Russia – Race: Bottas stems the red tide and writes his legend!

This new campaign in Russia carried a particular meaning. Following the momentum of a successful start to the season, with two victories in three meetings, Scuderia Ferrari aimed even higher after the qualifying session. A decade later, the Italian team was delighted to lock out the front row of a Grand Prix once again. Sebastian Vettel was starting from pole position for the 47th time in his career, ahead of an ever-unfazed yet invigorated Kimi Räikkönen.

Unprecedented in thirty races, both Mercedes started from the second row. To top it off, Lewis Hamilton was only starting in fourth position, once again behind Valtteri Bottas. Further back on the grid, Daniil Kvyat was defending his nation’s chances from the twelfth spot. Grosjean and Vandoorne marked the last row with a Francophone accent.

Still bogged down in his problems, Fernando Alonso left his McLaren at the end of the formation lap. Despite makeshift handling, the Spaniard returned to his pit lane on foot. The double world champion thus gained two extra hours of rest before his big departure for IndyCar and the United States. Meanwhile, his fellow competitors had one less lap to complete, embarking on 52 laps.

Bottas emerges, critical tire management!

The great start was for Bottas! Benefiting from the momentum towards the first corner, the Finn outmaneuvered both Ferraris to take the lead of the Grand Prix. This happened just before the safety car was deployed, following the collision between Grosjean and Palmer. Eager on the inside of the first turn, the Frenchman jostled the Briton. Drifting, the GP2 Series champion drove his opponent into the wall.

Surprised by the slowdown, Lance Stroll spun out, losing the advantage of his good start.

PAL: “I don’t really know what (GRO) thought was going happen… I couldn’t give him any more space” #RussianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/08Dktr8RmE

— Formula 1 (@F1) 30 avril /f1/actualite/21908-russie-qualifications-vettel-et-ferrari-pour-une-premiere-ligne-en-rouge.html

New personal setback after Melbourne, Daniel Ricciardo on his side lost the use of his right rear brake, which went up in smoke. The Australian was forced to make a pit stop, resulting in his subsequent retirement.

At the front, Valtteri Bottas was not holding back. The Finn was pushing hard to keep Vettel’s Ferrari more than two seconds behind. In response to this pace, the pole-sitter was trying to limit the damage as best as possible. Third, Kimi Räikkönen was gradually falling behind, while still leading Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes, which was struggling with tire temperatures.

LAP 16/52

HAM📻: “Why’s my car overheating, guys? I feel like I’m out of the race…”

He’s P4, 12.2 seconds behind BOT (P1) #RussianGP 🇷🇺 pic.twitter.com/ChsrY7xkv0

— Formula 1 (@F1) 30 avril

With a 20-second gap, Max Verstappen had become the best of the rest after his garage neighbor’s retirement. In seventh and eighth, the two Force India cars remained comfortably in the points, with Pérez ahead of Ocon.

Tenth, Magnussen received a 5-second penalty ahead of his first stop. The stewards blamed the Dane for cutting the first turn.

In this first part of the race, each driver was in their lane, and the positions were beautifully frozen. The star of the moment was the “blistering,” which affected most of the Pirelli tires, inside the rubber and caused understeer. Quite a challenge for the leader, who was discovering the stress of leading in the face of traffic.

For others, the time had come to take the pit lane to observe the first tire change.

It was necessary to wait until the 28th lap before seeing a top driver make this maneuver, courtesy of Bottas! Stationary for two and a half seconds, the Finn put on the ultra-soft tires until the finish.

Vettel as a good manager provokes Bottas

These few laps were decisive. Provisionally in the lead, Vettel was on the attack to reclaim his position from the start. Six

“laps after his teammate and five laps after Hamilton, the four-time world champion finally pitted. Maintaining an equivalent pace at the end of the stint despite his worn tires, the German re-emerged less than five seconds behind, with fresh tires.”

Similarly, Nico Hülkenberg waited until the 42nd lap to make his mandatory pit stop!

Leading the pursuit of the duo fighting for victory, Räikkönen offered us a lunar conversation, made in “Iceman”.

📡 “We are behind BOT, Kimi”

📡 “How did that happen? Why didn’t we box earlier?” 🤔

📡 “He was leading the race, Kimi” 😂 #RussianGP pic.twitter.com/WgiO0FkdXH — Formula 1 (@F1) 30 avril

From then on, things were clear: Bottas had to resist the comeback of car no. 5. Had he simply held something back? The laps went by, and the pressure mounted for the former Williams driver, who was guilty of a small mistake in the thirteenth corner.

Duel in the Sun: Bottas Holds Firm Until the End!

The end of the fourth chapter of the season offered us an exciting outcome. With 10 laps to go, Vettel was less than two seconds behind! But the hardest part was yet to come. In the turbulence, the former Red Bull driver struggled to gain the last tenths. But the fight was clearly fierce, and each team motivated their driver. At Mercedes, Bottas was even allowed to activate the engine power surplus!

The atmosphere was suffocating in the last few kilometers. Saved by the DRS by overtaking Massa on the final lap, Bottas finally kept the lead! Vettel, slightly hindered by the Williams, the new Mercedes driver was saved.

The deliverance was at the end of the road: Valtteri Bottas wins the Russian Grand Prix /f1/actualite/21908-russie-qualifications-vettel-et-ferrari-pour-une-premiere-ligne-en-rouge.html!

Historic moment for the Finn, who becomes the 107th winner in the discipline! Very calmly, the driver bearing the number 77 had a thought for his entire team. Thanks to him, Mercedes returns to the top step of the podium!

“YEAAAAAH !” 🤘

It’s the first victory in #F1 for Valtteri Bottas after his success at the #RussianGP! 📻 pic.twitter.com/8idizCTGKs

— La F1® sur CANAL (@LaF1SurCanal) April 30 /f1/actualite/21908-russie-qualifications-vettel-et-ferrari-pour-une-premiere-ligne-en-rouge.html

Behind our dynamic duo, Kimi Räikkönen will settle for the third step. The reading of the standings is a real blow for Lewis Hamilton, who finishes 36 seconds behind his teammate! Behind, note the impressive group performance of Force India, with Pérez in sixth place, just ahead of Esteban Ocon who triples his season total. He faced the threat of Nico Hülkenberg, who closed in on his rearview mirrors towards the end of the race. Felipe Massa and Carlos Sainz complete today’s top 10. Lance Stroll will regret his spin during the first lap.

Here is the final ranking:

PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION: A race that @ValtteriBottas will never forget 🇫🇮🏆 #RussianGP pic.twitter.com/oPVWVbQP6Y

— Formula 1 (@F1) April 30

With this second place, Vettel still makes a good deal by increasing his lead over Hamilton in the overall standings. The gap is widening between the top three and Kimi Räikkönen, who will be under pressure upon his arrival in Europe. Especially since, for one point, Mercedes takes the lead in the constructors’ standings. But the back-and-forth is just beginning. The upcoming Grand Prix in Spain will surely mark a turning point in this Formula 1 season. See you in two weeks!