Towards a one-stop race in Russia?

The fourth round of the 2017 World Championship will take place this weekend on the Sochi track, known for its low abrasiveness, and with outside temperatures much lower than those encountered in Bahrain in particular.

Conditions which should allow teams to make only one stop during the race according to Pirelli. The ultra-soft rubbers, already seen in Australia in 2017, will also their first appearance in Russia at the heart of the softest possible choice made by the Milanese firm (ultra-soft, super-soft and soft will be available), offering a new parameter for the teams and the Italian manufacturer.

“We will have to analyze their behavior, in these conditions, with the new generation of single-seaters, explains Mario Isola, Motorsport Manager at Pirelli.

The performance gap between the softer compounds is quite small, so each type of rubber is a potential choice for Sunday's race.

This Grand Prix follows a test session organized in Bahrain, and it will be interesting to observe in Russia the lessons learned from the first three races, both in terms of performance and tire management. »

Remember that for the Russian event, as will be the case up to and including the Spanish Grand Prix, the drivers will have seven trains of the softest compound nominated for the event, four of the "intermediate" compound, and two of the harder.

Pirelli has also recommended the following pressures for the Russian round: 1,5 bar at the front, and 1,4 bar at the rear.