2014 Russian Grand Prix preview

A new track and a new host as well. Russia has never hosted a Formula One Grand Prix before so this will be very exciting! Can't wait for the first practice session.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel has already been at the track and even driven a few laps for Infinity (with an Infinity car). He has a small advantage but I don't really know how much that will help him.

If you haven't seen any footage of Vettel cruising around at the track then take a look at this video:

Here are some Vital statistics from Formula1.com:

Circuit: Sochi Autodrom

Circuit length: 5.848 km (only Spa and Silverstone are longer)

Circuit width: ranges between 13m to 15m

Number of corners: 18 (12 right, 6 left)

Projected maximum speed: 320 km/h (between Turns 1 and 2)

Projected average speed: 215 km/h 

Projected lap time: 1m 36.9s

Longest straight: 650m (between Turns 1 and 2)

DRS zones: 2 - the first is between Turns 1 and 2 with the detection point prior to Turn 1; the second is between turns 10 and 12 with the detection point prior to Turn 10

Race laps: 53

Race distance: 309.732 km

2014 tyre compounds: soft, medium

Wins in first race at a brand new circuit (current grid): 2 - Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel; 1- Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikkonen 

Podiums in first race at a brand new circuit (current grid): 5 - Fernando Alonso; 4 - Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button; 3 - Sebastian Vettel; 2 - Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikkonen; 1 - Nico Rosberg

Fascinating fact: - Sochi Autodrom is the only racing circuit in the world to be located in an Olympic venue, Sochi having played host to the XXII Olympic Winter Games in February this year

Number of Russian drivers to have started at least one Grand Prix: 2 (Vitaly Petrov, Daniil Kvyat)

Best finish by a Russian driver in F1: 3rd (Vitaly Petrov, Australia, 2011)

Best finish by Daniil Kvyat in 2014: 9th (Australia, Great Britain, Belgium)

Percentage of 2014 season complete: 79 percent

Maximum number of world championship points still available to a single driver: 125

Significant running sequences going into this weekend: Lewis Hamilton - 3 consecutive Grand Prix wins; Mercedes - 15 consecutive podiums; Renault - 114 consecutive races in the points as an engine manufacturer; Daniel Ricciardo - 13 consecutive points finishes; Mercedes - 7 consecutive pole positions

Potential record breakers: Mercedes have scored eight one-two finishes this year. They need two more over the remaining four races to tie McLaren's 1988 record of 10 one-twos in a season, and three more to eclipse it

Turbo history: If a Ferrari-powered car wins the race it will be the first Ferrari turbo win since the 1988 Italian Grand Prix

The last thing are my predictions and they are almost the same as in the previous GP:

Pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

Race:

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
3. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull

Fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

Surprise: Kimi Räikkönen will get one of his best results this season.

Post your own predictions to our F1-4-LIFE PREDICTORS LEAGUE!

The rules:

POINTS:  1st - 3  2nd - 5  3rd - 10 

HOW IT WORKS: the aim of the game is simply predict who comes where in the race (top3). A total of 18 points can be won on a race day. If you get winner and and 3rd place right but 2nd wrong you get 13 points same if you get 1 correct. eg. 2nd you get 5 points. If a driver wins the race and you said he would come 2nd or 3rd no points would be awarded. Same if he came in another position, and you predicted that wrong. A table will be posted up every race weekend. The point scoring system will change once the cars become more competitive. Everyone will say a merc 1,2 so it won't be close or fun. 

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PREDICTIONS: send an email to f14lifeblog@gmail.com or message the Facebook page to submit your predictions. You have until lights out to make them. If you submit them when the race has started they won't count. So be quick! like the Mercedes. 

THE PRIZE: the winner of the league will win themselves a admin place on the F1 4 LIFE page along side AE, JT, MW & MH. If you don't want to be an admin you are welcome to participate anyway. We may also come up with some other prize if it helps. 

That's it for today and if you want to send me feedback then email me: f14lifeblog@gmail.com