Radio paddock GP Russia

Additional Pirelli tire test

P irelli will get an additional tire test on October 7th and 8th to evaluate new tire compounds and constructions. The tire manufacturer requested the test after the teams approached in June with the request to enlarge the tire window and make the tires more resistant to overheating. Racing Point failed with a blockade. Ferrari and Red Bull drive on the first day, Mercedes on the second. Only Ferrari sends a regular driver. Sebastian Vettel first drives in Barcelona and will then fly to Japan on Monday evening. Red Bull is likely to rely on young driver Jake Dennis, Mercedes on Esteban Ocon.

It is a clever move by Ferrari. Although no team is able to see the data during the tests, the driver's antennas are extended. When doing a tire test like this, Pirelli usually tries up to ten different compound and construction options. In Friday practice for the US GP, all drivers will each receive two sets of the new tires.

Why not Assen?

Formula 1 is looking forward to returning to Zandvoort in 2020. For many, it's the race of the year. 100,000 spectators will attend the event. It could also be a million if there were enough grandstand seats. It can be assumed that more fans will come than just the ticket holders. Therefore screens should be set up. However, the infrastructure is not prepared for the mass onslaught. Additional access roads are to be created in the dunes. But the Greens cry out. Dunes are sacred to the Dutch.

Course architect Hermann Tilke doesn't understand why Zandvoort was chosen for the Dutch GP and not Assen. “180,000 spectators fit in there. When the hut is full, the mood is automatically good. Then it doesn't matter where you go. Assen has the better infrastructure and is in a great location for the motorway. ”Tilke's team has nothing to do with the renovation work in Zandvoort. “We work with Assen. That's why we are out of the question for Zandvoort. ”

Ban on helmet design

Daniil Kvyat argued with the rulers in Russia. The Toro Rosso driver had a special helmet design for his home game, but the FIA ​​stepped in. According to regulations, drivers are only allowed to change the basic scheme of their helmet once per season. Kvyat did thisalready at the Italian GP. The rule is debatable. Max Verstappen regularly changes the colors of his head protection. In Austria, for example, he wore yellow, in Belgium orange. Sebastian Vettel also changes his design cheerfully. Kvyat's mistake was that he had officially asked the FIA ​​if he could use the helmet. Vettel and Verstappen simply presented the rulers with a fait accompli.

Red Bull

The new Kvyat helmet remained unused.

Advice from Bernie

Bernie Ecclestone gives his successor Chase Carey advice on how to untie the Gordian knot in the dispute with the teams about the new regulations. 'Make a deal with Ferrari and Red Bull. Then you put the gun on the other's chests and say: Eat or die.'

Ricciardo for second USA race

2020 includes the calendar 22 races. For most of them this is too much, because the product is devalued by the large number and the travel stress for the mechanics becomes even greater. Which race would Daniel Ricciardo cancel? The seven-time GP winner laughs. “I can't say that, otherwise I'll have a whole nation against me.” In the paddock, the majority would skip the race in China on the spot. Then Ricciardo turns the question around. “I would welcome a second race in the USA. No matter where. ”

More TV time desired

The four-way battle almost went under. Romain Grosjean, Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll battled it out for eleventh place on the final lap in Singapore. Nothing of this was to be seen on TV, but only later online. 'The big show is in midfield,' says Sergio Perez. “I don't understand why we're so rarely shown on TV. So the whole field should fight. ”

Vettel not to be heard

Sebastian Vettel was suspiciously calm after his victory in Singapore. The Heppenheimer is actually known for his extravagant jubilation on the radio. This time he couldn't be heard. There were reasons for that. “At first I forgot to press the button for the radio. Then I said most of it in Italian. Maybe that's why it wasn't played out. It's true that I cheered less than usual. I was asked the week before the race which song I would like in the case of oneSing victory. I couldn't think of any. Maybe that was still in my head during the run-out round. ”

Putin not here

Some things are law in Sochi. For example, that Mercedes always wins. The Silver Arrows celebrated their sixth victory in the sixth Russian GP. Another statistic has been corrupted. President Vladimir Putin was absent from the gallery this time. 'He was in town, but had no time to come to the race,' revealed Bernie Ecclestone, who was again a guest in Sochi.

Nico Hülkenberg has a winter jacket for 'Hülk'

spent the days in Moscow between the Singapore and Russia races. And experienced a temperature shock. From a stifling 30 degrees in Singapore to zero in Moscow: “When we landed, the thermometer showed zero degrees. I first had to buy a winter jacket. It cost 30 euros. “

Hülkenberg

Nico Hülkenberg had to get a winter jacket for his trip to Moscow.

Out from the hotel

For most Formula 1 people, Sochi means airport, hotel and race track. Hardly anyone has seen the city itself. Daniel Ricciardo also had to admit: “In the first five years I never left my hotel.” This time the Australian has hired Renault test driver Sergey Sirotkin to show him a good restaurant in town. One day later he watched a KHL ice hockey match. HK Sochi played against Dynamo Moscow in the Sochi ice stadium, which is right next to the racetrack.

Kimi already third

Kimi Raikkonen drove his 308th Grand Prix in Russia. With that he overtook Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button. Only two drivers left - Rubens Barrichello with 323 GP starts and Fernando Alonso with 312 - are ahead of him. The number doesn't give Raikkonen anything: “I actually wanted to quit much earlier. Which I did for two years. Now I have no idea how long it should go on. Maybe a year or two. As long as I have the feeling that I am performing and that the race is more important than all the nonsense around it, I will continue. ”

Giovinazzi trembles

Antonio Giovinazzi has hisAlfa Romeo cockpit not yet certain. The competitor is Nico Hülkenberg. The Italian is still waiting for a signal from the team as to whether he can stay: 'If I continue to drive such good races and score points like in Monza and Singapore, nobody can take my seat.' In Sochi, however, the good series broke down /p>

Three charter flights to Sochi

Three charter flights from Emirates and ERX brought the Formula 1 entourage from Singapore to Sochi. The price for a seat in economy class was 1,900 euros, for business class 6,700 euros. Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hülkenberg have booked a private jet to Nice for their flight home after the Russian GP. Sebastian Vettel flew back to Italy with his team. He had a simulator appointment in Maranello on Monday and did a few laps in the kart to switch off.

No Renault for Red Bull

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner and his Renault colleague Cyril Abiteboul met in the paddock. Does Renault want to do business with Red Bull again? Helmut Marko smiles mockingly: “As long as Max Verstappen is driving with us, there will never be a Renault engine in our car.”

Information hour for the drivers

The Formula 1 bosses Chase Carey and Ross Brawn presented the new cars for 2021 to the drivers in Sochi on Friday and wanted to know how they envision the future of the sport. Lewis Hamilton warmed up the old record with the refueling stops, but was taught that they make the sport worse, not better. Otherwise the drivers repeated their demands: better tires, less sensitive aerodynamics, more equal opportunities in the field. Lewis Hamilton praised: 'It gives me a good feeling that we are now being heard.'