Russian Grand Prix 2019 — Weekend Preview

Round 16 of the 2019 Formula 1 World Championship takes the field to Sochi, Russia. Lewis Hamilton leads the championship with 296 points, 65 points ahead of Valtteri Bottas.

Driver Championship (entering R16):
P1: Lewis Hamilton — 296 pts (8W, 12P)
P2: Valtteri Bottas — 231 pts (2W, 11P)
P3: Charles Leclerc — 200 pts (2W, 8P)
P4: Max Verstappen — 200 pts (2W, 6P)
P5: Sebastian Vettel — 194 pts (1W, 7P)

Constructor Championship:
P1: Mercedes — 527 pts
P2: Ferrari — 394 pts
P3: Red Bull Racing — 289 pts
P4: McLaren — 89 pts
P5: Renault — 67 pts

Sochi is a balanced challenge.

Recent winners at Sochi:
- 2020: Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
- 2019: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
- 2018: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

Tyre strategy data will be available after practice sessions provide degradation information.

Battles to watch:

Championship battle: Lewis Hamilton vs Valtteri Bottas — 65 points separate them.

P3 vs P4: Charles Leclerc (200) vs Max Verstappen (200) — just 0 points apart.
P4 vs P5: Max Verstappen (200) vs Sebastian Vettel (194) — just 6 points apart.