prix because the stewards thought he was to blame for the collision.
Verstappen's penalties will make him more vulnerable going into Sochi, a track where Mercedes has historically had the advantage and is predicted to be strong this weekend as well. Additionally, the Red Bull team has made hints about the Dutch driver's potential power unit (PU) swap this weekend. He will start the race considerably further behind the pack as a result.
All of this suggests that Hamilton will have an easy time winning. A trouble-free weekend and an opportunity to pass his title challenger in the driver standings are what the British driver is looking forward to.
Mercedes' speed and Verstappen's penalties suggest that Hamilton won't have much of a contest up front. Valtteri Bottas, his teammate, is quite familiar with the Sochi Autodrome, though.
At the track, the Finn has two victories, one pole, and five podium placements. He has been an expert since the venue's first race. Bottas, who was then driving for Williams, came in third. He made the transfer to Mercedes in 2017, and in his first season with the German team, he finished first on the Russian Grand Prix podium.
Bottas has the necessary momentum, self-assurance, and experience to win after a solid showing in the 2021 Italian Grand Prix in spite of penalties. In addition, he is currently leaving Mercedes and will be driving for Alfa Romeo in 2022, so he might not follow team directives too strictly!
Mercedes will have an excellent opportunity to profit regardless of the winner. This weekend, they hope to widen the 18-point gap that separates them and Red Bull in the F1 constructors' championship.
Red Bull, meanwhile, should anticipate a challenging weekend.
The fierce title match between Verstappen and Hamilton will be the center of attention. However, there are a few intriguing, closely contested races for P3 and P5 in the constructors' rankings.
The race for P3 between McLaren and Ferrari is just as close as the championship race between the two teams. In the standings, the British team is only 13.5 points ahead of the Italian team.
Given that Sochi is a power-sensitive circuit and Daniel Ricciardo is starting to show his form in the McLaren, the Mercedes-powered vehicle may have an advantage over the Ferraris this weekend.
Alpine F1, AlphaTauri, and Aston Martin are the three teams vying for P5, which is another fierce struggle.
Only Pierre Gasly, who is dominating this season while rookie Yuki Tsunoda is still having trouble, presents a threat to AlphaTauri.
With both of their drivers often finishing in the points, Alpine F1 has recently rediscovered good form.
However, Aston Martin is currently trailing and will be looking to improve from this point on as they continue to have trouble finishing races.
With the exception of an Alfa Romeo hitch, the 2022 grid lineup is nearly finalized. The Swiss team quickly hired Bottas to take Kimi Raikkonen's place in 2022 after the 2007 champion announced his retirement from Formula One.
The second seat, which Antonio Giovinazzi now holds, appears to be up for grabs, though. The Italian has spent the last three seasons with them.
Giovinazzi's recent run of strong finishes may have convinced the squad to investigate new possibilities in lieu of him. He has another opportunity to demonstrate his skills and earn the second seat over the Russian Grand Prix weekend.
The penultimate event at the Sochi Autodrome will be the forthcoming Russian Grand Prix. F1 management said earlier this year that, beginning in 2023, the race would be moved to Autodrome Igora Drive, which is located north of St. Petersburg.
Since 2014, F1 races have been held at the Sochi Autodrome, and Hamilton has won the most races there (4). No non-Mercedes vehicle has ever taken the top spot on the podium at the track. The Winter Olympic Park, where the track debuted, serves as the backdrop for the circuit. In 2022, Formula One will make a final trip back to Sochi before the transition.