2016 Russian Grand Prix - Sochi, Apr. 29 - May 01

[Morteza]

Tire choices:



2015 Results:





2015 Pole position lap:

[godlameroso]

1:36.5 for pole, having the same tires as last year, except the compounds are softer so the strategy may end up SS SS S for the race. Weather will be ~18 with 22 degree track weather so the SS tires will last somewhat but not enough for a one stopper. The medium could do a one stopper but it's too slow compared to the super soft. Medium vs soft it's probably better to use the medium unless it's the final stint as the softs will grain due to the cold weather and short corners.

[matt_b]

Be interesting to see how many laps it will take to warm up the tyres for a flying lap.

[Webber2011]

Red Bulls might go all right here.
I doubt we will see much overtaking so Quali will be crucial.

[Juzh]

ferrari 1-2

[ME4ME]

Interestingly Red Bull has gone extremely aggressive with their Super-Soft tyre allocation, while Ferrari have chosen conservatively. I imagine Red Bull wants to spend as much time as possible on the SS tyres in practice (since they are used throughout all stages of qualifying and the first stint in the race) but they might regret not having a lot of Softs to try. Ferrari will probably do more running in practice, but won't be able to tune for the SS as well as Red Bull. I think Mercedes has made a better compromise.

Anyway since tyre performance is crucial around this track, I think the teams that are able to work their way around the high tyre pressures* will fare the best. So probably Red Bull and maybe Ferrari.
If Ferrari bring the combustion upgrade their are rumored to, it might very well end up Ferrari-Mercedes-Red Bull on Sunday.

*run minimal legal pressure & keep pressures from rising after leaving the garage

[iotar__]

Russia, place where Mercedes famously glued Rosberg's pedals to the floor last season. That's why I like Ferrari being close, they cannot afford practical jokes like that or can they ?

- Merc - Ferrari: similar to China, the difference: tyre degradation and leading (Q) more important
- dissecting aggressive vs not tyre choices is pointless, they all can and will run similar stints
- Two stops. It would be funny if someone after first lap puncture put mediums and run the whole race but I doubt pace would justify it.

[ME4ME]

- dissecting aggressive vs not tyre choices is pointless, they all can and will run similar stints

Tyres for practice will be different, and thus the way in which teams prepare and setup the car. Also it will influence how they manage the delicate super soft tyres troughout the race. It's not totally pointless.

Also I disagree about 2-stop. I think it will be a classic 1-stop for most teams.

[basti313]

- dissecting aggressive vs not tyre choices is pointless, they all can and will run similar stints

Tyres for practice will be different, and thus the way in which teams prepare and setup the car.

In China most teams used 1SS 2S and 1M until the end of FP2. No matter what tire allocations. If we see the same here everyone could even use new tires for FP2 and have more than enough tires for Q and Race.
I do not see anything you could read into these allocations...the only thing strange is 6 Softs for Ferrari...no idea what they want to do with them.

Also it will influence how they manage the delicate super soft tyres troughout the race. It's not totally pointless.

I do not think there is anything delicate on them. The tire life in China was nearly equal to last year and the SS lasted easily 30 laps last year in Sochi. In the race it was even beneficial to do an earlier change to Softs than most teams did.

Also I disagree about 2-stop. I think it will be a classic 1-stop for most teams.

You are right. There was very little tire deg last year, no idea how a 2-Stop should work.

[Nuvolari]

Posted this in the Ferrari team thread:



Last year's notable first stints on the SS. Doesn't include safety car laps or outliers. Is there a source for this year's tyre compounds being 'softer' i.e degrade faster than last year's equivalents? If the tyres are similar to last year, a 1-stop makes better sense, no?

[basti313]

Is there a source for this year's tyre compounds being 'softer' i.e degrade faster than last year's equivalents? If the tyres are similar to last year, a 1-stop makes better sense, no?

The source for softer tires is Pirelli. But the last tree races showed, that the tire degradation is similar to last year. Partially because Pirelli has no idea like usual and partially because the teams have build better cars.
So yes, 1-stop will be quite sure. Unfortunately they did not bring the Ultrasoft...no idea why...even with SS only lasting 15laps most cars would go for 1-Stop here. With the Ultrasoft it would have ended up in a 2-stop for sure and this is what Pirelli usually wants to achieve.

[Vasconia]

This could be the first boring race of the season but I hope I am wrong. Anyway the 1-stop strategy and the bland track are not encouraging aspects.

Hopefully this time Ferrari will make things correctly and will put Mercedes under pressure.

[pob]

Alonso did 40 laps on the supersoft last year, it will be easy one-stop. I hope some of the teams/drivers have the guts to call out Pirelli in the press conferences on just how ridiculously conservative they have been.

[ME4ME]

[chenpei24730]

Alonso did 40 laps on the supersoft last year, it will be easy one-stop. I hope some of the teams/drivers have the guts to call out Pirelli in the press conferences on just how ridiculously conservative they have been.

It is said that Mclaren is tyre-consuming this year, so …