The Sochi track has 18 corners, 12 to the right and 6 to the left, with 1.7 km on public roads. The lap starts near the train station and heads for the Medals Plaza, which was where the Olympic prizegiving ceremonies took place and the five linked rings still mark the spot. The distance from the start line to the first corner is just over 100 metres, with a slight bend to the right that is taken flat out, leading to the first braking point, where cars slow from 330 to 130 km/h, in under two seconds and over less than 100 metres. This is the first of two DRS zones. The long left hander at Turn 3 goes round the Medals Plaza and is flat at almost 300 km/h, followed by a series of right angle corners in the second sector, which is more technical and twistier. A good exit from turn 10 is vital prior to the very fast slightly curved section in the second DRS zone, leading to turn 13, one of the heaviest braking points on the track. The final sector is the slowest, with various 90 degree turns requiring a reasonably high level of aerodynamic downforce.
Scuderia Ferrari German driver Sebastian Vettel previews the next round of the 2020 Formula 1 season, the Russian Grand Prix:
“The Sochi track has a very nice first sector, especially when you tackle turn 3 accelerating flat out. In the second sector there’s a series of ninety degree medium speed corners and you need to have a good line going into them. On the technical front, you need to manage the hard braking points and how you apply the power on corner exit so that the tyres don’t suffer too much. However, the final sector is less exciting, tighter and with a few low speed sections. Overtaking is rather difficult and that’s why it will be important to do a good job in free practice to get all the potential out of the car in qualifying.” – Sebastian Vettel concluded.
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