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We head for the picturesque venue of the olympic village of Sochi Russia. A back to back race set on a track with a breathtaking back drop of glorious snow capped mountains. This track is 5.848-kilometre (3.634 mi) and the fourth-longest circuit on the Formula One calendar.
Lewis Hamilton is the first winner of this particular track and is the most successful driver to ever race this track with three wins. Valterrie Bottas is the only other driver on the current grid to win this track. This is typically a Mercedes track, as they are the only team to have won a race on this track, winning every race since the inception of this race in 2014. Mercedes has won this race five times. Bottas holds the fastest race lap record of 1:35:861, and took pole in the same year 2018 with the fastest lap ever on this track at 1:31.387. I have a feeling this record shall be broken this weekend.
Bottas goes very well here, hence if he is to win another race this season, this is the one. That said, Ferrari has kicked the teeth of Mercedes in the last three races. Pulling a magical one two finish on the Singapore track that had Mercedes and Redbull written all over it. The new king in town seem to be Ferrari at the moment. Hence, chances are that Ferrari shall be mighty here at Sochi and may bring to an end the winning streak of Mercedes on this track.
Fortunately, there are enough kinks and tight chicanes to allow Mercedes to have the edge this weekend. While the Ferrari have overcome some of its cornering problems, Sochi remains a track that would test their solution that has worked so well at Singapore. Interestingly, Sochi have similar right angle corners as was at Singapore which bodes well for Ferrari. This is a race that is likely to be so very close in the times from Mercedes and Ferrari. The edge may most likely be a whisker and it would come from the cleanest fastest lap of Q3.
If Ferrari can win here, l shall put my money on Ferrari winning the rest of the races this season.
Favorite to win this race is Bottas but my instincts say Leclerc.
Now check out these fine Russian grid birds.
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