In the round-up: Sergio Perez says he drove a “perfect” race at Sochi.
What they say
Perez started 11th and made his way forwards to finish behind seventh.
Fantastic race. I think one of my best races that I can remember. Just perfect, everything. The start, when to push, when not to strategy-wise.
Probably we were a bit unlucky with the Safety Car timing and we lost there but we managed to recover. And especially to hold on to the people with fresher rubber that was key. We just took every single opportunity and we worked hard for it. So we couldn’t do any better today.
Quotes: Dieter Rencken
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
Is it me, or does it appear motorsport is becoming ‘more dangerous again’
Not of course to the levels of ages past. And the incredible equipment is all there to help.
But there have been a lot of big incidents recently.
— Alex Brundle (@AlexBrundle) September 29, 2019
Again, asphalt run off areas creating a crash… drivers just take this a a video game… bring gravel back
— Antonio Felix da Costa (@afelixdacosta) September 29, 2019
Let's all be grateful for the soap opera on the @ScuderiaFerrari radio right now because without it, it'd be a terrible race… #F1 #RussianGP
— Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) September 29, 2019
“What about Multi 165 don’t you ****ing understand?” – Charles Leclerc #F1
— Gavin Ward 🇨🇦 (@GDubRacer) September 29, 2019
This circuit is just awful.
— Nate Saunders (@natesaundersF1) September 29, 2019
As Vettel climbed out he said "bring back the fucking V12s". #F1 #RussianGP
— RaceFans Live (@racefanslive) September 29, 2019
I saw Sebastian Vettel stop & pick up some rubbish today (water bottles) as he walked to the interview pen. He actively came out of the pen after his DNF specifically to do that. Just a little reminder we are all human and I wish twitter wasn’t so negative. #F1 #RussianGP #BBCF1
— Claire Cottingham (@Cla_Cottingham) September 29, 2019
I actually got tears in my eyes. It was a welcome beyond belief. I won't ever forget it. https://t.co/LMv8AYnEjP
— Mario Andretti (@MarioAndretti) September 29, 2019
Teamwork makes the _____ 😉 #RussianGP weekend = ✅✅✅ pic.twitter.com/JsWgSht5we
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) September 29, 2019
I really thought they meant it and thought this was smart…🤦🏻♂️ https://t.co/pbPC1Fv5oG
— Khalil Beschir خليل بشير (@khalilracing) September 29, 2019
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Links
More motor racing links of interest:
Sprint race press conference (F2)
Nyck de Vries: "I think we've had too many red flags this year. Monaco, Paul Ricard, Spa and now again. I wouldn't say we get used to it but it wasn't the first time. We should really try and avoid them."
Sochi racing track is ‘priority Number One’ for Russian Grand Prix - F1 CEO Carey (TASS)
"We are always open to having conversations on what the future could bring, but priority one is building and growing the race here in Sochi."
"Alex, who started from the pit lane, performed well to make his way through the field, making some great overtakes in what was another mature drive. To finish up in P5 was an impressive race from him and fourth and fifth was probably the maximum achievable for us today."
Top 10 performance in Russia (Racing Point)
"It was a tough race today and to finish just outside the points is really frustrating. I spent a lot of time in traffic and I wasn’t really happy with the balance of the car. I struggled to keep the tyres under control throughout and we were sliding the rears a lot – and that cost me at the restart when I got overtaken by Hulkenberg."
Franz Tost: "We were a bit unlucky with Pierre because we called him into the pits on lap 26, just one lap before the safety car was deployed when Vettel stopped on track."
"I had too much damage on the car to carry on, which is a shame. It was a bit chaotic through Turn 2 and I had the inside line for Turn 4 where I thought I was safe. I got hit and had a puncture and damage to the floor."
Charles third in game of Russian Roulette (Ferrari)
Mattia Binotto: "Before the race, as always, we spoke with the drivers and we asked Charles to give Seb a tow, because that would be the best way for him to get ahead of Hamilton and for the two of them to be first and second come the end of the opening lap. In fact, Seb got a fantastic start, which allowed him to pass Hamilton even before the entry to the corner."
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Comment of the day
Mattia Binotto’s claim Ferrari did not delay Sebastian Vettel’s pit stop to get Charles Leclerc ahead of him was met with a lot of scepticism:
What a joke, like anyone is gonna believe that.
Actually its even worse if they didn’t do it for that reason because then it shows how incompetent they are.
Valinor
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On this day in F1
- 40 years ago today Alan Jones won a thrilling scrap with Gilles Villeneuve to deny the home favourite victory in the Canadian Grand Prix
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
30th September 2019, 1:56
The problem with cotd is that Binotto’s claim makes sense. I would have let Seb out as long as possible, as you do in the lead, lec undercut made sure merc wouldnt get track position and vet pace dependant could have gotten a pitstop on bottas. it wouldn’t be close on pit out but it would be better as vet had a good chance of still holding track position over the mercs.
effectively singapore again, the car in front gets a worse strategy.
Jere (@jerejj)
30th September 2019, 6:23
@peartree Indeed.
F1oSaurus (@)
1st October 2019, 19:12
@peartree Indeed. If anything, they went too short. If Vettel had been able to stay out for two more laps, they would have had a SC and Vettel would have easily won the race.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
30th September 2019, 1:59
Was it my eyes or does the racing point pitch up as it gets faster also perez was really poor in the end of the straight during the race. the racing point used to have an rb style rake, not anymore.
Jere (@jerejj)
30th September 2019, 6:27
I don’t really agree with Antonio Felix Da Costa. It’s all too easy just to try and blame the tarmac run-off area for a crash like this. Let’s not forget that tarmac slows the cars down significantly more efficiently than gravel or grass do. Gravel also has the potential to flip a car around as happened with Alonso in Australia back in 2016 or with Nick Heidfeld in Indianapolis in 2006.
James Brickles (@brickles)
30th September 2019, 10:42
I don’t think that’s true in that tarmac is more effective overall at slowing a car down. In a straight line, yes, Michael Schumacher almost certainly wouldn’t have broken his legs at Silverstone if there was tarmac at Stowe corner, but when a car is spinning, then the car just skids like a sledge, and in the wet, it’s even worse.
One particular example that springs to mind was Michael Schumacher’s qualifying crash at Spa in 2011 when he lost a wheel on the approach to Rivage. The car just kept skidding and didn’t slow down at all right up until the gravel trap, which actually prevented the car from hitting the barriers a second time. Nurburgring 2007 also comes to mind when driver after driver went off at turn 1. This year at Hockenheim, the drag strip was causing all sorts of chaos.
The biggest side effect of tarmac run offs is that drivers are taking more and more risks and the result is that we have seen some really alarming accidents because some drivers are taking a few liberties.
Jere (@jerejj)
30th September 2019, 19:58
@brickles ”I don’t think that’s true in that tarmac is more effective overall at slowing a car down.”
– According to the now-late Charlie Whiting, tarmac/asphalt slows cars down almost twice as quickly as gravel does.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
30th September 2019, 17:21
@jerejj you don’t have to agree, gravel is safer, it is a fact, tarmac is more practical. The fia doesn’t allow tarmac on some runnoffs because they are too short for tarmac or the barrier is a traditional tyre stack.
F1oSaurus (@)
1st October 2019, 19:14
@peartree Gravel is not safer. Gravel is actually dangerous with side ways slides, because it will flip the cars.
Besides that, it might help slow down the cars faster when the track is wet, but in all other conditions tarmac is better for slowing down the cars.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
1st October 2019, 23:16
@f1osaurus Better flip the car that not deccelarate at all. Let’s agree to disagree.
F1oSaurus (@)
3rd October 2019, 17:42
@peartree Well if you insist on disagreeing with the governing body on placing gravel or tarmac, then by all means.
Not sure what the point is though. Why do you feel to insist that you know better than the people who actually know about this stuff?
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
3rd October 2019, 23:38
@f1osaurus …I just told you what the fia mandates, you’re the one that thinks the fia is wrong to use gravel. You crashed 180° on this thread.
F1oSaurus (@)
4th October 2019, 19:53
@peartree Yes the FIA mandates gravel where there is gravel and tarmac where there is tarmac. And then you claim the got it wrong.
Besides you come with broad statements which make no sense.
Sure agree to disagree all you want, but again what’s the point of blurting out nonsense and then simply say that you “disagree”
I think 3 is an even number. Agree to disagree ok?
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
4th October 2019, 23:25
@f1osaurus again? Read before replying.
Why agree to disagree? You either didn’t comprehend the previous comment or didn’t read it, so I thought it was better to stop reasoning as there is no point in it. I stopped, you didn’t.
Shall I surmise, the fia mandates “x” runoff and what type for “y” corner, you know that I know that. Race promoters like to use as much tarmac as possible for practical reasons, it’s been said everywhere. If tarmac was that safe why aren’t all runoffs like Paul Ricard? Not enough space, and as soon as a car loses a wheel or bottoms out it is ver going to stop on tarmac, wurz almost died in testing at paul ricard.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
30th September 2019, 8:17
COTD is on target. Ferrari are either incompetent or lying. Either way Mercedes are eating them up for breakfast even after they had 1-2 in the bag.
F1oSaurus (@)
1st October 2019, 19:17
@jureo COTD is wrong. Vettel’s lap times were stable. Better to stay out. There could have been an SC. In fact Vettel was very close to Russel’s SC.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
2nd October 2019, 6:30
Then Ferrari are just incompetent. Vettel tried to force pitstop because he knew he was being undercut, he complained of rears going off, to trigger a pitstop.
Atleast we can see Vettel is competent when it comes to his radio skills.
carbon_fibre (@carbon_fibre)
30th September 2019, 8:34
You might not like this, but why not allow team orders during safety car periods? Just a random thought I had during the Singapore GP.
Jere (@jerejj)
30th September 2019, 19:21
@carbon_fibre Well, since team orders are allowed as a whole, they are also permitted during SC (and VSC) periods.
F1oSaurus (@)
1st October 2019, 19:33
@jerejj What do you mean? Car’s are not allowed to swap places behind the SC.
Jere (@jerejj)
1st October 2019, 20:33
@f1osaurus Yes, of course, but team orders via team radio are, but if done then they have to wait till green-flag conditions before actually pulling out a swap.
F1oSaurus (@)
1st October 2019, 20:48
@jerejj What’s the point of that?
The idea @carbon_fibre poses is to allow position swaps behind the SC. Which would make it much safer to swap cars. Don’t think it’s good idea, but still.
LMB-F1 (@luis)
30th September 2019, 23:04
Perez again hitting over his weight.
Congratulations to Perez.
You only need one car with which you can fight every week.
F1oSaurus (@)
1st October 2019, 19:37
@luis Is he though? At best you can say that he’s better than Stroll, but that sets the bar incredibly low.
LMB-F1 (@luis)
2nd October 2019, 0:04
I did not say that it was better than Stroll, which by the way it is, what I said is that Pérez hit above his weight, as he has done many times before, and on this occasion he did it again, he surpassed cars that are better than the one Sergio drives.
…and that bar is taller than you are imagining.