Formula 1 heads towards Europe with the Russian Grand Prix at Sochi, which joined the F1 calendar in 2014. The track surface is smooth, with mild weather conditions expected, so for the second time this season the three softest tyres in the range have been nominated. But it’s the first time that the ultrasoft tyre has been brought to Russia. In the past, the race has always been won using a one-stop strategy.

Curiosities & numbers

1.4823  bar(21.5 psi) minimum starting pressures (front slick)

1.4479  bar(21.0 psi) minimum starting pressures (rear slicks)

-3.25° camber limit (front)

-2.00° camber limit (rear)

The analysis of…

Mario Isola – Pirelli Motorsport ­– Head of Car Racing

 “The race follows a two-day test in Bahrain, so it will be interesting to see how the lessons learned there translate into on-track performance and tyre management in Russia. On the face of it, with Sochi being a low-severity circuit and more durable tyres this year, it should be a relatively straightforward one-stop race. However, this is the first time we are going there with the ultrasoft tyre, so the effect that it has together with the new generation of cars remains to be seen. The performance gap between the softest compounds is relatively small, so all three choices are potential race tyres in Sochi.”

Formula 1 Drivers’ Standing 2017

1       Sebastian Vettel         Scuderia Ferrari        68

2       Lewis Hamilton         Mercedes AMG           61

3       Valtteri Bottas            Mercedes AMG           38

4       Kimi Raikkonen         Scuderia Ferrari        34

5       Max Verstappen        Red Bull Racing         25

6       Daniel Ricciardo        Red Bull Racing         22

7       Carlos Sainz                Toro Rosso                 18

8       Sergio Perez               Force India                 14

9       Felipe Massa               Williams                      8

10     Kevin Magnussen      Haas                             4