Less than a week after Suzuka, the teams and drivers head for Sochi -
and the first Grand Prix to be held in Russia. Those involved in the
2014 Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix discuss their prospects for the
weekend ahead…
Red Bull
Sebastian Vettel"The track
is unique as it is the only one on the F1 calendar to be located on an
Olympic site. As for the circuit, there are definitely similarities to
other tracks, perhaps the best comparison is Singapore. But unlike
Singapore, the layout is more fluid, so it will be much faster. Some
sectors remind me a bit of South Korea or Abu Dhabi. Generally, I think
it has a very successful mix of corners with different characters, some
of them will be very difficult, and that’s ultimately what we want as
drivers. It will be quite slippery at the beginning of the weekend and
I’m expecting a few driving errors, not only because the track is new
for everyone, but also because the surface is still so green. So it will
be a while until we feel comfortable on the track."
Daniel Ricciardo"I
think firstly, it’s always exciting to go a new venue, particularly a
new circuit. As a driver it’s always nice to have something fresh and
new and obviously Russia provides a new layout for us. I drove a few
laps on the simulator already and I think it should be interesting. It’s
always different in real life but I hope it can be a fun track. I don’t
think we’ll know until we get there, but let’s hope it’s a good
challenge for us."
Pirelli
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director"Russia
is a key territory for Pirelli, along with all the major automotive
companies in the world, so we are very much looking forward to Sochi and
the first Russian Grand Prix, which is a significant milestone in the
sport’s history. From a tyre perspective it should be an interesting
challenge; we’ve got a wide variety of corners that should test every
aspect of performance. As has been the case at every grand prix this
year, we’re aiming for between two and three pit stops per race and the
nomination we have made reflects this. In terms of overall tyre energy
demands, Russia is somewhere in the middle, and measurements also
indicate low-abrasion asphalt. Regarding the weather, initial forecasts
suggest that conditions will be temperate. Going to a new circuit is
always exciting and it’s only when we get there that we will have a
complete idea of what to expect, so the work done in free practice will
be particularly important for everyone."
Force India
Nico Hulkenberg“It’s
always fun to explore a new place and this will be my first visit to
Russia. So far I’ve only seen a few photos of the paddock and the track
layout so I will arrive there with a very open mind about what to
expect. However, I do have high expectations because I know that the
organisers have made a big effort to make the race a success.
“It’s
hard to look at a track on paper and really get an understanding of how
it will feel to drive. I prefer to go there and experience things
before I make judgements and talk about track characteristics. So in
that sense it’s too early for me to compare it with another circuit.
What is clear is that there are some really quick sections and a lot of
right-angled corners.
“It’s fun to learn a new track and I look
forward to the first few laps of free practice. I would say that after
about 10 laps you’ve done your learning and start to feel comfortable.
After that, you can focus more on improving the car’s performance.”
Sergio Perez“I’m
really looking forward to the race in Sochi. It’s a country that will
be totally new for me and so it’s exciting to go there for the first
time. I will feel like a tourist looking around the city.
“The
location of the track inside the Olympic park is very unusual. If I get
the opportunity I will definitely explore a bit. From the photographs
I’ve seen it looks to be a very impressive facility. There are some long
straights, some tight corners, and I think it will feel like a street
circuit because the walls are close to the track in a lot of areas.
“To
prepare for a new track I normally walk the track and cycle it a few
times. Normally you need about 10 laps before you can really start doing
performance runs. Nobody knows the track so it will be the same
situation for all of us. We all start from zero.”
Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal“Everybody
at Sahara Force India continues to send support to Jules (Bianchi) and
the Marussia team. We know Jules well having worked with him during
2012. His recovery is the main priority at the moment.”
“[Russia]
is an important race for us and for the global expansion of the sport.
Russia is an emerging market for Formula One and it's big enough and
important enough for everyone in the sport to look forward to going
there. These huge markets are the kinds of places that we should be
concentrating on, which is why I continue to push for India to be back
on the calendar as well. We need to embrace these huge audiences where
there is great potential to increase the popularity of our sport.
“[In
terms of fifth place in the constructors’ championship] we are hanging
on in there and we know we face a big task in the final four races to
maintain this advantage. We are certainly motivated and will do all we
can to add performance to the car and score points. In Formula One,
anything can happen – we’ve seen it over and over again – and with
double points on offer in Abu Dhabi there is all to play for.”
Lotus
Romain Grosjean“I’ve
been driving the Sochi circuit on the simulator. It didn’t look very
sexy from the outside but it actually seems to be really good fun.
There’s a great mix of corners and some good high speed areas too. The
setting looks to be pretty impressive with a new facility and one where
there are mountains not far away as well as being right next to the
Black Sea.
“For me, it’s also quite special to race at the site
of and Olympic Games. I’m a huge fan of the Olympics and especially the
Winter Olympics, because my grandfather competed in skiing events at the
1948 and 1952 events. Hopefully that will bring me some luck! It’s
good to go to Russia as well. It’s such a big country. When you fly to
Japan most of the time you seem to be just flying over Russia! I’ve been
to Sochi once before in 2009 for a team event and I’m looking forward
to seeing more of it.
“Even without a simulator you get a basic
idea of the track pretty quickly. What the simulator does is let you
speed up this process and make initial decisions about car set-up and so
on. What the simulator can’t do for a new circuit is give a precise
idea of the grip levels you will find as it’s a surface we’ve never
raced on before. With any new surface, we’d expect the grip levels to
change over the course of the weekend, so that will be part of the
challenge. We all face the same challenge, but there is an element of
how good the driver and team are at quickly getting a handle on the
track. Hopefully Sochi is a circuit which suits our car. We won’t know
the answer to that till we get there!”
Pastor Maldonado“We’ve
been preparing (for Sochi) on the simulator, where the track looks very
interesting. It’s a long lap with some unusual corners. From the
simulator work we should know more or less what the racing lines will be
and when we arrive on Thursday we will double check as many things as
we can. It’s good. I’m happy to go there. I’m happy every time Formula 1
opens the door to new countries. I saw some of the Winter Olympics but
I’ve never been to Russia before, so it will be my first time.
“Everything
is new and especially in terms of the surface there is no way for us to
know how the track will develop during the weekend. In the past we saw
situations like in Austin where the track was super slippery at the
beginning and then session after session we were making improvements of
two or three seconds. It’s vital to stay on top of everything because
parts of the set-up that were working well might hold you back when you
go five or six seconds a lap quicker. You can’t take anything for
granted and it will be important to keep an open mind throughout the
weekend.
“For me it will be an all-new experience, and one I’m
looking forward to a lot. I’ve met many Russians and I know it’s a very
big country which has changed a lot over the past decades so it will be
very interesting to experience it for myself.”
Federico Gastaldi, Lotus deputy team principal“What
am I looking forward to about this weekend? Everything! It is a brand
new adventure for F1 and an exciting one. F1 is a global spectacle and
to be at the first race in Russia will be a great experience for us all.
Most important will be to meet and engage with the fans and to ensure
they take F1 to their hearts. We have a very good Russian Formula 1
driver in the sport with Daniil Kvyat and at Enstone we had the first
ever Russian F1 driver - our friend Vitaly Petrov. It will be nice to
see him again and to get his thoughts on how his fellow countrymen will
embrace our sport more.
“We should be racing in the world’s
biggest country. We have seen over the last 20 years or so, since the
change from the Soviet Union, that the opportunities there are huge. The
rapid expansion of the economy and the many big sporting events that
are being held here over the next decade will make for great momentum in
commercial opportunities. At Lotus F1 Team we are always investigating
new markets and looking to expand the F1 experience for new audiences.”
Nick Chester, Lotus technical director“We
will of course only properly identify the challenges (of the new track)
once we are actually in Sochi however we already have initial feedback
from both Romain and Pastor who have been in the simulator. Turn 3 is a
long and quite high speed corner that will present a good challenge.
Braking down into Turn 13 will be very severe and you come out of the
kink before you brake so it will be a difficult corner to get right.
Overall, the whole track looks quite technical, so it certainly will be a
challenging one for the drivers.
“It looks like a high downforce
circuit as most corner speeds are between 80 and 140kph. I would say
that setup will probably be similar to Singapore although there are a
couple of straights that are longer in Sochi so downforce levels will be
between Singapore and Suzuka.
“The main challenges really on
these types of circuits are for the drivers. They will have to learn the
track pretty rapidly to feel comfortable with its configuration and
concentrate at all times during the lap. We all know the penalties of a
short run-off when it’s a new track with uncertain grip levels.
“The
information we have is that the weather can be quite unusual in Sochi
as you have the mountains on one side and the sea on the other. We can
expect mild temperatures of about 20°C during the day and 12°C at night,
the average in that region in October. Early forecast indicates that
there are reasonable chances of rain.”
McLaren
Jenson Button“It’s
always interesting to visit new circuits - it’s fun to get out and
explore the contours of the track, the kerbs, the run-offs, the camber -
all the things that you don’t really fully experience until you’re
on-site and able to see the track for the very first time. That’ll be my
priority on Thursday.
“From what I’ve seen of the place, it’s
sort of a mix between the tracks we raced on in Valencia and Korea -
plenty of long, fast straights hemmed in by concrete walls and high
barriers, and a selection of medium-speed corners that seem to have been
designed to test the abilities of a car.
“As with all these new
venues, they only really begin to unlock themselves once you get out on
the track for the first time. I’ve lost none of my enthusiasm for going
to new places, so I’ll be keen to get out there on Friday morning and
get a feel for the place.”
Kevin Magnussen“The layout
sort of looks a little bit like Abu Dhabi - it has the curving straights
into very precise, tight corners, which will really require a lot from
the car because it’ll be trying to snap away mid-turn. Like Yas Marina,
it looks pretty flat, too.
“It’s hard to see a key place for
overtaking - there are no particularly big stops or opportunities where
you can really place your car up the inside. Turn 11, which is the
right-hander at the end of the back straight, might be a good
possibility. Turn 13 could be an option, too.
“A new track is
always an interesting test. As a rookie, I’m looking forward to the
opportunity to compare myself to the other drivers on more of an equal
footing. It should be an interesting weekend.”
Eric Boullier, McLaren racing director“The
arrival of the Russian Grand Prix marks a significant moment in Formula
1’s ongoing expansion into new global territories. While that’s
significant for the sport, it’s equally important that the event proves
able to deliver sporting spectacle and excitement for the fans.
“In
terms of facilities, the circuit looks first-class: the track threads
its way around some of the architectural landmarks that were erected for
this year’s Winter Olympics. It also feels a little bit like a street
circuit - it features a plentiful array of 90-degree corners, many of
which look likely to be taken at around the same speed.
“It’ll
be interesting to measure the popularity of the race; McLaren has long
participated at the Mobil 1-backed Moscow City Racing summer festival,
which regularly sees huge crowds, and it would be nice if Sochi could
replicate the appeal of that event.
“I hope it’s a successful weekend - for the sport and for McLaren.”
It
is understood that Alonso does not yet have a firm plan in place for
2015, but talks have opened up again with McLaren about a switch there.
