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Sunny. Dry. Air +29 … 28С, track +40 … 38С
In 2020, the stage in Sochi was the tenth, and the first of the season with fans in the stands. Tickets were also sold at Mugello, where Ferrari held the 1000 Grand Prix, but only 2850 spectators were allowed per day, and at Sochi Autodrom they decided to accept thirty thousand, and all tickets were sold.
Strict anti-virus measures were followed, spectators wore masks and did not cross Formula 1 personnel, but this was the first Grand Prix of the season with the same family atmosphere of a big racing party.
During the weekend, the Mercedes drivers were in the lead. On Friday Valtteri Bottas led the protocol twice, Lewis Hamilton led on Saturday morning, and in the afternoon the Briton won a very dramatic qualifying with a convincing advantage.
Hamilton was unable to complete the best lap in the second part of qualifying on Medium due to off-piste and red flags, so among the top ten only Bottas and Verstappen started on Medium, the rest started the race on Soft.
The ten-second riders were able to choose the composition for the start, and Soft used only Albon in the first segment. Kvyat and Raikkonen started on Hard, the rest on Medium.
Hamilton and Verstappen started from the front row of the starting field, Bottas and Pérez from the second, Riccardo and Sainz from the third. Kvyat started on the 12th home track. Kimi Raikkonen this weekend caught up with Rubens Barrichello in the number of Grands Prix held (323) and started the race in penultimate place. Elbon and Latifi lost five positions at the start for changing gearboxes.
Ferrari restored Vettel’s car after an accident in the second part of qualifying. At Sochi Autodrom, the TecPro barriers were restored after a serious accident in the morning race of Formula 2, which had to be completed after seven laps.
Before the start, the stewards reviewed the incident when Hamilton twice practiced the starting procedure outside the designated area, and during the race he punished him with two five-second penalties.
.jpg "Start of the Russian Grand Prix")
At first, Hamilton held the lead. Bottas edged out Verstappen, Okon edged out Riccardo.
Sainz went off the track and on his way back crashed into the wall, breaking the suspension. After a hit from Leclair, Stroll’s car rolled onto the curb at turn four and crashed into a barrier. The stewards left the incident without consequences. Sainz and Stroll withdrew from the fight.
The security car got out.
The top ten for safety car: Hamilton – Bottas – Verstappen – Ocon – Riccardo – Perez – Gasly – Leclair – Magnussen – Grosjean.
Russell, Albon and Norris ran over the rubble and became tire change pits, changing to difficult. While repairing Norris’s car, there was a hitch with the left rear wheel.
On the fifth lap, a restart was announced. Hamilton retained the lead. Raikkonen beat Russell, Norris beat Elbon.
On lap 8, Kvyat edged out Grosjean for tenth place. Raikkonen edged out Latifi in 14th place.
On lap 13, Kvyat edged out Magnussen for ninth place.
On lap 15, Russell changed the tires. Pérez got ahead of Riccardo in the fight for fifth position and Daniel also changed tires.
.jpg "Lewis Hamilton serving penalty")
On lap 17, Hamilton pitted, served two five-second penalties, changed tires and returned to the track in 11th place.
On lap 18, Grosjean and Latifi made a pit stop, and on lap 19, Okon and Gasly.
On lap 19, Hamilton edged out Vettel in the fight for seventh place.
On lap 20, Magnussen changed the tires. Riccardo is ahead of Raikkonen.
On lap 21, Pérez made a pit stop, on the 26th – Verstappen, on the 26th – Bottas, maintaining the lead of the race.
In the fight against his teammate, Riccardo went off the track at the second corner and received a five-second penalty.
On lap 27, Verstappen overtook Kvyat, who had not been in the pits, in the fight for third position.
On lap 28, Elbon changed tires, on 29 – Leclair, on 31 – Kvyat and Vettel, on 36 – Raikkonen. When repairing the Finn’s car, there was a problem replacing the left front wheel.
Top ten in circle 36: Bottas – Verstappen – Hamilton – Pérez – Riccardo – Leclair – Ocon – Kvyat – Gasli – Norris.
On lap 42, Vettel edged out Grosjean in the fight for 14th position. Roman went off the road, knocked down the foam signs; to remove them, the virtual safety car mode was activated for one minute.
Gasly and Grosjean pitted changing tires.
On lap 46, Gasley beat Elbon to tenth position.
In 48th, Gasley edged out Norris to move up to ninth place.
Having lost several positions, Norris pitted changing tires.
On lap 50, Giovinazzi passed Magnussen for eleventh place. On lap 52, Russell changed the tires.
.jpg "Valtteri Bottas")
Valtteri Bottas won the Russian Grand Prix, having obtained the ninth victory of his career, the second of the season and the second at the Sochi track. Max Verstappen took the second step of the podium, Lewis Hamilton finished third.
In two weeks the fight will continue at the Nurburgring.
Race results
| Pilot | I send | Time | Speed | Pete |
| 1.V. Bottas | Mercedes | 1: 34: 00.364 | 197,696 | one |
| 2.M. Verstappen | Red Bull | +7,729 | 197,426 | one |
| 3.L. Hamilton | Mercedes | +22,729 | 196,903 | one |
| 4.C. Perez | Racing point | +30,558 | 196,631 | one |
| 5. D. Riccardo * | Renault | +52,065 | 195,888 | one |
| 6. S. Leclair | Ferrari | +62,186 | 195,540 | one |
| 7.E. Okon | Renault | +68,006 | 195,341 | one |
| 8.D. Kvyat | AlphaTauri | +68,740 | 195,316 | one |
| 9.P. Gasley | AlphaTauri | +89,766 | 194,599 | two |
| 10. A. Elbon * | Red Bull | +97,860 | 194,325 | two |
| 11. A. Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo | +1 circle | 193,547 | one |
| 12.K. Magnussen | Haas | +1 circle | 193,482 | one |
| 13.S. Vettel | Ferrari | +1 circle | 193,446 | one |
| 14. K. Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo | +1 circle | 193,416 | one |
| 15.L. Norris | Mclaren | +1 circle | 193,080 | two |
| 16. N. Latifi | Williams | +1 circle | 192,141 | one |
| 17. R. Grozhan | Haas | +1 circle | 192,106 | two |
| 18.D. Russell | Williams | +1 circle | 191,190 | 3 |
* five seconds added to the results of the riders by decision of the stewards
Best circle: Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 1: 37.030 (51 laps, 216.972 km / h)
Reasons for retirements
| Pilot | I send | A circle | The reason |
| L. Walk | Racing point | 0 | shock |
| K. Sines | Mclaren | 0 | shock |
Championship position: Individual
Championship place: Constructors’ Cup
| I send | Motor | Glasses | |
| = | 1. Mercedes AMG Petronas | Mercedes | 366 |
| = | 2. Aston Martin Red Bull Racing | Sling | 192 |
| = | 3. McLaren F1 Team | Renault | 106 |
| = | 4. BWT Racing Point F1 Team | Mercedes | 104 |
| = | 5. Renault DP World F1 Team | Renault | 99 |
| = | 6. Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari | 74 |
| = | 7. Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda | Sling | 59 |
| = | 8. Alfa Romeo Racing | Ferrari | 4 |
| = | 9. Haas F1 Team | Ferrari | one |
