2021 FORMULA 1 RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

After the recent triple header, how much is the team looking forward to Sochi?

We’re going to Sochi on the back of a busy European triple header across Belgium, The Netherlands and Italy. We believe Sochi is a circuit that should allow us to return to a better level of competitiveness than Monza, which we knew wasn’t a circuit suited to our car’s characteristics. That said, we battled well in the Sprint and the main Race in Italy to recover from a disappointing qualifying session and put both cars in the points. It means we’ve scored at the last thirteen races and we know this level of consistency will be important in our close fight for fifth in the Constructors’ Championship.

How pleasing is it to see Esteban and Fernando scoring regularly?

Both drivers are managing to score points consistently. Fernando and Esteban are the closest matched driver pairing on the grid this year, which demonstrates just how strong our line-up is at the moment. They are working well together, and we’re enjoying their ability to push each other and push the team forwards. The racing is hard and fair, and we aim to keep scoring regular points with both of them.

What does Daniil Kvyat bring to the Team?

He is our reserve driver and is always ready to step in if one of our main drivers was unable to race. He is very experienced and contributes to our development programmes both at the factory and at the track. No later than last week, we have been testing the 18-inch prototype tyres with Pirelli in the wet in Magny-Cours with Daniil at the wheel of a modified RS18 car. We’re looking forward to having him join us in Sochi this weekend, in his home country.

What are your thoughts on the Alpine Academy Drivers’ recent success?

Sochi will also be a busy weekend for our Academy drivers with both Formula 2 and Formula 3 in action. In Formula 2, we had all three drivers on the podium at least once in Monza. Oscar and Zhou are in a thrilling title fight with each other and we’re looking forward to seeing how the next round will unfold. It’s the final race of the Formula 3 Championship with Victor and Caio amongst the top rookies in the series. Hopefully the two of them can record wins and podiums and finish the season on a high note.

Belated birthday

Esteban Ocon heads to Sochi having scored points on all three of his appearances in Russia. After celebrating his 25th birthday last week, the Frenchman aims for points again on the edge of the Black Sea.

How ready are you to take on Sochi?

I enjoyed the triple header and it was good for the team to score strong points at all three races. Monza was a challenging race for us as we weren’t as competitive there as we have been at other tracks this year. I think we can be more competitive in Sochi. Last year, as a team, we finish fifth and seventh, and it would be great if we can repeat something similar this year. The competition for fifth in the Constructors’ Championship is very close and it’ll be decided by very fine margins. If we can keep our form going, keep scoring with both cars, then we know we’re going to be in with a shot by the end of the season.

What is the circuit like to drive?

Sochi is quite a good track to race on. It’s got some interesting corner combinations and a decent flow to it. Most of the circuit is medium speed and the main challenge comes towards the end of the lap when it’s slower speed and the rear tyres tend to overheat. There are overtaking opportunities into Turn 2 after the long straight, and the aim is to be in the mix to capitalise on any chances.

How will you approach the weekend?

As I said, we were competitive there last year and we’re back to a more conventional race weekend after the Sprint in Monza. There’s no reason why we can’t be competitive again and we’ll target a productive Friday to make sure we’re prepared for the rest of the weekend. The atmosphere in Russia is always good to experience and I’m looking forward to seeing fans there this year. I enjoyed my 25th birthday last week, so coming home with a bag full of points will be the best belated gift! 

Sochi express

Russia welcomes Fernando Alonso back after a two-year absence from the Sochi Autodrom. Following his eighth-place finish at the Italian Grand Prix, Fernando is hungry to continue his current form around the 5.848km Olympic park venue in Sochi.

In Monza you finished eighth adding some more points to the team’s tally. What are your main takeaways from the weekend?

Monza was a tough weekend for us where we didn’t have the pace that we’ve shown at other races earlier in the year. I think we maximised everything we could from our weekend to score points and did well with the Sprint Qualifying format. If I was a fan watching from home, then I would have enjoyed the format because it gives you two races during a weekend. I’m glad to score more points for the team, and had it not been for what happened in Belgium, then it could have been the ninth race in a row inside the points.

You’re back in Sochi. What do you like about the track there?

I’ve raced in Sochi five times before and it’ll be good to return there this weekend. In the past I’ve not had a great Saturday there, but then in the race I’ve made up quite a few positions. So, let’s see if we can put it all together this year. In 2016 I had a very enjoyable race and we climbed eight positions that day. It’s a pretty fast circuit and the track is quite wide, so this helps with closer racing. You need a car that is quick in the straights, so it’ll be interesting to see how we shape up against everyone else.

With eight races left on the calendar, what are your targets for the rest of the season?

I think at this stage with the new regulations coming next year most teams, if not all, are already focusing on that. Our target is to consolidate our position in the Constructors’ Championship as we have stiff competition from Alpha Tauri and Aston Martin. We need to keep scoring double points finishes like we did in Italy and capitalise on any opportunities that arise. It’s been a long season already, but I am really enjoying being back racing. The cars are great to drive and the team atmosphere we are building is very positive. We have hopes for next season, but we need to enjoy the rest of this year and I will keep pushing to get the best out of myself and the car.

Alpine Academy

Formula 2 and Formula 3 bonanza in Sochi

All five Alpine Academy drivers are in action at Sochi, in a busy weekend of motorsport at the Olympic Park venue. FIA Formula 2 resumes its action after a thrilling Italian Grand Prix, with Oscar Piastri still leading the way in the Championship standings over his Academy teammate Guanyu Zhou.

The title protagonists battled tooth and nail throughout the entire weekend in Monza, eventually occupying the top two finishing positions at the conclusion of the Feature Race. Meanwhile Christian Lundgaard produced a fine display in the first race of the weekend, climbing sixteen positions during the race to finish on the podium.

Meanwhile, Victor Martins and Caio Collet will finish their respective debut seasons in FIA Formula 3 this weekend, with Sochi the closing act to their 2021 season. Heading into the final round, the MP Motorsport duo are fourth and eighth respectively in the Drivers’ Championship.

Guanyu Zhou: “It’s a short gap between Monza and Sochi and it’s nice to go back to racing so soon. The circuit is quite long with a mixture of medium and high-speed corners. You can’t afford to make any mistakes during a lap. The track brings back lots of memories for me after I took my first win in Formula 2 there last year. I’m excited to be back and I will try to keep the form going.”

Oscar Piastri: “Sochi is up next and it’s going to be a new race for me. We’ll aim to keep our good form going after we had a good weekend in Monza. There is no reason why we can’t keep up the performances in Russia. PREMA had a good weekend in Sochi last year, so hopefully we’re strong again. I will be trying to extend the championship lead before we head to the final two rounds.”

Christian Lundgaard: “I’m looking forward to Sochi. Even though Monza was a difficult weekend, we learnt some important things from it. As a driver I became more aware of some more technical aspects of the car, and we tried a few different things, which were useful. Hopefully we can now apply our learnings in Sochi. It’s a track I know quite well as we raced there last year. We weren’t too bad then, so I’m excited to see if we can be competitive this weekend.”

Caio Collet: “I’m looking forward to racing there for the first time. It’ll be new for almost everyone on the grid. The last six races I finished mostly inside the top five, so if we can get a podium, or a win, to end the year on a high, then it would be nice. It’s a shame we don’t have the title to fight for going into the final round, but I’ve learnt a lot from this year, and we’ll keep pushing to the end.”

Victor Martins: “It will be the first time this year we will be racing on a non-conventional track. I always love this kind of experience and feeling! I’m looking forward to using all of the experience that I have learnt from the season so far to finish on a big high in Sochi. This is a big chance for me to show I have learnt from my mistakes, and to display my full potential to get some strong results in qualifying and the races. I took my first win in Zandvoort, but I’m hungry for more.”