Scuderia Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel is not overly concerned regarding the Maranello team’s chances at the 2017 Russian Grand Prix, as cold temperatures are expected in Sochi, which could help rivals Mercedes with the tyre management next week. Mercedes have proved to be very strong at the Sochi track since the Russian Grand Prix joined the Formula One calendar back in 2014, with Lewis Hamilton managing to win back-to-back races, while his former team-mate Nico Rosberg finished on top last season.
The 2017 Russian GP may therefore better suit Lewis Hamilton, who is looking forward to returning to the track as he attempts to draw back level with Sebastian Vettel in the F1 World Championship standings: “Sochi is a smoother track and less abrasive on the tyres, so they can go quite a long way. Hopefully we can rely on the pace of our car there rather than our use of the tyres.” – the Mercedes driver said.
But Sebastian Vettel is confident that the performance of the SF70H car in China offers sufficient evidence to show that Scuderia Ferrari are able to compete with Mercedes even in colder temperatures, unlike the situation encountered in Bahrain: “I don’t think it will be a problem for us, I think we will manage just fine.” – Sebastian explained, when asked to comment if the weather could make life difficult for the Italian team in Russia: “I think we managed as well in China and it was quite cold, so I think it will be OK. We will see. To be honest I don’t know the forecast yet, but usually they change. We’ll see when we get there.” – Sebastian Vettel concluded.
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