F1: 5 talking points from the 2018 Russian Grand Prix

Modified Sep 30, 2018 13:50 GMT

F1 Grand Prix of Russia — F1 Grand Prix of

To be frank, for all the hype surrounding the 2018 Russian Grand Prix, if one were to remove the massive moment of the race- Hamilton lunging ahead of Vettel for second, after diving down on the German's inside- there may not have been anything too spectacular at Sochi, for it was, in the end, a dominant Mercedes triumph.

But having said that, how on earth did the fastest car on the grid- Ferrari- lose out so comprehensively? What were their issues with speed; there's something that may be bothering Vettel, who now clearly knows what lies ahead is a certain title loss to Hamilton. Isn't it?

#5 Hamilton is better than Vettel

The fight to clinch the fifth driver's title seems to be clearly withering away with each passing race for Vettel and therefore, Ferrari, who are yet to win a title since 2007.

Now that Hamilton has won his eighth win of this year and an incredible seventieth overall, it doesn't seem likely that he will be stopped by Ferrari unless some sudden reliability issues play a damp squib for Mercedes.

Before Hamilton entered Sochi, he enjoyed a forty-point lead over Vettel. This, given his dominant win, has now increased to fifty. Surely, Vettel's task now is to move a mountain. And surely that's not something a mortal can achieve.

#4 Is Kimi continuously being misled by Ferrari?

Kimi was told to stay out longer than expected, although this wasn't the first time the Iceman was robbed off of what may have been a competitive finish, had it been that, inside the top three.

There was little sense in having the Finn hold track position, continuing on wearier rubber and having him pit only after lap 15. In so doing, while Raikkonen kept a fighting Verstappen at bay, holding an easy 7 second lead over the Dutch, that the Finnish driver had to anyway pit made the move little senseless as he was due to lose track position.

On the other hand, Kimi's teammate too couldn't benefit a lot from his teammate staying out. Was this another failed Ferrari overcut?

#3 Charles Leclerc's epic drive

Ferrari may not be the happiest team on the roster at the moment. But given that they've hired the young Frenchman for next year may actually prove to be a reason for what could be a beaming smile the next season.

Young Charles Leclerc drove brilliantly in his Sauber and finished on seventh, his best-ever result at Sochi. In so doing, he impressed once again and proved just why's he so highly rated on the grid. Isn't it?

#2 Impressive run by the Red Bulls

Right at the start of the 2018 Russian Grand Prix both the Red Bulls, it did seem, weren't in it to finish inside points, let alone fight for promising finishes.

And maybe, given that both drivers collected dogged finishes, Max finishing ahead of Daniel at fifth, there's a reason why the duo is called the wild-pack of the lot. Rather, it also makes sense in calling the Red Bulls the jokers of the pack.

In driving a sensational Russian Grand Prix, Verstappen put his car on fifth and within the opening two laps, made up as many as nine places. For Verstappen, who turned 21 on September 30, 2018, the Sochi effort was equivalent of a magnum opus drive, as he collected 13 places while his teammate also fought valiantly through the field and finished on a respectable sixth.

#1 You ought to feel for Bottas

Some call him a wingman, others call him Hamilton's support engine. Whatever it is, it's not easy being Valtteri Bottas- is it?

Last year, it was Valtteri Bottas who won at Sochi. If you rewind back to the last 3 races, then every single race has been won by a Mercedes car here at Sochi. It did seem certain that after he clinched pole, Bottas was all set to win what would've been his maiden win in 2018.

Except the only problem was that it wasn't to be.

After Bottas pitted and came out, he was issued clear team orders to let Hamilton through. In the meantime, Hamilton, who pulled a stunner of a move over Vettel was all set for a win.

How often- one's got to ask- does it feel so disconcerting in a Grand Prix, despite finishing second? Have Mercedes really been all that fair to the Finn?