After the boring race in Singapore, around the houses, now we come to Sochi in Russia, for yet another round the house style of event.
The 5.848 kilometer circuit is the fourth-longest circuit on the Formula One calendar, behind Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan and Silverstone in the UK. The circuit is built around the Sochi Olympic Park, the coastal cluster of Olympic venues built for the 2014 Winter Olympics that have hosted competitions in ice hockey, speed skating, curling, figure skating, short track etc., and Fisht Olympic Stadium where Opening and Closing ceremonies were held. The surface was not laid until after the Closing Ceremony of the Olympics.
With Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) stretching his lead over Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) in the World Drivers Championship, it will need something close to a miracle for Vettel to haul the 40 point advantage back, but it has happened before, but it is doubtful looking at the way the Ferrari driver is buckling under the strain. There are six Grands Prix to go, including Russia. That is a possible 150 points.
The telecast will begin at 6.10 p.m.
The circuit, designed by German architect Hermann Tilke, has the start grid on the northern edge of the Olympic Park next to the railway station, heading southwest towards the Black Sea coast. Then it runs along the outer edge of the central Sochi Medals Plaza, which is the podium for Olympic medal ceremonies, then circles the plaza counterclockwise and makes three turns around the Bolshoy Ice Dome. Then follow series of tight corners before turning north where the track skirts the edge of the Olympic Park, above the main Olympic Village and the Adler Arena Skating Center. Then it passes the skating and curling centers, before funneling up behind the pit paddock toward the train station, and completing a circuit with two ninety-degree right turns.
 |
 |
